that the chief end of man-when he is young-is to be kept still.

A picture comes of an old log school house and a little boy, the only pupil in the A, B, C's, who each day heard a score of times, "Study your lesson, "Keep still." He studied so diligently that his thumb wore a hole through the blue-back spelling book and obliterated X, Y, Z. But he made such a failure of keeping still that he was at last imprisoned by being made to sit under the teacher's chair. He was so small that he could sit there erect. As any mischief was easily detected, and he stood in awe of the schoolmaster, the days dragged by till he learned to do nothing; then he was promoted to a seat on one of the benches, where he swung his feet, and listless idleness claimed him for its own. Kind reader, there is a stillness which is stupefaction. Teachers sometimes unwittingly take the keen edge from the pleasure of acquiring knowledge, and systematically and thoroughly teach idleness.

The spirit of industry should inspire each pupil, and the habit of working be so strong that the children turn to their lessons as a matter of course, because accustomed to study. Nine-tenths of the studying of young pupils must be of a kind which will employ the hands as well as the brains, because they can do so little abstract work. Hence the need of a great deal of slate work, so varied that it is interesting, so chosen that it may be helpful.

During the early weeks of school there should be much review work, so that the pupils may have full benefit of past knowledge. There should be frequent relaxation, such as is given by singing, marching and committing memory gems. Such exercises help wonderfully in putting the school in good working trim. You think you have not time, but if wisely used you gain time, because

the relaxation puts the children in a better condition for study. The child who is growing drowsy over his number work will, after briskly marching round and round the room, turn to his spelling lesson bright-eyed and energetic.

It would be well to make out a list of the songs and memory gems you would like to teach; also a list of all kinds of slate work available for your class so that you can more readily vary your desk work from day to day. During the first weeks give rather short and easy lessons so they may be learned with pleasure. Too often pupils drudge over certain lessons in the early fall which they could learn readily if postponed till December.

ners.

Let us suppose you are teaching a township school and your primary class consists of two or three beginPlan your program so that "between times" you can change their work so as to keep them employed. For example, you wish them to practice writing while you hear a recitation in the higher grade. The writing lesson proper must be under your immediate supervision. This is to be a form of desk work.

If you set a copy i, u, t, e, and say, "Try to make these on your slates," how much interest do you fancy they will put in the work? Instead call them to you and tell them the story of the

BIRD'S HOTEL.

Once there was a little boy named Jan. He didn't know what to play so he threw stones at the birds. His mamma said, "Jan, why don't you make a hotel for the birds? That would be nice for you and them, too." He liked the plan and this is the way he made the hotel: First he set a post like this (make a tall letter t omitting the final turn and the line which crosses it.) Then he nailed a stick across (across the t.) Then he fastened

cups upon each end of the stick (write the letter u upon the line which crosses the t.) He puts crumbs in the cups. His mamma gave him some grapes and he hung the bunches on the stick (groups of ee's will serve for grapes.) He watched and soon a flock of birds came and ate crumbs and grapes for dinner (make i's for birds.) When the picture of the hotel was done it looked like this:

The educative value in this is that they work with interest, and, though unaware of it, are practicing these letters. If the whole hotel is too complicated, they could make a row of posts (AAA); then posts with sticks nailed on (ttt); then cups (uu); then grapes (ee ee), and birds (ii). In course of time, they combine all in one picture.

Teachers sometimes say, "When I tell such stories to the little children the rest of the school listen instead of studying." Well, suppose they do, it is a sad thing if all your work with the wee ones is so unattractive that no one cares to listen. It is probable that some who listen will themselves be teachers by and by, and will use such methods because you have used them, for insensibly we tend to teach as we have been taught.

PRIMARY DEPARTMENT.

This Department is Edited by MRS. SARAH E. TARNEY-CAMPBELL, late of the State Normal School.

THE BEST.

Never allow or accept any work from a pupil which is not the result of his best efforts. Always effectively demand the best from your pupils, both in thought and expression.

a.

Learn to know the best each of your pupils is capable of doing in every direction, and then always strictly require the best effort.

b. Never praise pupils for results, but always recognize efforts to obtain results.

C. In recitation, demand the closest attention and concentration; if a pupil lags or shows the slightest inattention, ask him a question, or give him some special work to do.

d. Never allow a pupil to use an incorrect oral sentence when due confidence on his part has been acquired.

e. Never allow a pupil to use an incorrect written sentence; never allow a pupil to spell, punctuate, or use capitals incorrectly.

f. Always demand your pupil's best writing.

9.

From the beginning to the end never teach anything incorrectly.

h. Never use a wrong thing for the purpose of teaching a right thing; in spite of your best efforts pupils make all the mistakes necessary (?) for correction.

i. Teach the right, the true, the positive, and let the wrong and the negative severely alone.

COOK COUNTY NORMAL SCHOOL.

Normal Park, Ill.

IDEALS.

In the discussion on ideals it is intended to devote the whole of this paper to a consideration of the general nature of ideals and the process of transforming them into character. In a succeeding number will be shown the bearing of this article upon teaching and especially upon primary work.

As used here, ideals are not confined to persons who study psychology and read philosophy. All persons, no

matter how low their intellectual and moral condition and no matter how high, have hourly experience in the matter of ideals. They are as universal as mind and it is because they are universal that it is worth our while to make a careful study of them. It is true of every individual that he feels there are some conditions. under which he lives that he would like changed; he feels he is limited or bounded and wishes the limitations or boundaries were removed. The desire may be to roam over a new hunting ground, to find a north-west passage to Asia, to own territory that rightfully belongs to Siam, to control the wheat market on the board of trade, to make the World's Fair a financial success; it may be a desire to be able to discriminate more readily between right and wrong, to possess greater sympathy for suffering humanity; it may be a desire to appreciate more fully works of fine art, or philosophical thought and speculation. Whatever the desire may be, it is for some condition of the self that is not yet reached, for something different. Any condition which I see might be true of myself but which is not my real, actual, or existing condition may be called an ideal condition. The real is that which I am; the ideal, that which I am not.

I may think of myself as being more honest, more generous, more charitable, more sympathetic, or I may think of myself as less honest, less generous, less charitable, and less sympathetic. I may conceive myself as the embodiment of purity and virtue, and I may conceive myself as an embodiment of impurity and vice. I may think myself a philanthropist, giving of all I am and have for the betterment of humanity, and I may think myself a miser carefully hoarding everything to gloat over in selfish pleasure. It is evident that I can think of two distinctly opposite conditions of myself that at present are not real ones, a better one and a