forms of beauty and symmetry require more sense, but are found to be inexhaustibly attractive. And last of all come the forms of knowledge, which familiarize them with the geometrical properties of the cube, and the names of its sides and lines. Then tablets are introduced, some of equilateral, some of triangular shape, which impress them with the peculiarity of the numbers three, six, nine, as squares do with the numbers two, four, eight. At last, sticks and peas, or sticks alone, serve as material for forms of use, of beauty, and of knowledge. The latter may lead far into a knowledge, of course merely intuitive, of geometrical relations and laws. The use of sticks disciplines the eye for drawing, which also requires skillful manipulation of the pencil. The age from three to seven years seems to be the period of fantastic invention, in which latent genius is developed, and which may be compared with the plowing and sowing season of husbandry. This most important season of childhood is, how often, allowed to pass neglected. Poor children in the country are often better provided with right occupations than the children of the rich, which may in some measure account for the genius which springs up in country colleges. It will thus be observed that the material given to children is at first the most natural, and is followed by the more and more artificial. The latter, again, is given at first in the most simple and palpable shape, and is followed by representations of abstractions more and more removed from the concrete. The highest intellectual effort in the kindergarten is the Pestalozzian form of drawing on slates or drawing in books ruled over with small squares. This drawing, though entirely under the rule of imagination, prepares for proper drawing, for writing, and for geometry, better than anything else. Children, at an early age, become excessively fond of it; consider it quite an amusement, and yet will work at it an hour without getting tired, so that it may be necessary to check their eagerness. Of poetry, accompanied by music, great use is made in the kindergarten, which offers a most extensive field to the poetical and musical genius of ladies who love children and the pure joy of their paradise. In Germany, Hoffman von Fallersleben has shown, by his "Kinderlieder," that verses which please little children may have poetical charms for every period of life, and some of the best composers have added to the beauty of the words by their graceful composition. The first visible effect of a well-conducted kindergarten on the children is that it tames them. They soon evince that their happiness is increased. Though more gentle, they become more lively. Their affection for their trainer, the kindergarten, is great, yet their love to their parents does Lot seem to diminish. It is found that at home they are much more quiet, because they soon find a quiet amusement and eagerly engage in it. The genial occupation of their brain, combined with the bodily exercises and the happy humor in which they seem to be, for hours, when in the kindergarten, cannot but favor an increase of their natural faculties.

A generation that has passed through the developing system which begins in the kindergarten will have learned self-command or virtue, will be possessed of pure and genuine taste, and will be self dependent both in thought and action. As a striking testimony to this effect, we may take the proceedings of the Russian government against that system since 1850. Fichte, in his addresses to the German nation, has recommended national education on the developing system. John Jahn applied it to physical education by his "Turnwesen," or gymnastics, which quickly spread over Germany, and was as quickly put down as politically dangerous. Froebel tried to apply it to general education, but the German governments, particularly Austria and Prussia, were frightened at the spirit of independence from which the system proceeded and which it fostered. Prussia, receding more and more from her glorious efforts of 1813, almost eradicated the developing principle from her national education, once so renowned. But a better spirit is alive again in Germany. "Turuen" is again flourishing, and national education, on the developing principle, again appears as one of the great objects of interest to the German nation. Consequences of the kindergarten system on the female portion of the population will proceed from two sources at once; from the better training of children, and from the complete education of those who are to train them. The advantages of a system which places infant training in the hands of educated women can, perhaps, not be too highly estimated.*

EXPLANATORY NOTE OF THE plan of THE EXERCISES IN THE KINDERGARTEN.

The time of occupation in the kindergarten is three or four hours on each week-day, usually from 9 to 12 or 1 o'clock; the changes from one to another occupy from twenty to thirty minutes, It is worthy of remark that the arrangements and furniture must have a special adaptation to the method of teaching. Thus, for instance, the desks are covered with lines, which make squares of an inch; this teaches the child to arrange his material in an orderly manner. However, all occupations that can be engaged in out of doors should be carried on in the garden whenever the season and weather permit. The character of the plays is such that some instruction is combined with the amusement, for pleasant games introduced are almost always accompanied by singing. There are movement plays, so-called, symbolic plays, in which the forces of nature are introduced, as in the games of the wind-mill and the water-wheel, &c., or the children imitate the flying of birds, the swimming of fish, &c., or they represent the different tradesmen, as the cooper, miller, farmer, &c., for instance, the motions of sowing, mowing, threshing, &c. By all these and similar plays the relation of one to another

* The foregoing article has been prepared partly from the writings of Carl Froebel.

is brought out, and in this way they get connected ideas. It should be mentioned that the children in the kindergarten are never left to themselves, neither during the play exercises nor the time devoted to other occupations. There is nothing of that rude, aimless playing and screaming so common at recess-time in so many ordinary schools.

