ulary acquired in an extensive course of reading, and has learned to observe and remember the difference of English and French idiom, whenever occasion requires, he may learn to talk in a very short time. The same may be said in a general way about composition. It is a useful accomplishment for some persons certainly, and for them it is a practical study, but for the majority of High School scholars it is not practical when regarded simply as an end in itself. As an aid to fixing in the memory the forms and idioms of the language it has a value quite independent of what is usually considered its chief value. Double translation is a great help in learning any language. The effort to reproduce in the foreign tongue what has already been translated from it is a most excellent practice. It serves to arrest the attention at every step, and to keep the mind on the alert. Therefore, some practice in writing should be joined with the reading lessons.

If, then, the attempt to teach French conversation and composition (except as above provided) were given up, what follows? Plainly that there would be a great deal of time to spare for the study of French literature. And furthermore, if reading is taken to be the main object of the study, we might begin the practice of translation at once, in the very first lesson. For a grammar, any one of the grammars in common use would do for reference, but all that would be necessary would be such a book as would give the paradigms of inflection, a list of irregular verbs, and brief statements of the general principles and peculiar usages of the language. We should also need a dictionary, unless the text-book used contained a vocabulary.

Let us suppose we have a class of beginners provided with books as above directed. Let the book be one that will be interesting. Fortunately good books for our purpose are not far to seek. The works of Madame Foa, "Le Petit Robinson de Paris," "Les Petits Peintres," and "Contes Historiques"; "Le Grand-Père" (but not all of it), "Les Trois Proverbes," and many others are well suited to our purpose. Having made your selection, call the class, and, after an introductory lecture on language in general and on French in particular, proceed at once to translate to them a few lines, explaining every word—its meaning, form, etc. Let each pupil be provided with a blank-book in which he is to copy down from your dictation all idiomatic con

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structions first the French phrase, then the literal translation, and then the same in idiomatic English. Here follow a few examples taken from such a book: Des pieds à la tête from the feet to the head from head to foot; Les bras ouverts = with open arms; Où veux-tu que j'aille? open wish that I go? where do you want me to go?; Tu as dix ans you have ten years =. -you are ten years old.

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the arms where do you

Let each lesson be anticipated by such explanations of difficulties, and let all such idioms as those given above be committed to memory and recited as a part of each lesson. The inflection of the regular verbs must be learned very soon, but need not be learned all at once. The irregular verbs may be taken one at a time, beginning with those in most frequent use. In short, it is proposed that the teacher shall teach his pupils to read French without any previous study of the grammar, and without the long drill in short sentences that usually precedes the reading lesson.

By pursuing some such method as I have indicated, I think pupils will, in the two or three years of High School life, gain sufficient freedom in translating French to be able to read it without having to use a dictionary any more than the average student ought to use one in reading his own language. French books are now within the reach of almost every one. It seems to me that there is no study of the High School course which is more likely to be continued after graduation than French, if the pupil can be made to reach that point where it is a pleasure to read the language, not as a drill for discipline, but as one reads his native language, for the sake of what he reads about.

The necessity of reading a good deal in order to acquire facility in translating cannot be questioned. In the later stages of the course the pupils should be required to read much more by themselves than can be read profitably in the recitation. To ensure this result, and to make the study thoroughly practical, a French text-book in some other study of the course might be used, as is done, I believe, in the Boston Latin and English High Schools.

If time permitted, much more might be said of the advantages of this course; but if it be admitted that it is desirable to save the time usually spent (I will not say wasted) upon conversation exercises, and a part of that spent in composition, how the time thus saved shall be used no teacher will be at a loss to determine for himself. M. G. D.

RESIDENT

RESIDENT EDITOR'S DEPARTMENT,

SHOULD CHILdren be reQUIRED TO COMMIT TO MEMORY WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND?

WE often hear this question, and it not unfrequently leads to a long and unsatisfactory discussion. We have our own opinion with regard to it, but we cannot give it with a simple "yes" or "no."

There are various degrees of understanding, and we may say of children, especially, what St. Paul said of adults, himself included: "We know in part." If we take the ground that children should commit nothing that they do not fully understand, there would be very little for them to commit. They do not fully understand the simplest stories, in which they may be intensely interested, and from which they derive distinct notions. They "understand as a child," and it is only when they become men that they "understand as a man."

What child fully understands the subtle meaning of Wordsworth in that beautiful poem, "We are Seven"? And yet every child will understand enough of it to be interested in it, and to be benefited by it. We think it would be profitable for every child to commit it to memory.

What we do object to is requiring the child to commit some abstract statement, which to him does not convey any idea. For instance, in a popular school grammar, we find this definition of mood, viz. "Mood is that property of verbs which shows how the act or state is referred to its subject."

We should not like to be guilty of requiring a pupil to commit this definition. Not because he cannot fully understand it, but because it does not convey any idea to him; and we think it a very bad habit for any one to acquire, to use words without attaching some meaning to them.

The same criticism may be made on many of the selections in our readingbooks, especially for the upper classes. If pupils were required to read only such selections as convey to them some definite and distinct ideas, we should have less of that monotonous drawl than at present. The emphasis and inflection would be determined by the meaning, and would, in most cases, be correct.

