-WE have already referred to the elaborate paper on "Our CommonSchool Education: with a Digression on the College Course," by B. A. Hinsdale, President of Hiram College, read in December last, before the Northeastern Ohio Teachers' Association, and published by the Association in pamphlet form. On last Saturday, April 14 (we are writing April 16), Mr. A. J. Rickoff was to read a paper in reply. We were not present at the meeting of the Association as we expected to be, to take part in the discussion. It is our intention now without knowing what was done, to present a few thoughts bearing upon this interesting question, without attempting to cover the whole field, as is doubtless done in the paper read by Mr. Rickoff. Mr. Hinsdale starts out with the assertion that "The Common School is a modern thought." He then proceeds to show how widely this thought has spread and how firmly it has become established in many States of our Union, and that our common schools now "constitute a highly complex and differentiated, a vast and powerful system," for which we feel great complacency. He then proceeds to array against the pleasing displays of statistics found in school reports another class of statistics tending to show that our boasted progress may be more fanciful than real so far as the real objects of education are concerned. He quotes Dr. A. P. Peabody, of Harvard College, for the assertion that "The schools of former generations in New England did much more for their pupils than is done now." Pres. Hinsdale judiciously mentions "the difficulty of finding a common standard of measurement," but finally decides upon the admission-examinations of West-Point cadets as the best. He quotes from utterances of Prof. A. E. Church in reports and in private letters, which declare that applicants for cadetships "are not as thoroughly prepared as they were twenty years ago," although the standard of requirement in any one branch has not been raised, and there has been no difference in the class of candidates, and the proportion of rejections in spelling and arithmetic has increased. Prof. Church in a letter to Pres. Hinsdale uses the following language:—

"I should say that the opinion I have so emphatically expressed [as to the deterioration of school training of candidates] is not founded alone upon the knowledge exhibited in these preliminary examinations, nor upon the increased number of failures, but as well upon the knowledge exhibited by those who have, after admission, come at once under my personal instruction."

To this we offset the fact that our general recollections of the past are very untrustworthy. There is apt to be a halo of glory around the years gone by. Even Homer mourned the degeneracy of the men of his time, and we cannot help but feel that Prof. Church has been, for a similar reason, led to think that his earlier students were giants compared with the pygmies of to-day. The more experienced and learned a man becomes the more exacting he becomes without being conscious of the fact. Statistics, however, ought not to be charged with distorted memories. There is considerable food for, thought in the table that fills p. 15

of President Hinsdale's pamphlet. It shows that in 1840, 8 out of 106 applicants failed, in 1850 3 out of 98, in 1860 12 out of 84, in 1870 73 out of 163, and in 1874 66 out of 175. This is certainly a bad showing. What is the explanation? We should certainly want very good evidence before we should attribute this result to an inferiority of the better class of graded schools over the schools of former times. The statistics ought to show from what schools the applicants came. There is a widespread belief that the common schools in the rural districts in Ohio, as well as in other States, are no better now than they were a quarter of a century ago, especially where there is no efficient supervision. We firmly believe, notwithstanding Prof. Church's opinion, that the standard at West Pointhas been raised. The table referred to reveals the fact that no applicants were rejected for an imperfect knowledge of grammar, geography, or history before 1867, when these subjects were added to the former subjects. of reading, writing, and orthography. Of the 66 rejected in 1874, all but 20 failed in grammar, and all but 24 in geography. These facts should be taken into account in studying the table. Another noticeable thing is that the rejections in writing and orthography are nearly always the same, the only years in which there was a difference between 1838 and 1874 being 1839, 1841, 1842, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1862, 1865, and 1867. This shows a peculiarity of marking. The mode of examining at West Point is also a cause of many failures. Applicants are questioned in a totally unexpected way. A boy is called to the blackboard. When he gets there the examiner says, "Deduce a rule." The boy hesitates,, not comprehending what is wanted. The examiner curtly says, "Take your seat." Boys who have learned beforehand the mode of examination and something of the nature of the questions that will be asked, stand a better chance than better qualified boys who have not this knowledge. Prof. Church says that they have lately been more strict in their preliminary examinations. The table shows that from 1838 to 1860 inelusive in no case did the per cent of graduates to admitted cadets reach in any class 50 per cent, except in 1856, the lowest per cent being 26.1. Since 1860 the per cents have ranged from 46.9 in 1862, the lowest, to 72.5 in 1868. On the whole, then, we think Pres. Hinsdale's standard of measurement is so complicated, and subject to so many drawbacks, that it cannot be depended upon for even approximately-accurate results. He thinks the defects of the graded-school system cannot be eliminated, although they may be reduced to a minimum. The other points presented in the paper we have not space to discuss, although we consider them vastly more forcible than the imposing arguments drawn from the West-Point examinations. These were probably discussed by Mr. Rickoff in his paper, which the Association will doubtless order to be published.