It is impossible to give a plan for all existing kindergartens, as they are unlike in their arrangements. In small places the time of occupation is during the forenoon and afternoon; this is also the case with the poor children in large cities, as it is a blessing for them to remain as long as possible under the good care of the institution. The plan of occupation is not only dictated by local circumstances but also by the seasons. The winter requires another arrangement than the summer. The children are divided, according to their age, in two divisions; as not all the exercises for children from 5 to 7 years old can be comprehended by children from 3 to 5. The following order of exercises is from Lina Morgenstern's Paradise of Childhood.* I should not forget to mention that the kindergarten furnishes all the material. SCHEDULE OF EXERCISES FOR A KINDERGARTEN, WINTER AND SUMMER. WINTER OCCUPATION.

Monday.-9 to 9, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, recitation or song; 10 to 10, telling stories; 10 to 11, building; 11 to 11, eating; 11 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 12, puncturing paper; 12 to 1, movement plays.

Tuesday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, recitation, song; 10 to 104, telling stories; 10 to 11, weaving or braiding; 11 to 11, eating; 114 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 124, papercutting and mounting; 12 to 1, movement plays.

Wednesday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 93 to 10, recitation or song; 10 to 10, learning a song; 10 to 11, drawing; 11 to 11, eating; 11 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 124, peas-work ; 124 to 1, movement plays.

Thursday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, recitation, &c.; 10 to 104, telling stories; 10 to 11, building; 11 to 114, eating; 114 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 12, puncturing paper; 12 to 1, movement plays.

Friday.-9 to 9, coming, arranging; 94 to 10, recitation, &c.; 10 to 104, telling stories; 10 to 11, weaving or braiding; 11 to 11, eating; 11 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 124, papercutting; 12 to 1, movement plays.

Saturday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, recitation, &c.; 10 to 10, repetition of the songs; 10 to 11, drawing; 11 to 114, eating; 114 to 12, ball-plays; 12 to 124, working in clay; 12 to 1, movement plays.

SUMMER OCCUPATION-FIRST DIVISION.

Monday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, telling stories, conversation on objects; 10 to 104, drawing; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 12, free occupations: 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

Tuesday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, conversation on objects; 10 to 104, folding and interlacing; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 11, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations: 123 to 1, concluding prayer.

Wednesday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, conversation on objects; 10 to 104, peas-work; 10 to 11, eating: 11 to 11, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

Thursday -9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, conversation on objects; 10 to 104, weaving and braiding; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 11, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

Friday.-9 to 94, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, conversation on objects; 10 to 104, puncturing and cutting paper; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 124 to 1, concluding prayer.

Saturday.-9 to 9, coming, arranging; 9 to 10, conversation on objects; 10 to 104 building; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 114 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

SUMMER OCCUPATION-SECOND DIVISION.

Monday.-9 to 94, coming; 9 to 10, prayer, telling stories; 10 to 101, building and laying figures; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 114 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 12, free occupations; 124 to 1, concluding prayer.

Tuesday-9 to 94, coming; 9 to 10, prayer, recitation; 10 to 104, weaving and paperfolding; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 113 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations: 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

Wednesday.-9 to 94, coming; 94 to 10, prayer, telling stories: 10 to 104, puncturing and drawing; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

*Compare" DasParadies der Kindheit nach Friedrich Froebels Grundsätzen" von Lina Morgenstern Paradise of Childhood, according to the principles of F. Froebel, by L. Morgenstern,] Berlin, 1805.]

Thursday.-9 to 94, coming; 9 to 10, prayer, telling stories; 10 to 10, building and laying; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 114, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 12, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer.

Friday.-9 to 94, coming; 9 to 10, prayer, telling stories; 10 to 104, weaving and drawing; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 11, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 124 to 1, concluding prayer.

Saturday.-9 to 9, coming; 9 to 10, prayer, recitation; 10 to 104, drawing, ball-plays; 10 to 11, eating; 11 to 11, work in the garden; 11 to 12, movement plays; 12 to 124, free occupations; 12 to 1, concluding prayer. JOHN KRAUS.

PROGRESS OF KINDERGARTEN CULTURE IN AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE.

