EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.

-THE volume of the National Educational Association is in the hands of the binder and will be ready for delivery probably within two weeks. Copies will be mailed to members. Others can secure copies by sending to us $2. The work contains 283 pages octavo, printed from brevier type (this page is printed from brevier type). The last thirtyfive pages contain the proceedings of the Spelling-Reform Association printed in reform spelling. The proceedings of the National Educational Association proper contains more than two dozen papers and addresses. One thousand copies of the work have been printed, and five hundred of them will contain the proceedings of the Department of Superintendence in Washington, in 1877 and 1879, thus adding about 200 pages to the book. These last proceedings were published by the Bureau of Education. We succeeded in getting only 500 copies for binding in with the Philadelphia proceedings. We hereby tender the thanks of the members of the National Educational Association to Commissioner Eaton for furnishing us what copies he had left undistributed. The fuller volumes also contain fourteen pages devoted to the Proceedings of the Conference of the Presidents and other Delegates of the State Universities and State Colleges, held at Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 27, 28, 1877.

-WE take pleasure in calling attention to "The Lectures read before the American Institute of Instruction at Fabyan's, White Mountains, July 8-11, 1879, with the Journal of Proceedings Published by order of the Board of Directors." Eighty pages are devoted to the proceedings and 167 to the Lectures, of which there are ten. They are as follows:Oral Teaching, J. W. Dickinson; The Education of Girls, Nathan Allen; How Teaching may become a Profession, Edward Conant; Extremists in Education, A. C. Perkins; Educational Journalism, C. C. Rounds; Eclipses of the Sun, C. A. Young; The Place of the Study of Latin and Greek, W: T. Harris; Aspects of Greek and Latin study and Teaching, J. L. Lincoln; Teaching Numbers, G. A. Walton; Piece-Work, John Hancock. Send as we did $1 to the Hon. T: W. Bicknell, 16 Hawley St., Boston, and get a copy. We have the volumes of the American Institute for 1844 to date, with two or three exceptions.

-WE Congratulate the Indiana School Journal on its entry upon its 25th volume. We are glad to learn of its continued prosperity, Mr. Bell saying that last year it did better pecuniarily than in any preceding year except one, notwithstanding the vigorous competition with which it had to contend.

-WE call especial attention to those interested to a bill on the first page of advertising matter, and trust that remittances will be promptly made.

-ALL teachers and students of Latin will be glad to know that the March number of this Monthly will contain an article giving a classified list of Latin idioms, prepared by Prof. L. S. Potwin, of Western-Reserve College.

-Ir does us good to receive such a letter as that from which the following is an extract. We publish it at the risk of reproof. It contains thoughts that are too good to be kept. The writer is a lady, and one of the most prominent of Ohio's teachers, and we hope hereafter will appear over her own initials in our editorial pages.

"From my school-work to-day I learned some lessons which may be of use to others. I was examining letters from my B class in composition, and I derived from them pleasure, comfort, and valuable information. They were real letters addressed to me; and after I read them and found how grateful my boys and girls were for what I had done for them, I felt that the school teachers' reward is no small thing.

Let me quote from one of many:

'At one time nothing interested me which was not very thrilling. I liked things buried in deep mystery, stories closing with death-bed confessions. But when you became my teacher, your influence over me was so great that I began to read good books to please you, and the more I read the more I liked that kind of reading. I can never thank you enough for the good you have done me, yet I think the best way to show my thankfulness will be to do all the good reading I can, and in part make up for lost time.'

If it were not that I must not trespass too much upon your time, I should like to tell you what books my boys and girls have been reading in the last few weeks. From these letters I also learned that a good way to get our pupils to read a book is to give them a taste of its good things, which will tempt them to seek it again. Last week I read a chapter from the author who was the subject of that day's literature lesson, and I find from my letters to-day, that six of my pupils have already finished the book.

Some of my pupils gave me glimpses into their home life, which will make me more patient, more loving, towards those who are struggling bravely to obtain an education. In a large school we cannot have that personal contact with all our pupils which is so desirable. Do you not think that such letters will serve to help us in studying our pupils?

