ite, a crystal of quartz, a lump of anthracite, a splinter of rosewood or mahogany, a leaf from an oak or willow, or a wild flower from the hillside, had been placed in her hand, who can deny that an interesting and useful lesson might have been learned from it, characterized throughout by the all-important element of truth? And which lesson would any judicious parent prefer for his child, the false one from the atlas, or the true one from the simple objects of nature? It would be no very difficult task to make out a list of subjects sufficient to employ usefully all the time that any one may regard as wasted in our schools by the monotonous pursuit of what is unintelligible, and therefore comparatively worthless, or even injurious. And it cannot be regarded as harmless to suppress the working of those faculties by which the child gains intelligible knowledge, in attempting to torture into exercise those which, at the time, are capable of producing little else than mere mechanical results. We need not wholly exclude any subject taught at present. What is necessary is to stop at that point beyond which the subject ceases to be clearly understood, and to defer the further pursuit of it until a period of increased ability shall enable the pupil to comprehend it. Many of the simpler definitions and facts of geography might be retained. Operations in simple numbers might be performed both orally and upon the slate, directing the attention particularly to the how, and saying comparatively little about the why. Geometrical forms. and defiinitions might be taught from the black-board, and imitated by the pupils upon the slate. Something might be done in teaching the classification of words and their simpler combinations, in brief oral and written exercises. And thus, in addition to the too much neglected branches of reading and spelling, the rudiments of all the studies usually taught could be learned, and a large surplus of time be left for the pursuit of other subjects. These last can always be found amid the inexhaustable resources of nature. Innumerable objects for interesting and useful study, either by the child or the adult, can always be found within her wide domains. They abound in the animal, the vegetable and the mineral world. They are calculated to call into healthful exercise just those faculties which nature intended for action during the period of childhood, and they are forever at hand for our use. Whether portrayed or not in appropriate descriptions upon the printed page, they everywhere crowd the open pages of nature's exhaustless volume, so that he that runs may read." There is not a pebble without its lesson. A stone, a crystal, a shell, a piece of glass, a brick, a nail a section of wood, a leaf, a twig, a flower, a feather, an insect, a worm, a bird, a fish, a quadruped; each of these and thousands of other objects are always at hand from which the teacher can teach lessons of lasting interest and value, calculated to strengthen the minds of his pupils, to promote their habits of observation, to stimulate their desire for knowledge, to purify and elevate their nature, to lay the foundations for eminence of attainment in science, and to foster an undying veneration and love for the Creator of the universe, the beauty and excellence of whose works they have learned to study with ever fresh delight.-R. I. Schoolmaster. A PEDAGOGUE'S EXPERIENCE. "Delightful task," the poet sings I wish he'd try it but an hour, The bright ideal seems very clear J A novice in the noble art to flog,- To an up-mountain, rural district bound At twelve a month and "Teacher boarded 'round," To thresh or teach or both and prosper in't,- "How old D'ye say ye was? That all! You'd oughter had You'll find the school-house getting rather old, And p'rhaps it's tore to pieces so it's cold. We meant to have some wood what's dry, and should To board; they've got ten scholars, and the worst. At Higgins's he halts, a greeting grip He's up betimes, and yet with scarce a minute Hastening to wade the mile with aching feet, (The pay per diem only half a dollar.) And full two-thirds are needing to be "licked." Frets through the day, and threatens for to-morrow. (Some accidental snow-balls hit him on the back,) Tells how some 66 master" flogged her little dears, He shrinks away, and shivering seeks his bed. Delightful task to rear the tender thought." W. SCHOOL LEGISLATION. "An act entitled an act to restore to the people some of their original rights and privileges," was the caption to a bill introduced into our legislature during its last session. The real meaning and intention of this bill is not revealed in its title. "To restore to the people some of their rights and privileges," implies that they have been wronged, and, without a knowledge of the facts in the case, we might infer that some despotic tyrant had sway. ed his cruel sceptre over the freemen of Vermont, and that the wrongs iuflicted had not been redressed; and still further, that some distinguished patriot like Wash |