Over the river and through the wood

To grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood;
Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving-Day!

Over the river and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound!

For this is Thanksgiving-Day.

Over the river and through the wood,

And straight through the barnyard gate, We seem to go extremely slow;

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood;
Now grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!

-Lydia Maria Child.

THE PUMPKIN. (An extract.)

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,

From North and from South come the pilgrim and guest,

When the gray-haired New-Englander sees round his board

The old broken links of affection restored,

When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,

What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?

What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?

0,-fruit loved of boyhood!-the old days recalling,

When wood-grapes were purpling and brown

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY.

"And now," said the Governor, gazing
Abroad on the piled-up store

Of the sheaves that dotted the clearings,
And covered the meadows o'er,
""Tis meet that we render praises,

Because of this yield of grain;

'Tis meet that the Lord of the harvest
Be thanked for His sun and rain.
"And therefore I, William Bradford
(By the grace of God to-day,

And the franchise of this good people),
Governor of Plymouth, say,
Through virtue of vested power,

Ye shall gather with one accord,
And hold in the month of November,
Thanksgiving unto the Lord.

"He hath granted us peace and plenty, And the quiet we've sought so long; He hath thwarted the wily savage,

And kept him from wrack and wrong. And unto our feast the sachem

Shall be bidden, that he may know
We worship his own Great Spirit,
Who maketh the harvest grow.

"So shoulder your matchlocks, masters,
There is hunting of all degrees;
And fishermen, take your tackle

And scour for spoil the seas;

And maidens and dames of Plymouth,
Your delicate crafts employ,
To honor our first Thanksgiving
And make it a feast of joy.

"We fail of the fruits and dainties,
We fail of the old home cheer-
Ah, these are the lightest losses,
Mayhap, that befall us here.
But see, in our open clearings

How golden the melons lie;
Enrich them with sweets and spices,
And give us the pumpkin pie."

So, bravely the preparations

Went on for the autumn feast,
The deer and the bear were slaughtered;
Wild game, from the greatest to least,
Was heaped in the colony cabins ;

Brown home-brew served for wine,
And the plum and the grape of the forest
For orange and peach and pine.

At length came the day appointed;
The snow had begun to fall,

But the clang from the meeting-house belfry
Rang merrily over all,

And summoned the folk of Plymouth,
Who hastened with glad accord
To listen to Elder Brewster,

As he fervently thanked the Lord.
In his seat sate Governor Bradford;
Men, matrons and maidens fair;
Miles Standish and all his soldiers,
With corselet and sword were there;
And sobbing and tears and gladness
Had each in its turn the sway,

For the grave of the sweet Rose Standish
O'ershadowed Thanksgiving Day.

And when Massasoit, the sachem,
Sate down with his hundred braves,
And ate of the varied riches

Of gardens and woods and waves,
And looked on the granaried harvest,
With a blow on his brawny chest
He muttered, "The good Great Spirit
Loves His white children best!"

-Margaret J. Preston

THE LITTLE PILGRIM MAID.

1

(Recitation with motions.)
There was a little Pilgrim maid
Who used to sit up so;
I wonder if she ever laughed
Two hundred years ago.

She wore such funny little mitts, 2
And dainty cap of silk. 3
She had a little porringer

For her brown bread and milk.

She was so good, so very good;

Ah, me, I most despair.
She never tore her Sabbath dress 5
A-sliding down the stair.

But then, I really try, and try
To do the best I can; 6

EDUCATIONAL, LITERARY AND GENERAL ITEMS.

Miss Jennie Taggart is teaching in the Elwood, (Ind.) schools, sixth grade.

Dr. David Starr Jordan of Stanford University will deliver a course of lectures at Indiana University next spring.

Miss Carrie Seibel of the class of '99 I. S. N. has a position as teacher in the fifth grade of the Huntington schools.

The ninth educational district of Kentucky held an interesting and profitable meeting at Catlettsburg, October 7.

Perry B. Burnett, Indiana University, 1884, recently secured the highest grade in a competitive examination for a teacher of Spanish in the Chicago school.

The fall term of Indiana University shows the largest attendance in its history. The indications are that the attendance for this year will exceed the enrollment of last year, 1,050.

Thomas large, a graduate of Indiana University, class '97, and until recently teacher of science at Evansville, has been elected to a positon in the department of biology in the University of Illinois.

Favorable reports reach us of the work this year in the Shelbyville schools. J. H. Tomlin has the superintendency, as heretofore, and D. . Coate remains as principal of the high school, at an increased salary.

The teachers of Porter county, Ind., have formed an association for the purpose of studying the laws of life and growth in the learning process-a most worthy object. The first annual meeting was held at Valparaiso October 28. The second term of the Tri-State normal school opened with a fine attendance, October 24. There were twenty-six pupils who started in Greek. Dr. Nason from the university of Pennsylvania has commenced his work as head of the pedagogical department.

The opening number of the Manual Training Magazine was published in October. It is well made and attractive, mechanically, while the list of contributors and patrons gives promise of a periodical that will prove helpful in a large way to this department of education.

Mr. Edgar Mendenhall, principal of the Greensburg high school, was married early in October to Miss Marcia Miller of Franklin. It will be remembered that Miss Miller was for some time teacher of music in the Edinburg high school. THE EDUCATOR extends congratulations.

The annual meeting of the southeastern Ohio Teachers' Association was held in Pomeroy, October 27 and 28. The border states of Kentucky and West Virginia were represented on the program by Superintendent J. G. Crabbe of Ashland and Honorable Virgil A. Lewis of Mason.

