ney as swift almost as thought, and then after these will fly spires of scarlet and yellow and

smoke or white vapor, and then there will be wreaths of curling steam, brown, and warm looking; then a spout of fire, so bright as to dazzle the eyes, will dart forth, and before you can call attention to it, it has changed into a dark stream of smoke as black as that from a furnace. Now from a centre, will issue a dozen jets of bright flame, and again from the same place as many volumes of smoke.

But this coal is a study as well as pleasure at the fireside. From it is made an oil for lubricating machinery; a certain mineral tar or resin called naphtha; a sort of substance that in many respects resembles spermaceti and which is made into candles; a gas for burning in cities: and coke which is very useful for the blacksmith. It is therefore very valuable and as a mineral production, and a geological curiosity it is very interesting. I cannot say anything more of it, nor of the family. It is sufficient to say that the long evenings of winter afford abundant time for study and improvement, and they should not be lost.

"young sun to put in the fire-place and keep the room warm;" and when told, that was impossible, she wished she could have a "great-boy-star," blue fire; and then straight columns of black which she thought would do just as well. Now the coal of this valley-the Lituminous coal of Ho khocking valley-sometimes called "canal coal "-just such a companionable, social, talkative, funny, musical, cheerful, cosy, good-natured, loving, laughing, bewitching, friendly, soulpleasing, rib-tickling, imaginative, fairy-inviting, Aladdin-lamp-wonder-working fire as that little girl wished for, such as a poet might fancy a conveniently-sized sun or star would make if brought down and placed in the grate. In fact, to mewho have no poetical madness about me, and probably less common sense-this coal makes a much better fire than a star or a sun of the right size would. The truth is I cannot divest myself of the idea that the sun is a regular, sober, matter-of-fact old fellow-very precise and regular in all his habits. So much so, in truth as to have become the great model to which every body, who would point a moral, refers. He always has a regular rule-ask Prof. Caswell of the great college in your little State, if it is not true-for every thing he does-never deviating a half a second from the set time to rise and the fixed time to move over the noon-mark, or the proper, carly time to go to bed-which by the way, is at an hour both unfashionable and very inconvenient for a student. I cannot imagine such a staid, regular, old fellow to be a pleasant fireside companion. He is such a standing rebuke to all lazy sluggards, such a Dr.Franklin-Poor-Richard, "early-to-bed-and-early-to-rise," every-day sort of a body, that I could not endure him as a fireside companion at all. Besides, exactly when you want him for the fire-side-when the twilight is gleaming, and the mysterious dark, with its irresistible awe, makes you want to take hold of your dear wife's hand, and lift the baby to your knee, and sit and muse before the glowing hearth —this regular sun must call for his night cap and cotton and be off to bed! A star I know would be better, for that has a roguish twinkle in his eye, that makes me feel he would be very companionable; but then the star is just as regular in his habits as the sun, and though it may be a better night watcher—yet it would be good for nothing in the day time.

But this "coal fire," to return, is just as full of funny and tricksome antics as a fairy. The children are full of wonder at its magic tricks. It burns with a brilliant and very variable light. Now the little fellows find in its bright blazes, such things as fountains, plumes, swords, wings, and I know not what. It will send out such tongues of the whitest flame to dart up the chim

The question of lessons out of school though a very important one, and one that can hardly admit of more than one solution, is very easily settled at the fireside. A family cannot be a pleasant family, nor a fit place in which to bring up children without something of the kind. It may be that the children are not required to get lessons to be recited in school, but there must be something to be done besides mere gossip or stupid sleep and mere stupid play. For a family to spend its evenings profitably there should be many things done as work, many as play and amusement. There should be books to be read and talked about, things to be discussed, pictures to be examined and explained, games to be played, and, in fine, studies to be gone over and prepared; besides work to be done, and friends to be received, and talked with. There is no holier place and no more profitable than the evening fireside; and the family that allows its boys to wander about the streets, does them an irreparable injury, and afflicts its other members very seriously. Every father and every mother has a duty in reference to the evening which they would do well to reflect upon. The day is a time of work, but evening is a time for moral and intellectual improvement of time, of self restraint and social feeling. I love the bright sunlight and the beauty of the night's holy starsbut the sweet light of the fire and the social family circle, how delightful and how full of comfort!

Do then, MR. SCHOOLMASTER, insist on this

thing, that every family and that every person who has an influence with the people of the community, shall give the utmost attention to this subject, and persuade all who have children to make their evenings pleasant and profitable. But I do not mean to moralize. Indeed, I have done that already too much, and hence I will stop at once, promising to write again at some future time. Yours &c.,

ROBT. ALLYN.

Reference Books for the School-Room.

been burdened by too many cyclopædies and gazetteers. This is not the department where our American people are inclined to precipitate themselves headlong, as they have in sending forth works of fiction, stories with a moral, various text-books pseudo scientific works, new discoveries, etc.

This requires too much patient toil, laborious research, critical acumen and accurate judgment, while it brings but a tardy and sparing remuneration both to publishers and to authors.