I enjoyed our talk on educational matters at Cleveland so much that I have often longed since for such another opportunity for conversation. It seems something like hearing from you to read the Monthly, but you know a woman likes to "talk back"; therefore, I have written you this letter. Some time when I am not so busy I will send you some of my "best condensed thought," if you wish it. Perhaps it will interest you to know that we have now four teachers in our High School, and that the school is large and prosperous. On Christmas evening I invited the classes of '79 and '80 to my home to a Dickens party, and we had a merry happy time.

This letter reminds me of a dinner of scraps; but, perhaps, in the great variety there may be something to your taste. Wishing for you and our Monthly the success richly deserved, I am

Your friend," etc.

-WHAT is the reason that schoolmasters seem so averse to the use of humor in their written productions? I suspect it is because they have the notion that fun isn't quite dignified enough for their profession. But there must be some mistake here. Men of the highest genius, with rare exceptions, have had a large share of the humorous in their composition,

and have had no hesitancy as to its expression. Indeed it may be questioned whether humor is not always an essential element in that power and all-sidedness which men call genius. No other profession is troubled with that uncomfortable solemnity that pervades the teacher's whole being when he takes his pen in his hand to instruct his fellows. How barren of ornament and lacking in juice is his style; how grammatical and strait-laced are his sentences! We hear a good deal about the duty of teachers to take and read educational journals (I think I can remember occasions when the Editor of the Monthly has indulged in remarks of a like tenor); now might not a change in the food served up to us in these journals improve matters, somewhat, and that which is now done as a sad and perfunctory duty, be done as a pleasure. In other words, may not some of the blame for the limited amount of educational reading in our profession (if we dare to call it a profession) belong to those who write, and not all of it to those who should read? It may, however, be objected that educational journals have a serious purpose, and no space for fun. True, not for fun as fun simply. But wouldn't your solid, logical articles, crammed with facts and bristling with points, be just as wholesome and improving, if they had a broad streak of the sunlight of humor flowing across their pages? to say nothing of the increased likelihood of their being read. Such articles genial, mirth-provoking, and yet having four times the practical value of the ordinary dryasdust kind, under the head of A Visit to the Altisonant Institute, your friend Harvey-long may his name endure in the land-many years ago contributed to your journal. Suppose you advise some of your best contributors to give this thing a trial.

Y.

And while my hand is in in fault-finding, let me say a word about subjects. Wouldn't a little freshness in this direction make professional reading matter more palatable? For my part when I take up an article beginning thus: "Education is not a pouring-in process; the word is derived from educo, which means to draw or lead out, etc., etc., I lay it down gently and quickly. Having had this precious information paraded before me many hundred times, it has measurably lost its interest. I was present some time ago in a Sunday-School Conference. Several of the brethren had had their say on the subject under discussion, when-a lull having occurred-the presiding officer called out: "If any brother has anything to say on this subject that has not already been said, let him speak; otherwise we will proceed to the next topic." I don't suppose it would be possible to inforce such a rule as this at once strictly, but a movement towards it might be made with profit.

Y.

WHERE shall the Ohio Teachers' Association meet? This question was discussed at Columbus the last week of 1879 by the Executive Committee of the Association and educational gentlemen present. The Ohio State Journal reports the views of the gentlemen present, from which we gather that J. M. Goodspeed favored Put-in-Bay of blessed memory, that John Hancock gave the good points of Chautauqua and also of Dayton, that Reuben McMillan and E. F. Moulton favored Chautauqua, and J. J. Burns, A. Schuyler, and C. W. Oakes, Lakeside, that A. H. Tuttle, H. M,

Parker, J: P. Patterson, B. A. Hinsdale, and Alston Ellis, did not favor going out of the State, the last named putting in a plea for Columbus. If we are to go to an interior town we favor Dayton, for every teacher should see the National Soldiers' Home, which is the great attraction of the place. If we are to take an excursion out of the State for one year not as a precedent but for once alone, we favor Chautauqua. If a new hotel shall be erected at Put-in-Bay, thus giving ample accommodations we say go to Put-in-Bay. Lakeside we know nothing about. Of those who visited it last summer some have reported against it and some for it. We suppose the committee will in due time come to a decision. We shall dislike to see any feeling on the subject. We suggest a compromise between the Lakesidists and Chautauquaists, that if the former will agree to take an excursion to Chautauqua this year the latter will agree to vote for Lakeside for the two following years.