The following is a brief abstract of a report made by Miss Elizabeth P. Peabody upon the progress of kindergarten culture, the limits of this volume forbidding the publication of the article in full.

OBSTACLES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KINDERGARTEN SCHOOLS.

The progress of the genuine kindergarten, versus ignorant attempts at it, has not been very great in America, for the reason that the public is not yet prepared to sustain attempts at establishing such schools, and there are not yet sufficient facilities for the education of teachers of the genuine kindergarten. Private munificence is necessary to sustain such attempts at reform in education until their value shall be demonstrated. The history of the first establishment of normal schools proves this. After ten years of lecturing by Rev. Charles Brooks, of Medford, and Hon. Horace Mann, to prepare the people to appreciate the necessity of normal schools, it was still necessary for a private citizen to offer $10,000, on condition that the legislature should grant an equal sum, before the first normal school could be instituted, and morever, at its first opening, the intelligent State of Massachusetts urnished only three young women who desired to improve by its advantages.

KINDERGARTEN NORMAL TRAINING.

The first and only kindergarten normal school established in this country is that in Boston, taught by two German-American ladies, whose very religion it is to educate children according to Froebel's system. This is a private class, and is taught by lectures and practice in a model kindergarten. More than twenty-five teachers have completed their training here, although fully half of this number have been obliged to incur debt in so doing; and after all, they have been severely tried by finding the public unprepared to understand or appreciate their system, so different is the old idea of that which a child should first learn from the inspiration of Froebel, namely, that the true order of the unfolding of human nature is first doing, and afterward thinking, because the child will attend at first only to what himself does.

THE TEACHERS' TEMPTATION.

But the ignorant and impatient ambition of parents makes a sore temptation to teachers even of the most unmercenary spirit. It is so easy to please parents and gratify their vanity by showing children the way to do things, instead of addressing their own active power by words fitly chosen, that the young teacher is tempted to do it, letting the child make and do things with no more intellectual movement than accompanies a monkey's imitations.

PUBLIC APPRECIATION DEMANDED.

To diffuse throughout the country a proper public appreciation of the kindergarten principle, producing a deferential co-operation with the educated kindergartener, instead of a tormenting and obstructing criticism, and to afford young women an opportunity for attaining this most beautiful of the fine arts, (because its material is the highest,) well-endowed public normal schools for it are indispensable, where those who feel the vocation can have instruction free. The Boston school that has been mentioned above will, it is hoped, be adopted as an independent department of the city normal school, since, in Boston, a beginning has been made by the school committee of 1870, who established one kindergarten in the public system.

PROPOSED EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL IN NEW YORK.

In New York it has been proposed by the commissioners of education, who have a term of five years to work in, to make one of three experimental schools a normal school, with its model kindergarten attached.

FRAGMENTARY INSTRUCTION.

A German lady in California, Mrs. Weddigen, has done some good work in keeping a kindergarten under every imaginable disadvantage, and without any intelligent co-operation, and has also lectured and written upon the subject.

Another person who has done very much, especially among the German population in and about New York, is Dr. Adolph Douai, who has now an institute in Newark, New Jersey. He imported a trained teacher from Hamburg, at great expense, to instruct his daughter in the art, and though he has varied a little from the method of Froebel, especially in the art of drawing, his kindergarten should not be characterized as a false one.

Miss Louisa Frankenburg, an old lady of seventy, who was the pupil and friend of Froebel, now resident at Germantown, Pennsylvania, has instructed some superior ladies in the art, and feels still capable of doing so, notwithstanding her age. She has made some efforts to assist intelligent colored women to obtain the kindergarten training, but the efforts hitherto failed from lack of appreciation by the public.

KINDERGARTEN MATERIAL.

A gentleman of Springfield, Massachusetts, has established a manufactory of kindergarten material, a truly public-spirited act, since he does not expect to even get back his money for years.

KINDERGARTEN IN EUROPE.

The only place where Froebel commenced his kindergarten work triumphantly was in Hamburg, whither he was invited by a remarkable society of ladies, half of them Christians and half Jewish, who had associated for the purpose of producing religious toleration, and who naturally became a radical education society. In this city the widow of Froebel now has a kindergarten. In Dresden, Frau Marguadt keeps an admirable kindergarten. But the best in the world is, perhaps, Madame Vogler's in Berlin. At this moment there is in Germany a new impulse toward genuine kindergarten culture in the highest intellectual classes. The philosophers' congress, which met in Prague, Bohemia, in 1868, and at Frankfort-on-the-Main in 1869, has made it a special object to investigate Froebel's system, and has pronounced it the most advanced on the subject of education.