-WE have before us the first Cyclopædia of Education as yet published in the English language. It is a fine large octavo of nearly 900 pages. The editors, Henry Kiddle, Superintendent of the Schools of New-York City, and Alex. J. Schem, Assistant Superintendent, were assisted in the preparation of the work by able writers, the list of princi

Some of these contribut

pal contributors containing eighty-two names. ors are residents of Great Britain. It is pleasant to know that teachers, and clergymen, lawyers, doctors, and literary men as well, can now secure for a moderate price (from $5 to $10 according to binding) so valuable a book bearing upon educational subjects. Here are found accounts. of the various universities and colleges of the world, military schools, law schools, medical schools, pharmaceutical schools, theological schools, agricultural colleges, dental colleges, business colleges, reform schools, boarding schools, normal schools, teachers' seminaries, the school history, statistics, and systems of the different countries, States, and cities of the world, biographical notices of eminent educators and teachers, and authors of school text-books, accounts of religious denominations, articles on algebra, alphabet, grammatical analysis, Anglo-Saxon, educational aphorisms, school architecture, arithmetic, art education, astronomy, school attendance, education of the blind, book-keeping, calisthenics, chemistry, classical studies, co-education of the sexes, examinations, concert teaching, culture of the conscience, corporal punishment, courses of instruction, dancing and dancing schools, degrees, developing method, devotional exercises, didactics, drawing, crime and education, emotions, the study of English, English literature, enthusiasm, æsthetic culture, etymology, evening schools, cultivation of the eye, geography, geology, geometry, German language, school government, Greek language, gymnastics, habit, Hebrew language, history, home education, school hygiene, education of idiots, illiteracy, culture of the imagination, school incentives, Indo-Germanic languages, kindergarten, Italian language, Latin language, libraries, mathematics, memory, mineralogy, modern languages, monitorial system, music, object teaching, oral instruction, orthography, penmanship, teachers' pensions, phonetics, manners, reading, recitation, rhetoric, school age, school furniture, school-houses, school management, the teaching of science, the education of the senses, sentential analysis, singing schools, Sunday schools, school supervision, technical education, educational thermometry, zoology, etc., etc. From this selection of topics the reader will see what a wide field is covered by the work. It is true that it does not attempt to rival the great German Encyclopædia of Education, by Schmid, begun in 1859, the eleventh volume of which is not yet completed, although the first volume has been revised and enlarged. We are glad this book has been issued. It will create a demand for such works, and this demand will doubtless result in revised, corrected, and enlarged editions. We commend it to teachers. They should not be carpingly critical as to its omissions and inaccuracies, for such are unavoidable, and especially so in a pioneer work. This book is sold exclusively to subscribers, and can be had only from Special Subscription Agents, or from the publisher, E. Steiger, 22 and 24 Frankfort Street, New York. It is said that the soliciting agents have been remarkably successful in securing subscriptions, thus demonstrating the fact that such a cyclopædia meets a want long felt.

-In order that our readers may have the so-called Compulsory

a

Education Law, recently passed by the Ohio General Assembly, in a shape for easy reference, we give it in full.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

THE BILL AS AMENDED AND PASSED BY THE OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO TAKE EFFECT SEPTEMBER 1, 1877.

SECTION 1. That every parent, guardian, or other person, in the State of Ohio, having charge or control of any child or children, between the ages of eight and fourteen years, shall be required to send such child or children to a common school for at least twelve (12) weeks, in each school year, commencing on the first day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven (1877), at least six (6) weeks of which shall be consecutive, unless the Board of Local Directors or the Board of Education, as the case may be, having control of the school district in which such parent or guardian shall reside, shall excuse such child from attendance, on its being shown to their satisfaction that the child's bodily or mental condition is such as to prevent its attendance at school or application to study for the time required, or that its time and labor are essentially necessary for the support of an indigent parent, brother or sister, or that such child is being otherwise furnished with the means of education for a like period of time, or has already acquired the branches of learning ordinarily taught in common schools; provided in case the common school of the district in which such parent or guardian resided shall be distant two miles from his residence by the nearest travelled road, he shall not be liable to the provisions of this act.

SEC. 2. No manufacturer, owner of mills or mines, agent, overseer, contractor, landlord, or any person in this State shall at any time after the first day of September, 1877, employ any child under fourteen years of age during the established school hours of the locality, unless such child shall have attended some common or private school for a term of at least twelve weeks during the school year next preceding the commencement of such employment, and such a child shall deliver to his employer a certificate as evidence of such attendance in compliance with the provisions of this act, from the teacher, or from the Clerk of the Local Board of Directors, or from the President of the Board of Education, as the case may be, having control of the school district in which the parent or guardian of such child shall reside; provided such child has resided in this State during the school year next preceding the commencement of such employment; and, provided further, that such child is under the control of a parent or guardian, and is not dependent upon its own resources for support; nor shall such employment continue for a longer period than forty weeks during any school year from the time this act shall take effect, unless such child shall deliver to such employer a certificate of excuse from the proper authority, for any of the reasons mentioned in Section 1. of this act.

