hundred people and both were enthusiastically received. Teachers and school patrons from all parts of the county were present.

-The first quarterly session of the Athens County Teachers' Institute was held at Glouster November 27. Fully three times as many teachers were present as on any similar occasion last year, and all seemed enthusiastic in their work.

Most of the day was devoted to the "how" of teaching, which resulted in many valuable suggestions.

Educational matters in Athens County are on the advance, and with superintendency for our common schools, as a start, we shall be well on the road to success.

One of the best quarterly sessions of the Lawrence County Teachers' Association was held at Burlington, Saturday, December 4.

The principal discussions were on Grammar as given by T. Howard Winters of Ironton, and Literature by C. A. Woodworth of Hanging Rock.

The former led to the dis

cussion of Reading. The prevailing sentiment was to inculcate the habit of reading substantial, solid, lifegiving literature and to discourage in every possible way the reading of low grade novels.

The main ideas set forth in Literature were: 1. To begin literature with the study and reading of living American authors. 2. To

learn the circumstances under which the poem, or book was written. 3. To reproduce in some way (better by writing) what is read.

-

There were thirty-five teachers from St. Marys and vicinity in attendance at the N. W. O. Teachers' Association held at Lima, O., November 26 and 27. All report a good time at the meeting.

- The next annual session of the Auglaize County Teachers' Association will be held at Wapakoneta, O., the week beginning August 15, 1898. The Executive Committee have secured Supt. S. T. Dial of Lockland, O., and Byron W. King of Pittsburg, Pa., Prof. in the Schools of Oratory in that city. Supt. Dial's efficient work in our last institute merited the praise of every teacher; and his return will be hailed with a hearty welcome by the teachers of Auglaize County. Prof. King comes well recommended as an instructor in institutes. It is the earnest desire of the Committee and also of the Board of County Examiners that every teacher in the County be present at our next Annual Institute and help make it the best ever held in the County.

-The Clermont County Teachers' Association held its second session of the year at Williamsburg December 11. Pres. W. O. Robinson presided. At the forenoon session a paper, "Teaching in Common Schools", was read by M. E.

Applegate of Goshen, and discussed by Supt's. Cronin, Turnipseed and others.

A solo, "Unanswered", was beautifully rendered by Supt. Chatterton of Batavia.

A paper, "The Lazy Teacher", by Geo. P. Hibbets of Nicholsville, was well written and well received. In the afternoon the Ladies' Quartet of Williamsburg rendered a most pleasing "Lullaby." This was followed by a paper, "Necessity of Preparation", by T. P. Pierce of Bethel.

The Association was then highly

entertained and instructed by the address of Supt. John Burke of Newport, Ky., on "The Pilgrims and Puritans."

Supt. Chatterton by request again favored the audience with music. The session was a most pleasant and profitable one. Adjourned to meet. in Batavia.

Finley. In the afternoon, "The Present System of Examinations in Ohio" was discussed by C. C. White and C. W. Newberry. Then followed an address on the O. T. R. C. by Fred Sillery who showed in an interesting, practical way, the great benefit to be derived from a study of the Course. Miss Coral Clark read a paper reviewing "Macbeth," H. M. Finley discussed "Patriotism in Our Schools," a number of those present discussed "Literature in the Schools," Miss Steadman told of "Penmanship Yesterday and To-day," and C. W. Naylor talked on "Township Supervision."

-Principal H. M. Linn of the Sandusky High School read a very interesting and sugestive paper on "The Place of American History in Our Schools" at the meeting of the Franklin County Teachers' Association held in Columbus, December 18.

-The Berea schools enroll 487

pupils. For the past four months the percent of attenance has averaged 97.

-Supt. A. H. Dixon of Marshfield has taken up the work of "Township Educational Rallies" in Athens county and held a very enthusiastic meeting at Pleasanton the evening of December 21. School board, citizens and teachers took an active part in the discussion, many of whom expressed themselves as having heard, for the

first time, the subject so plainly put. Supt. Dixon was at his best, and his remarks elicited much applause. The next rally will be held at Albany some time in January.

-The following preliminary programme is announced for the third annual meeting of the Kindergarten Union, which is to be held at the Philadelphia Normal School, Thirteenth and Spring Garden streets, on February 18 and 19, 1898:

busi

February 18-Forenoon, ness meeting; afternoon, addresses of welcome; topic for discussion, "The Training of the Kindergarten," Mrs. Alice Putnam, of Chicago, and Miss Laura Fisher, of Boston; evening, public meeting, addresses by Dr. Lyman Abbott, of Brooklyn, topic to be announced, and Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler on "Infancy and Education."

February 19-Forenoon, conference; afternoon, reception to delegates; evening, addresses by Miss Susan Blow, James L. Hughes, Superintendent of Schools, Toronto, and Dr. Lightner Witmer, of University of Pennsylvania. on "The Kindergarten as a Psychological Laboratory."

It is anticipated that between 200 and 300 kindergartners will be in attendance. The Philadelphia Branch of the union is already making preparations for the reception and entertainment of the delegates.

Miss Lucy Wheelock, of Boston, Mass., is President of the union,

which is composed of upwards of thirty branch associations of kindergartners organized in as many cities of the United States.

The National Kindergarten Union was organized in 1892 at Saratoga, at a meeting of the National Educational Association. In 1895 a preliminary meeting was held in Boston, and in 1896 the first Convention was held in New York. The Second Convention was held last April in St. Louis.