Chas. D. Royce, superintendent of schools for Ripley county, Ind., has issued a booklet showing the high school work done in non-commissioned schools of the county last year. It is interesting to note that sixty-six pupils pursued such work last year and that the demand for it is increasing.

The report submitted by Superintendent Walter Dunn to the school board of Knox, Indiana, indicates that the schools of that town are in a flourishing condition. This is quite likely to be the case when the teachers are willing, as here, to spend one evening each week at a meeting for professional study.

The members of the executive committee of the State Teachers' Association have decided, by a unanimous vote, to admit no one to the sessions of the association except by card furnished by the permanent secretary upon payment of membership dues. This is necessary to meet the expense of the association.

Sir Henry Irving devoted part of his summer holidays writing an article which he has given to The Ladies' Home Journal. It is called "Shakespeare in Small Communities," and tells how the study, reading aloud and acting of Shakespeare's works may be followed in communities away from the larger centers.

The teachers of Howard county held an association in Kokomo October 21. Among other features there was a symposium on “What principles should guide the teacher in determining how much time should be devoted to school work?" Professor R. J. Aley delivered an address. The attendance was good and the interest excellent.

The manual of the Mitchell (Ind.) public schools presents a thorough and well organized course of study. Superintendent E. L. Hendricks, and his principals F. J. Wolfe and Frank Wood are certainly planning to do good work. The general principles set forth regarding teacher and parent, discipline, &c. are direct and timely.

The annual announcement of Superintendent Louis H. Hamilton of the Jasper county public schools is both clear and comprehensive. It is designed to supplement the course of study and to furnish with that document, general direction to teachers, directors and trustees. Mr. Hamil

ton is one of the progressive and wide awake superintendents of the state.

A most remarkable series of art re-productions has just been published, which should attract every one interested in the study of art or its study in the schools; namely, the Elson Prints of Masterpieces in Art. Every one of our readers is recommended to send ten cents in stamps to A. W. Elson & Co., Boston, and obtain a sample, with a list of the subjects.

The Earlhamite contains the announcement that at the last yearly meeting a gift of $25,000 was made by Francis T. White as an addition to the endowment fund for Earlham college. In addition to this some $40,000 has just been subscribed which will almost or quite free the college from debt. This will be good news to the many friends of the institution.

The veteran publisher, William Henry Appleton, died October 20 at the age of 85 years. His father, Daniel Appleton, was the founder of the great publishing house, but retired in 1868, after which W. H. Appleton was for many years the head of the firm. The cause of copyright in America owes much to his untiring efforts. His son, W. W. Appleton, is now president of the

company.

The annual meeting of the Kentucky Educational Association will be held at Louisville, December 27-29. There will be a special effort to make the meeting this year the best in the history of the association. Superintendent J. G. Crabbe of Ashland is president this year, and J. M. Downs of Bellevue is secretary. There will be an excellent program, and a large attendance is assured.

In the annual report of the Ashland (Ky.) public schools we find, besides the usual statistics and an excellent course of study some fifteen pages devoted to direct statements by the superintendent, J. G. Crabbe, regarding the function, relations and scope of a school system, as he understands it. Such plain talks must result in closer relations between teachers and patrons, and hence in greater effectiveness.

Judging from the manual of the Rockville, (Ind.) public schools they are enjoying their usual prosperity. The high school course seems especially comprehensive and well arranged, while the work in the grades appears to articulate well with it. It is interesting to notice in the manual a classified list of the 1227 books in the school library. Superintendent Thornton evidently has his work well organized.

A most interesting experiment that is just

now being tried in Chicago is a school for pupils who are too slow or too dull to attend the regular school. The number is to be kept small—not above fifteen at any one time. It would be surprising if these dull ones, under the careful attention that teachers will be able to give them, should show remarkable progress. President Harper is interested, and careful records will be kept.

Several months ago we had the pleasure of reading a monograph by Professor N. C. Hieronimus of Richmond, Ind., on "The Missouri Compromise." He now presents in similar form a study of "The Stamp Act." The writer believes in the intensive study of particular events and periods, and his purpose in these studies, others of which are to follow, is to bring them within the comprehension of the eighth grade pupils. The price is ten cents.

Superintendents Charles A. Robertson of the Crawford county schools, and George R. Wilson of the Dubois county schools have included in their handbooks for teachers the various official pamphlets; such as, the Indiana state course of study, the township institute outline, and announcements relating to the reading circles. Both books have also much other official direction and personal advice. They indicate careful organization and intelligent supervision.

The Chicago board of education has made special provision for a department of scientific pedagogy and child study. This is in accordance with suggestions made to have all questions regarding child psychology referred to a consulting psychologist. The plan will be welcomed as relieving over-burdened teachers whose special study of children was vague and random at best, and at the same time as referring important pedagogical matters to a competent authority.

The manual of the public schools of Alexandria, Ind., has in its preface this sentence—“This course of study is given to the teachers of Alexandria in the hope that its suggestions may bring into the work of our schools helpful unity of thought and action, without in any way restricting the individuality of teacher or pupil." Such a theory, consistently followed, is quite likely to develop such excellence as the Alexandria schools under Superintendent I. V. Busby appear to have reached.

The Indianapolis Business University enters upon its 50th year, and the fifteenth under the present management, with the largest enrollment it has ever had. Students come from all sections, and include sons and daughters of prominent educators, business men, farmers,