SEC. 3. The School Boards having control shall, in their respective districts, on the second Monday in February and September of each year, in such manner as they shall deem most expedient, ascertain the condition of all children under fourteen years of age employed at any daily labor, or who shall not be in attendance at any common or private school, and such Board to report all violations of this act to the proper person, as provided in Section 3 of this act, who shall at once proceed to prosecute each and every such offense in like manner, and as set forth in the third section of this act.

SEC. 4. In case it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the Board of Education having control that the parent or guardian has not the means wherewith to purchase for his child or children the necessary school books to enable him to comply with the requirements of this act, such Board is hereby authorized to furnish such books free of charge the same to be paid for out of the contingent funds at the disposal of such Board of Education.

SEC. 5. In case any parent, guardian, or other person shall fail to comply with the provisions of this act, said parent, guardian, or other person, shall be liable to a fine of not less than two dollars nor more than five dollars for the first offense, nor less than five nor more than ten dollars for each and every subsequent offense. Such fine shall be collected by the Township Clerk, or in case the school district in which the offense is committed is situated within a municipal corporation, then by the Clerk of such corporation, in the name of ths State of Ohio, in an action before any Court having competent jurisdiction, and the fine so collected shall be paid to the County Treasurer, and by him accounted for as other money raised for public purposes, and said money shall be applied to the use of the common school of the district in which said offense was committed.

SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the Township Clerk or the Clerk of the municipal corporation, as the case may be, as provided for in Sections 3, 4, 5 and 7 of this act, to prosecute any offense occurring under this act, and such Clerk neglecting to prosecute for such fine within fifteen days after a written notice has been served on him, having been notified by the affidavit setting forth the facts by any member of the School Board or any tax-payer within the school district in which the offending party may reside, such fine to be collected in the name of the State of Ohio, in action before any Court of competent jurisdiction by any person feeling aggrieved thereby.

SEC. 7. Two weeks' attendance at a half-time or night school to be considered within the meaning of this act equivalent in an attendance of one week at a day school.

SEC, 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of September, 1877.

-THE following note to the editor will explain itself:

In the March number of the Monthly a teacher writes as follows:-"I would ask through the columns of your magazine whether there is anything known in regard to the rings around Saturn, as to their composition, etc." The fullest discussion of the subject so far as my reading extends, is found in Richard A. Proctor's article, "The Rings of Saturn, published in Fraser's Magazine, and reprinted in Littell's Living Age in the issue of December 9, 1876. As some of the readers of the Monthly may not have the journals referred to, I will give a résumé of the article so far as relates to the composition of the rings. The article contains an account of the discoveries and theories respecting the rings, from the first observation of them through the telescope by Galileo in 1610, down to the investigations of Mr. Trouvelot, of the Harvard Observatory, Cambridge, U. S. According to Proctor, "the observations of Mr. Trouvelot appear to remove all doubt as to the true nature of the rings, if indeed any doubt would be reasonably entertained after the investigations made by European and American astronomers when the dark_ring had but recently been discovered." Regarding the composition of the rings, three theories have been advanced by astronomers. The first theory is that there is an actual ring of solid matter. Respecting this theory, the investigations of Laplace, Peirce, Nichol, and other astronomers, have shown that "There is no escape from the difficulties but through the final rejection of the idea that Saturn's rings are rigid, or, in any sense, a

solid formation.

The second theory is that they are fluid. But "no fluid known to us could retain the form of the rings of Saturn under the conditions to which they are exposed. But the mathematical examination of the subject disposed so thoroughly of the theory that the rings can consist of continuous fluid masses, that we need not now discuss the physical objections to the theory."

"There remains only the theory that the Saturnian ring-system consists of discrete masses analogous to the streams of meteors known to exist within the solar system." This is the theory favored by Proctor, and, in reference to it, he says, "It is clear that all the peculiarities hitherto observed in the Saturnian ring-system are explicable so soon as we regard that system as made up of multitudes of small bodies." "The observations which have recently been made by Mr. Trouvelot indicate changes in the ring-system, and especially in the dark ring, which place every other theory save that to which we have thus been led, entirely out of the question."

The article should be read by every student of astronomy who desires a clear statement of the views and discoveries of astronomers in reference to the rings of Saturn, the most wonderful phenomenon perhaps of the solar system.

"The planet Saturn and its appendages, always interesting to astronomers, are found more than ever worthy of close investigation and scrutiny. We may, as it were, seize nature in the act, and trace out the actual progress of developments which at present are matters rather of theory than of observation." H. T. S.

-AN interesting case has recently been decided by the Supreme Court of Ohio, bearing upon school requirements. In November 1871, Lemuel T. Clark, Superintendent of the Public Schools of Defiance, suspended the son of J. J. Sewell for persistent failure to have at the