There have been scholars, however, who,while more shallow minds have been writing for the mass, and for a day,-have studied and thought, written and compiled, for thoughtful minds, works which will be sought and studied with profit long after the flashing meteors of the day have disappeared and been forgotten.

The first of the above-mentioned works, to be

completed, a very valuable addition to our libraries, both public and private. We have several English cyclopædias of great merit, but they are generally beyond the reach of private libraries, and public schools. They are prepared also with especial reference to scholars, who wish a very elaborate and critical treatise on each subject discussed, rather than adapted to the mass of those who require a brief, comprehensive accurate presentation of the matter.

The New American Cyclopædia.—Blake's Universal Biographical Dictionary.-Allen's American Biographical Dictionary. — Lippincott's Pronouncing Gazetteer of the World. Perhaps there is no class of books in which our libraries have, until within a few years, been so poorly provided, as in the department of ey-published by D. Appleton & Co., New York, in clopædias and gazetteers. We have been com- 15 volumes, large royal octavo, will form, when pelled to rely mainly upon English works, and those, while not adapted to our country and to our habits of thought, and often entirely deficient, or extremely meagre on those subjects of the most importance to us, have been held at such an enormous price, as imported books, that but few were able to avail themselves of the imperfect information which they contained. It is true that upon many scientific subjects, we have had in college and other large public libraries, valuable, elaborate works from the English press, but they have in many instances been, like a mountain of California, composed of a vast amount of rubbish, which must be dug through and washed away in order to reveal to us here and there a small piece of gold, and even then the gold has to be purified from its English dross, before we can use it. Absolute necessity, however, creates a demand of what is to follow. which soon furnishes a supply.

Each of the various departments of learning has had its full share of votaries, all of whom have been earnestly at work, and have not hidden under a bushel the light they may have kindled, but have brought it out to enlighten the world, and lead men on, either this way or that, some right, some wrong.

The American world has become deluged with books. They have teemed from every press, until like the frogs of Egypt they have "covered the land," and we have been inclined, like Pharoah, to say "take them away," and even the words of the wise man have been pronounced in sorrow: "Of making many books there is no end."

But we had no cause of complaint at the accumulation of books of reference. We have not

We have heretofore had indeed, nothing adapted to this large and increasing class, except the Encyclopædia Americana, which was in fact but a translation and revision of the German "Conversations-Lexicon," and consequently not so American as might be desired. The first volume of the New American Cyclopedia, which has just appeared seems to us a satisfactory pledge

This volume contains 752 pages, and embraces articles on a variety of topies, included under the general heads of History, Biography, Geography, Ethnology, Agriculture, the Natural Sciences, and the Mechanic Arts. The articles are not so brief as to be uninteresting or profitless to the critical scholar, nor are they so long and tedious as to weary the general reader. The work is adapted to supply a want deeply felt, and for a long time existing, a want which extends to every class in the community. Every professional man, every educational man, every business man, every mechanic or artizan, and especially every public school needs a copy of just such a work.

The second work mentioned at the head of this article is a revised edition of the Rev. Dr. Blake's large Biographical Dictionary, published many years ago, which has attained a wide and

very creditable reputation for accuracy and value. It was revised by the venerable author, now deceased, and had but just been issued from the press when he ceased from his labors and passed away from earth.

It comprises 1366 pages and includes fifty thousand proper names. The present edition has 2000 articles of American Biography, of which 1000 are original with this edition. There are 2400 new articles in all, added to the previous edition. The biography is given of persons of all ages and all countries. The author is eminently fair and impartial in his views, and the usefulness of the book is not impaired by any sectional, national, or temporary horizon, concealing from his vision those beyond that narrow limit. The work, therefore, is one of inestimable value, and should be in the library of every man who loves to read, and in every school-room in the land.

The work on American Biography mentioned above, was noticed in a recent issue. It is the only work of the kind with which we are acquainted. No library is complete without it, and not only so, it is an absolute necessity to every well furnished school, and to every intelligent

scholar.

The Gazetteer published by Lippincott & Co. is too well known to require a review. It is the result of a great amount of research and critical study, not only on the part of its editors, but by many eminent men by whom they were assisted in its composition. It comprises nearly 2200 pages, and is a complete Geographical Dictionary of the world. It contains the most authentic history and description of all important countries, cities and towns, islands, mountains, rivers, lakes, &c.

The works above-named we consider are as essential to every school as Webster's Dictionary, or the scholar's ordinary class text-books.

In no way could towns, cities and school committees expend more profitably the amount necessary than in the purchase of these works for reference.

They are as essential to the successful teacher and the faithful scholar, as the hoe and spade to the farmer, or the plane and saw to the carpenter. The recent presentation by the state of a dictionary to every school was a move in the right direction, and we are glad to learn that several states have, in like manner, furnished a copy of this gazetteer to every school within its boundaries. We wish their example might be followed by our own state and by others.

If this be not done, individual teachers, and school committees should see to it that, either by subscription, or by some other means, their schools be supplied with these valuable works.

Our Exchanges.

THE ILLINOIS TEACHER. - December, 1857.