Are we not in just a little danger of running to extremes in our advocacy of what we call language culture? You know President Eliot holds this as the sum and substance of all learning. Every body is talking and gesticulating on this theme; and pretty much all the so-called practical papers, introduced into our educational meetings of late-whatever their heading-come out at this hole. It is hard to draw anything out of an empty jug; and may it not be well to remember that we should know something to talk and write about before we begin to talk and write? It makes precious little difference whether a man who has nothing to say says it in one or four languages.

Y.

IN a late trip through the country one school-house attracted our attention on account of the beautiful evergreens which stood in the front yard. It was the only cheerful spot in that bleak December landscape. Even in summer the large majority of the district school-houses offend the eye with their brown desolation or sepulchral ghastliness. How many teachers will close the winter term with a tree-planting? If the community become interested in the matter the school-house may be surrounded with trees without expense to the teacher. However Richard Grant White may condemn the use of the word, we say, "inaugurate" such a movement and raise yourself a monument more lasting than brass.

M. R. A.

-BELCHERTOWN, Mass., has given a good example of regard for law in spending seventy dollars to secure the payment of two. When law has been violated no necessary expense should be avoided punishment of the offender.

in

securing the M. R. A.

THE following, which is a part of a private letter to us from J. H. Lehman, Superintendent of the Public Schools of Canton, Ohio, under date of August 25, 1879, is a matter of public interest, and is therefore published for future reference.

"After reading reports of Philadelphia meeting I have concluded to send you a brief statement in regard to character and callings of the graduates of the Canton

High School. During the year 1877-8 I endeavored to learn the whereabouts and occupations of all the alumni of the High School. I did this at that time chiefly for the purpose of making a report at the commencement exercises with a view of convincing the local opposers of High Schools that a grand and good work had been done in the past by the Canton High School. I succeeded in getting definite information of all but a few. All are engaged in honorable pursuits in life. The young men became lawyers, editors, ministers, bankers, merchants, farmers, manufacturers, some are employees in banks, clerks in stores, several entered the army-one died there, one entered the U. S. N. A. at Annapolis, Md., and several have not yet chosen any pursuit. Some have already become prominent in their professions. More are engaged in the banking business or are employees in banks now, or were so engaged in the past than in any other department of business. None so far as I can learn have ever been under arrest for disturbance of the peace, the commission of any crime, or the violation of any law. About one-half of the young ladies became teachers-most of them being employed either in the past or at present in the Canton schools. More than two-thirds of the ladies now employed in our schools are graduates of the Canton High School.

EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

-THE Morrow-County Sentinel contains an educational column. -READ our advertisement of Dr. Tourjée's third Educational Tour in Europe.

-THE school-book question is still agitating the Board of Education in Columbus.

-THE next commencement at Otterbein University, at Westerville, Ohio, will take place June 3.

-AN educational column was started in the Butler-County (Ohio) Democrat, Nov. 6, 1879. It is edited by I. S. Coy.

-CANTON last month took possession of a new school building with six grades, four Primaries and C and D Grammar.

-THERE are eight teachers in the Richwood (Ohio) Public Schools. There are 38 pupils in the High School and all are studying Latin.

-IN May the Examiners of Fayette County intend to hold a twodays' examination for those who aspire to a three-years' certificate. —THE ninth edition in 88 pages of the Advertising Hand-Book of T. C. Evans of Boston, Mass., appeared recently. It is decidedly neat.

-WE have received "The Academy Journal" published in the interest of the Gallia Academy, Gallipolis, by Henry Collins, A. M., Principal.

-IN our notice of Goodwin's New Greek Grammar last month we omitted "mailing price, $1.70, introduction price, $1.20, exchange price,

90 cents.

-WE take pleasure in calling attention to the card of Pres. B, A. Hinsdale. He has recently published a 200-page work entitled “Ecclesiastical Tradition."