ITALY AND ENGLAND.

It is an interesting fact that the kindergarten is about being made the first step of the new public-school system of Italy, which is superseding the old ecclesiastical schools hitherto prevalent there.

The Italian minister of instruction having become interested in kindergartenry, has imported some German kindergartens into Italy, and also sent some Italian girls to be taught in the normal schools of Berlin.

An English lady says that Manchester and London are almost the only towns where kindergartens have taken root, though there have been isolated attempts and partial success in some other places. Miss Praetorius, a woman thoroughly skilled in the art and science of Froebel, says that there is not a genuine kindergarten in England. A visitor to her school, in which I have passed a few hours, may, however, see the most perfect teaching of singing to children in the world.

ELIZABETH P. PEABODY,

MUSICAL EDUCATION IN COMMON SCHOOLS.

Only within a few years has the importance and desirableness of making music a regular part of popular education come to be generally recognized and admitted; a great improvement in this respect has taken place within the past three years. The report of the board of public education of the city of Philadelphia for the year 1870 says:

"While recognizing the fact that we, and our predecessors in office, were most unaccountably slow to perceive the benefits which are to be derived from the addition of vocal music to the list of studies, and that until within the last two years we had not taken even the first step in that direction, wherein not only many of the most enlightened and progressive nations of Europe, but also a very large number of our sister cities, have for a long time been making rapid strides, we can congratulate ourselves that the formidable opposition which we were constantly compelled to encounter from those who regarded the introduction of vocal music as an unwarrantable innovation, involving a wasteful expenditure of the public moneys for instruction in a mere accomplishment, has been at length almost entirely overcome. Music is now regularly incorporated in the course; and it should be the earnest desire of every faithful and progressive teacher, and the direct effort of all that have the best interests of popular education at heart, to engraft it upon the system of education so thoroughly that it may form an inseparable part of it, on account of its direct appeal to the heart, and its direct tendency to elevate and refine."

The report of the school committee of Boston, of the same date, after explaining the system of instruction, and noticing some of the happy effects of musical exercises in the public schools, remarks:

"The primary school is, of all others, the place where instruction in music, if we would ever expect it to attain to anything like a satisfactory result as a part of our common-school instruction, ought to begin. The child of five or six years can easily be taught the first rudiments of music, and a few plain principles in the management of the voice, if early adopted and carried up through the lower and intermediate classes; especially, if to this were added some instruction in the art of correct vocalization, and the proper management of the registers, greater strength, a more resonant tone, purer intonation, exacter enunciation, precision, ease, fluency of delivery-everything that is improving to the voice-would finally result."

In an address delivered before the national teachers' association, at Cleveland, Ohio, an eminent teacher and authority says:

"Music should enter into common-school education, because

"1st. It is an aid to other studies.

"2d. It assists the teacher in maintaining the discipline of the school.

"3d. It cultivates the æsthetic nature of the child.

"4th. It is valuable as a means of mental disciplire.

"5th. It lays a favorable foundation for the more advanced culture of later life.

"6th. It is a positive economy.

"7th. It is of the highest value as a sanitary measure.

"8th. It prepares for participation in the church service."

And again:

"Through the medium of the music lesson the moral nature of the child may be powerfully cultivated.

"Of all the manifold advantages which musical instruction in school possesses, this is among the most prominent; it is also the most apparent. The child is a creature of impulse; reason, conscience, have not yet asserted their sway. He is therefore to be addressed through his emotional nature. Music meets the demands of that nature; it infuses itself into his life; it entwines itself about his heart, and becomes a law of his being. Hence, his songs may more directly and powerfully than any other agency give tone and direction to his moral character; they may be made the means of cultivating his nationality and patriotism; they may promote a love of order, virtue, truth, temperance, and a hatred of their opposites; they may subserve his religious advancement, implanting lessons at once salutary and eternal."

Regular musical instruction is now incorporated with the school studies of nearly every city and large town in New England and the Northern and Western States, not only with the happiest musical results, but with marked good influence upon the health, general intelligence, capacity for receiving general instruction, and orderly habits of the youth so taught.

The musical knowledge acquired in the primary and grammar schools is increased and supplemented in the high and normal schools, every graduate of which is expected to be able to teach music to elementary classes as successfully as arithmetic or any other topic. For those who wish to become skillful musicians, are established (by private enterprise) conservatories, or musical colleges, where the most complete and finished musical education may be obtained.