Peoria. $1.00 a year. The teachers of Illinois have a journal of the right stamp. Typographical execution good: articles rich, appropriate,

short.

With the number before us the editor, C. E. Hovey, Esq.,-who has been appointed to the Normal School at Bloomington,-retires from his editorial duties. His successor is not announc

ed.

By the way, brother Teacher, that article in our October number, in reference to the Illinois State Normal School, credited to you, was not taken directly from your pages, but from one of It gives the name of nearly every post office our exchanges, who credits to you, "which also in the United States, and all the principal vil-we" did. If there be mistakes of fact or figure, lages and towns. Besides the vast amount of information already were his, not ours. we presume they were unintentional, but they mentioned, it is a universal pronouncing gazet- The Teacher has, like the Schoolmaster, passteer. It gives the pronunciation of every geo-ed through three years, and to the following, in graphical name, thus making it rank in value by the number before us, we would respectfully ask the side of Webster's unabridged dictionary. It the attention of our readers. has already become a standard for authority. and an appeal to its pages is considered as bringing the question to the highest tribunal. No person who once becomes acquainted with its merits will ever after be willing to be without it. We have thus noticed the merits of these works, with especial reference to their importance as books for the school-room.

Those having charge of schools have been very neglectful in respect to furnishing for their school-rooms books of reference.

"THE LAST NUMBER OF VOLUME III. - The

last number of the third volume is before you. If you are a subscriber, it will, we are fain to tion and an increased interest. You are called hope, suggest thoughts of a renewed subscripupon to express your verdict practically upon the journal. We trust it may be a favorable one. If you belong to that anomalous class, who peruse but do not pay, the worst wish we shall express in your behalf is that you may speedily have a realizing sense of the wickedness of your ways,'

THE LADIES' REPOSITORY, devoted to Literature and Religion. Rev. D. W. Clark, D. D., Editor. Swormstedt & Poe, publishers. Cincin One of our best literary and religious hati. Choice original articles, and fine

THE CONNECTICUT COMMON SCHOOL JOURNAL.-Hartford. $1.00 a year. This good old charter-oak friend comes to us this month with a fine likeness and biographical sketch of Hon. John D. Philbrick, Superintendent of the Pub-monthlies. lic Schools of Boston, and recently Superintend-steel-plate engravings. $2.00 a year in advance. ent of the Common Schools of the State of Connecticut.

THE MOTHER'S ASSISTANT, January, 1858. Boston. $1.00 a year. Rev. Wm. M. Thayer has assumed the editorial responsibility of this valuable monthly.

It is a valuable assistant Indeed to the mother, and will prove a welcome visitor to every family where it may be invited to call. We commend it to the community for its high moral tone, and for its choice literary gems.

THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL YEAR BOOK, will be published and ready to forward to our subscribers on or before February 15th.

It is to be more complete and full, making a much larger book than was anticipated, and the publishers inform us that they find themselves obliged to advance from the advertised prices. We shall furnish it at our office for 63 cents, or will send it to any post office in the country for 75 cents, postage paid. Send in your orders. It is a valuable book, and every teacher should have it.

We wish to acknowledge the receipt of the reports of the last three Institutes held in Windham County, Connecticut, as also the last report GODEY'S LADIES Book for February is re of the Acting School Visitor of the town of ceived, and is well calculated to interest the Plainfield, from Rev. Lucius Burleigh. ladies. This magazine has attained a great pop-shall make extracts from them in due time. ularity, and may well be styled the foremost Ladies' Magazine in the country. Its circulation is, we believe, only surpassed by Harper's.

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for February is even a little better than its predecessor. The leading article, on "The Great Failure," is written with great care, and whatever may be thought of a national bank, has some important facts with regard to the operations of the bank of England, which are worthy the attention of business men. The article on "Tea" is a little nervous; the "Autocrat" is head-achey; the "Amours de Voyage" is mystical; that on "New England Ministers" is funny; and the "Brief review of the Kansas Usurpation" is independent. There are other articles, but we have not read them.

We

We would ask our friends to read carefully our prospectus for volume fourth, on the cover of this number. We have been permitted by the pub lishers of the various magazines included in our club list, to offer those very special inducements to our subscribers who may wish to take, in connection with the Schoolmaster, either of the works named. The prices apply only to subscribers to the Schoolmaster.

Kind friends, please send in your subscriptions early. Our terms are IN ADVance.

OUR thanks are hereby tendered to the Department of Education for Upper Canada, för the valuable "Annual Report of the Normal, We have received from T. B. Peterson & Model, Grammar, and Common Schools in UpBrothers, Philadelphia, a valuable Counterfeit per Canada, for the year 1856. It is a very able Detector and Bank Note List. It is issued and valuable document. It is the report of per monthly and corrected by the well known bank-haps the most perfect school organization on this ers, Drexel & Co. Terms, $1.00 a year.

continent.

Answers to "Mathematical Questions" in each man is to receive $100. To comply with

That the conditions are incompatible with each variation in their length? Would you travel other may be shown in two ways: