our midst. But let us turn to our other correspondent. He writes, "I have between eight and nine dollars belonging to you for the Journal and Gleanings.' I have disposed of only sixteen Journals, nearly all to summer teachers. Hope to dispose of a few more, perhaps all." This man reads the Journal, and writes for it too. Mark the difference and judge ye between them, kind readers.

And pardon us if we make a few extracts from other letters received from subscribers.

Excellent," Milton." With the Journal for the past year, I have been considerably interested. Many practical ideas on the subject of education, have been suggested, and I think well received." Dorset." I am pleased with the Journal, and cannot see how any teacher can afford to be without it." Burlington."Am much pleased with it." Troy.I heartily congratulate you on the high prosperity of your Journal. Pawlet. "I wish you success in your enterprise." Ira. "I sincerly hope that it will continue to prosper and bless the people." Montpelier." Wish you all success in the good cause you are engaged in." Burlington.

"It is doing a great and good work." Morrisville. "Those teachers who have taken the Journal from the commencement, must, by this time, consider it an indispensable companion." Barnard." I like the Journal much, and consider it truly the teacher's friend." Chester.

"I have become so much attached to the Journal, that I look for its arrival as for that of an absent friend." Shrewsbury."I can never cease to feel an interest in your work." Rutland."I hail with joy its monthly visits, and study its pages with care and profit too. In fact, I cannot see how any practical teacher can fail of drawing from it much useful information, and I wonder how any one can refuse to take it." Derby.-The Jour nal I cannot afford to be without, while I remain a teacher of the young. When I say, I thank you, gentlemen, for your liberal offer to the female teachers of Vermont, I ex

press the sentiments of every living teacher in the state." Waits River.

Slate Blackboard.-There are eleven miles of this valuable article in the public school houses in the city of Albany, N. Y.

The Vermont Historical Society held its fourth special meeting at Brattleboro', on the 17th and 18th insts. The meeting was one of interest, and ought to have been more fully attended.

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NOTICES OF BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS, &C. Object Lessons for Teachers and Parents, by N. A. Calkins. This new work claims to differ from others prepared for the teacher, in that it explains, by means of illustrative examples, how he should proceed at each successive step, in developing the minds of children. The contents are,-development in observation; introductory exercises for teaching children how to observe forms; developing ideas of drawing, color, number, size, weight, sound, the human body; physical training; developing ideas of place; elementary reading; object lessons, their nature and designs,-1st, naming and describing objects; 2d, developing ideas of the qualities of objects; 3d, developing ideas of the materials, formation, and resemblances of objects; development of moral ideas. New York, Harper & Brothers; Muslin, $1.00.

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U. S. Infantry Tactics.-The system adopted in this work, based upon the latest improvements in French military experience. It gives a complete course of instruction for both kinds of Infantry, in the schools of the company aad battalion, and has, besides, a special drill for Light Infantry when employed as skirmishers. The work has been prepared under the direction of the War Department, is approved by the President, and has the official endorsement of the Secretary of War. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott & Co.; $1.25.

Mayhew's Practical Book-Keeping.-The sixtieth edition of this very excellent work is just issued, revised and enlarged. Two valuable chapters have been added, one of sixteen pages upon commercial calculations, the other of twenty-four pages upon the philosophy and morals of Business. The matter for the Third

Form of accounts has been greatly improved. Fifth and Sixth Forms have been added also. We have not yet put this edition to the test of the school-room, but from an experience of several years in the use of the previous editions frequently in connection with other works upon the same subject, we have always found this to be the most simple, direct and practical of them all. Chase, Nichols and Hill, Boston.

Smith's Illustrated Astronomy, published by the same firm, is another of our favorite text-books. It is attractive in appearance, convenient in form, simple enough for the common school, and yet. in our opinion, embracing nearly all the knowledge that the multitude can afford to learn in this wonderful and mysterious science. Our most successful classes in the study have been of common school age, and we wish the work might be introduced into the majority of our Vermont schools. It is important that the public should know by name the brilliant constellations that beautify our heavens at night, as well as something of their nature and move

ments.

The Excelsior Song Book, also by Chase, Nichols & Hill, and edited by B. F. Boker, is before us. It contains a complete system of elementary instruction in the principles of musical notation, and is a collection of songs, chants and hymns. For Juvenile classes in schools and seminaries, we consider it to be well adapted.

Berard's History of England.-This new work by the author of the School History of the United States, has just been issued by the enterprising house, A. S. Barnes & Burr. Its design is to combine a history of the social life of the English people, with that of the civil and military transactions of the realm. It is gotten up in a handsome and substantial style, and we feel confident in recommending it to the favorable notice of teachers.

North American Review.-Contents of July No.: The Public Lands of the United States, Mrs. Jane Turell, The Venerable Bede, Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Institutes, Life of Major Andre, French Critics and Criticism, Burial, The Attic Bee, Francis Bacon, Michigan, New Books on Medicine, The Right of Secession, Hugh Latimer, Critical Notices. This distinguished Quarterly of three hundred pages, large octavo, still maintains the high

standard it has attained during a period of more than forty years. See advertisement.

Atlantic Monthly,-Trees in Assemblages, Miss Lucinda, A Soldier's Ancestry, Fibrilia, Nat Turner's Insurrection, Concerning Veal, Reminiscences of Stephen A. Douglas, Our River, Agnes of Sorrento, Mail-Clad Steamers, Parting Hymn, Where will the Rebellion leave us? Theodore Winthrop, Dirge, Reviews and Literary Notices.

Harper's Monthly.-The Central Park, Coast Ranges of California, Insects Destructive of Maize, (illustrated), Fight at Oriskany, Olney Farm, The Sword and the Pen, The Seed Pearl, The Bakertown Militia, Sunset after a Shower, A Reading by Charles Dickens, The Helping Hand, Louis Napoleon-Prince and Emperor, Mrs. Jujube at Home, The Adventures of Philip, Monthly Record of Current Events, Editor's Table, Easy Chair, Fashions, &c.

Home Monthly-This Family Magazine appears upon our table for the first time. A beautiful steel engraving and piece of music are given in each number. Dr. Huntington furnishes a series of articles for young men, and Mrs. Sigourney contributes, monthly talks with my own sex." The boys and girls are not forgotten, and the publishers intend that every member of every household shall find something in its pages especially adapted to his class. $2,00 per year. D. M. Childs & Co., Boston, Mass.

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Godey, Arthur, and Peterson are out in season and with their usual variety, and present an attractive entertainment for the warm days of August.

Webster's Dictionaries.-These popular School Dictionaries, having been thoroughly revised within the last three or four years, being extensively regarded as the Standard authority in Orthography, Definition, and Pronounciation, and as THE BEST Dictionaries in use, are respectfully commended to teachers aud others. They are much more extensively sold and used than all others combined.

The Water-Cure World, published at Brattleboro by Dr. Blackall, for the mere nominal price of fifty cents per annum, and a fine portrait of Vincent Priessnitz thrown in, is a paper worthy of a place in every family. We believe that no family knowing its value would willingly be without it.

MUSIC AND HEATHENISM.

The following letter, received a day or two since, narrating the adventures of an Albany Piano Forte on its journey over the mountains of Asia to the Nestorians and Mohammedans in Seir, Persia, and the effects of its melody upon those who heard it, will be read with great interest by our readers:—

SEIR, PERSIA, January 11, 1861. Messrs. Boardman, Gray & Co., Albany, N. Y., U. S. A.:

DEAR SIRS: You will be gratified to learn of the safe arrival of the "Young America Piano," which you sent out with me in July, and it will doubtless interest you to know some of the perils to which it was exposed in reaching this interior station of Asia. Between Boston and Trebizand it was transshipped but once. At the latter place it bade adieu to every mode of conveyance to which your pianos are usually subject, and, the remaining distance of 500 or 600 miles, was carried on a rude litter between two horses.

Our road crossed mountains several thousand feet above the ocean level, and consisted commonly of a mere bridle path, twisting and turning up the mountain sides, and over their high summits, where the steepness was startling, or where the narrowness of the path, with high rocks on one side and a descent of one or two thousand feet on the other, caused us to ride with fear and trembling. In one instance the summit was only reached by a series of broad steps rudely cut in the rock. Though the pack horses are usually sure-footed, instances do occur of their making a single misstep and plunging down hundreds of feet. The best conception you can have of the dangers to which it was exposed, is to imagine it on a tour among the White Mountains, and crossing over the top of Mt. Washington.

The caravan usually preceeded us a few hours, and it would have given us no surprise several times had we come upon the piano lodged one side by some serious accident. Nor in the latter part of our journey, when crossing the extensive plains of Armenia, was it exempt from perils. We know of its having at least one heavy fall to the ground from the horses' backs, which led us to almost wholly abandon the hope of ever hearing any harmonious sounds from it, if indeed it had not been entirely ruined. But its perilous journey at length had an end at Seir, six miles from the city of Oroomiah. On opening it, the marks of certainly one fal! were very plain, ominous of its ever being brought into tune. Here let me say that the packing was beyond all praise, it was the perfection almost of the packer's art. Your full instructions for tuning were faithfully applied to the instrument, and we had the gratification of perceiving its discords disappear one by one. Its sweet tones are now a constant source of delight to us all, especially to the older members of the mission and their children. We very much admire