Reading which conveys no distinct idea, besides its pernicious influence on the elocution, induces a listless habit which takes away all the benefit of reading.

MECHANICAL DRAWING.

MECHANICAL drawing, in contradistinction to Free-Hand drawing, is done by aid of mechanical contrivances, and is simply an application of geometrical principles. The quickest and surest way, therefore, of gaining a knowledge of

these principles, is by studying the subject of projections; for it matters not whether the subject be a house or a machine, so long as these fundamental laws are known. The difference between machine and architectural drawing is one of construction only. The best machine draughtsman would not know how to draw the plans for a house, simply because he is not acquainted with carpentry. It is very hard to make our mechanics believe this. The writer has often given a pupil some simple problem of projection, for the purpose of making him something more than a mere copyist, and has received the reply: "I want to draw a house," or perhaps "a piece of machinery"; and this before ths pupil could represent the simplest thing on paper. How can one reach the top of the ladder without commencing to climb at the bottom? If the pupil is always to copy and never to learn the elementary principles, how can he be able to draw any new thing which is not already drawn and before his eyes? How can he carry out his own ideas on paper? Most men are frightened at the mere name of geometry, yet the subject can be made very simple in the hands of one who understands it. It is almost impossible, however, to get a class of men together who are willing to pursue such a course, notwithstanding it is much the quicker way of mastering the subject. They want to draw houses, machines, etc., at the very commencement. If the pupil has not already studied the principal rules of projections, then the books and examples which form the collections in our evening schools are totally unfit for such purposes. The books were never intended for those who know nothing about drawing, but for those who wish to learn the technicalities in the several branches. The simple curves, curves of intersection of the different surfaces, as well as the dimensions of the details, are not given. There is consequently no means of knowing how to draw these examples except by taking off with the dividers and scale every dimension, which is mere copying, and requires very little, if any, judgment. This is not an accurate method of drawing; and accuracy is very important in mechanical drawing, for the examples are seldom drawn full size. Take for instance the slide-valve of a steam engine, which has, say, a lap of 1-32 of an inch, and let the pupil be required to make a drawing of such from a copy drawn to a scale of one eighth; is this not absurd? Is it not evident that these books were intended for those who have mastered the elementary principles and who have some judgment? There have been, so far as the writer can learn, no working drawings of the details, either in carpentry or machinery, published in England or France, which are suited to beginners in drawing. In Germany, however, there has been a series of working drawings published, relating to all branches of industry. I mean by working drawings, those which can be used by the pattern-maker or carpenter, without the necessity of placing his rule. upon them to ascertain any dimension. Such drawings are the only kind that are fit to be placed in the hands of those who are commencing to draw without having a previous knowledge of the elementary principles of projections, and who, consequently, can have no judgment, being like so many machines. Most of the works written in our country seem to have been written by those who have no experience in teaching; and a good work written by one who is

acquainted with the subject, theoretically and 'practically, is much needed, Books from France or Germany would be of little use here, for the dimensions are given in a foreign measure. On the other hand, publishers are unwilling to risk the publication of a good work, for fear of not making enough money. I think in a six months' course, of two lessons per week, in projections, the pupil would gain information enough to enable him to draw with comparative ease any ordinary object, and use the books on construction with profit. The more complicated surfaces require of course more study. There is still another good reason why the pupil should pursue an elementary course on projections. Every branch has its technicalities, and it is difficult to find a person who is acquainted with all. Take for instance a flight of stairs, which on the drawings above mentioned are merely indicated. To be able to draw such the pupil must know enough to understand some work on the subject, or the drawing must have all the necessary dimensions and directions for making a working drawing. In our schools we have carpenters, masons, machinists, etc., and it is impracticable for a teacher to explain each individual drawing in all its details, unless the whole class have the same drawing; but this is again impossible where so many different elements are present. Besides, one teacher cannot know all the branches in detail, and the towns cannot afford to employ separate teachers for each branch. In the cities where conveyances are plenty it is very easy for a person to attend school; but where such opportunities exist, we find the schools very poorly attended. The young apprentices should think of this, instead of wasting so many valuable hours. In the country the pupil is often obliged to walk a distance of two miles, which is not so easy after a hard day's work. Teachers and pupils should remember that mere colored and finely lettered pictures are not what is wanted in the shop. At the last exhibition in Boston, there was only one school which had examples of real working drawings, and this was scarcely mentioned. I can see no reason for this, unless it be that these were not shaded and made to attract the eye.

These evening drawing schools may be carried on then in three different ways:

First: We may teach the principles, which are applicable to all branches of mechanical drawing; leaving the few technicalities peculiar to these several branches, to be gained by consulting books relating to such, which can be done without the aid of a teacher.

Secondly: We may place in the hand of the pupil, to be copied, drawings which shall have the dimensions of every detail.

Thirdly: We may have a collection of construction drawings, leaving the explanation of every detail to the teacher.

Which method is the best?

Boston, August, 1873.

H.