-H. Z. Hobson is succeeding admirably in his new position as superintendent of the Salineville. schools. His corps of teachers numbers twelve, and the enrollment of pupils is nearly seven hundred.

0.:

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES. American Book Co., Cincinnati,

Stories of Ohio. By William Dean Howells. These Stories are told in Howells's inimitable style, and are entertaining, interesting, and instructive. They should be read by the boys and girls of our public schools both for their literary value and also for the State pride which they will certainly develop.

Ginn & Co., Chicago, Ill.:

Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America. Edited with Notes and Introduction by Hammond. Lamont, Associate Professor of Rhetoric in Brown University. Price 60c.

Undine.

Classics for Children: A Tale by Frederick Baron De La Motte Fouque. Translated into English by Abby L. Alger. Price 30c.

recent New York Election, entitled, "The Political Regeneration of New York."

Among the many interesting things found in Harper's Magazine

Thoughts and Theories of Life and Education. By J. L. Spalding, Bishop of Peoria. Price $1.00.

Scott, Foresman & Co., Chicago, Ill.:

A Parliamentary Syllabus. By Joseph T. Robert, Principal, The Robert School of Parliamentary Law, Chicago. Contains twentyfour progressive Lessons.

Stories of Greek Gods, Heroes and Men. By Caroline H. Harding and Samuel B. Harding.

Getting On in the World, or Hints on Success in Life. By William Mathews, LL. D.

G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York: The American College in American Life By Charles Franklin Thwing, D. D., LL. D.

The January Atlantic contains contributions from J. Firmin Coar, Edwin L. Godkin, Col. T. W. Higginson, John Muir, Gilbert Parker, Edward M. Shepard, Eugene Wambaugh, and others. The paper which will attract universal attention is that by Edward M. Shepard on the

-A Novel by Henry Seton Merriman; "A Group of Players" by Laurence Hutton, and "The New North-west" by J. A. Wheelock.

Gainsborough's Portrait of General James Wolfe, Engraved by Richard A. Muller, furnishes the Frontispiece for the January Century. The first number of "The Adventures of Francois" by S. Weir Mitchell appears, and Martha Littlefield Phillips gives a very interesting account of the "Recollections of Washington and His Friends as preserved in the family of Nathaniel Greene."

The January St. Nicholas is full if interest for both young and old. Among the many valuable articles are the following: "A Bird's Storehouse," "Reasoning out a Metropolis," "Johny and the Giant," and "Christmas Eve at Mother Hubbard's."

"Our Coast Defences" by Maj.Gen. Nelson A. Miles, "The Future of Bimetallism" by Senator George G. Vest, and "The Political Outlook" by Henry Watterson are among the many interesting articles in the January Forum.

Irish's "American and British Authors" is very popular both as a text-book for High Schools and Colleges, also for use in reading circles, literary clubs, etc. It has recently been adopted for use in the High Schools of Bucyrus, Bellaire, Galion, DeGraff, Pataskala. and many other places in Ohio.

The Educational Review opens its fifteenth volume and eighth year with the January number, which includes a striking paper in which Some Socialist and Anarchist Views of Education are contributed by Messrs. C. H. Matchett, Benjamin R. Tucker, Lucien Sanial and Miss Gertrude B. Kelly; and papers on School Building in New York City by C. B. J. Snyder, illustrated; Education in Hawaii by F. B. Dressler; etc. Other articles to appear early in 1898 are The Public School Community Life by Jas. K. Paulding; The Future of the Public School by E. J. James; Civil Service Reform and the Teaching Profession by C. W. Bardeen; Economy of High Wages for Teachers by John Davidson; Religious Instruction in American Schools by Levi Seeley; Public Education vs. State Education by Andrew S. Draper; American Graduate Schools by A. H. Edgren; The Educational System of California by E. E. Cates, etc., etc.

The frontispiece of the January number of the Arena is a portrait of Henry George, the prophet of the American Republic. The first article is Part II of "Freedom and

its Opportunities," by Governor John R. Rogers, of Washington, a fearless man of the people. The second article, "Our Interstate Protective Tariffs," by James J. Wait, is an able exposition of the evils of discriminating freight charges by the railways of the United States. "Our Friends the Enemy" is a contribution of great interest and value, by John D. Spence, of Toronto, on the relations, social and political, which ought to exist between the Canadians and the people of the United States. "Municipal Proprietorship" is ably discussed in the affirmative by Augustus L. Mason, ex-president of the Indianapolis Street Railroad Company. Mr. B. O. Flower's interesting and eloquent article is on "James G. Clark, the American Laureate of Labor." Helen Campbell, in a strong article on "American Domesticity," points out the reasons of the apparent decay of the domestic life, but draws a hopeful conclusion as to the future. In the "Tributes to Henry George" four American poets lay their wreaths on the tomb of the man who saw and prophesied. The fiction of the number is a striking and amusing apologue by Charwin Lesbald, entitled "The Smelting of the Hon. Jerry Webb." "Mistletoe" is the subject of a beautiful nature sketch by Rev. Robert Blight. In "The Higher Civilization versus Vivisection," Rosa G. Abbott presents a humane and pathetic appeal against the unwarranted abuse of animals and the dissection of them alive in particular.