The child, beginning with the muscular force that tosses his ball into the air (as it were, pushes it from him), and the simple fact that a body falls toward the earth, passes successively and gradually, through several years, to the laws governing falling bodies; to the foot-pound, foot-pound-second, dyne, erg, gravity unit, mechanical equivalent of heat, weighing the earth (finding mass) against a mountain, weighing the planets against their satellites; to the abstruse physico-mathematical investiga tions that demonstrate the permanency of the universe, so far as planetary perturbations are concerned; to the hitherto unsolved "problem of three bodies;" passes from the simplest electric toys to the severest measurements in electricity-amperes, volts, ohms, exterior and interior resistance; passes from the simplest manifestations of heat and light till he measures the heat and light of the sun in calories and eaudlepower; from simplest facts concerning gases to the laws of Dalton, Boyle, Gay Lussac, and Avogadro.

THE TWO GREAT CHANNELS OF KNOWLEDGE-ACQUISITION.

These are observation and reading. Observation admits the learner to the temple of knowledge through the study of things; reading admits him through the study of words, the representatives of ideas. By means of the one we read what Divinity has written in nature; by the other we read what man has written in books.

(A) Observation.-It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the careful training of the powers of observation in the domains of nature and man, from earliest childhood to latest life, to the end that the learner may enter fully into the temple of knowledge-intellectually, esthetically, ethically, and spiritually; a training in observation not alone through the sense of sight, but through the senses of touch, taste, smell, and hearing. While sight is the great knowledge-acquiring sense, the training of the other senses should not be neglected, especially hearing, which is second only to sight as a knowlege-getting sense. The child could early learn to distinguish pitch, loudness, and quality in sound, and later to make the experiments that will produce a desired pitch, loudness, or quality. Nature, indeed, with lavish hand fills our every moment with a wealth of phenomena of infinite variety, graded to tender, tentative childhood, mature manhood, and decrepit age. During the past hour there have raced past my car window a wealth and variety of phenomena that beggar description-hill and dale decked in evergreen and gold, crystal stream, deep ravine, and high-piled ledge, whispering winds and floating clouds, and over all and through all the great canopy and the greater sun. But whatever Nature's lavish variety and wealth, to interpret her aright the child needs careful, systematic direction and inspiration from his teacher. That teacher who hopes rightly to direct a human being, from tender childhood, in the acquisition of knowledge through observation and experiment, must devote his days and nights to the study of the child itself-its tastes, capabilities, the laws of its growth. He should, first of all, prevail upon the god Eolus, or some like potent personage, to imprison "thoroughness" and "exhaust," in his deepest and strongest cavern, to be let out in homeopathic installments, during all the years, from lowest primary to highest university. The little child is a butterfly, flitting from flower to flower-a bee, getting a little nectar here and a little there. But with coming years he returns to the same flowers, departing each time on heavier wing, getting at each visit deeper and richer drafts of Divine truth, beauty, right, and love. All along life's voyage of calms and storms, from tiny rill to boundless sea, God is whispering to his soul

Build thee more stately mansions, O, my soul,

As the swift seasons roll.

Leave thy low-vaulted past;

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea.

(B) Reading.—Observation and experiment limit man to the acquisition of knowl edge through the senses. Reading enables him to transcend the bounds of time and space and put himself in possession of the knowledge of the race-to know what is transpiring on another continent, what transpired during a past century; to know what Plato thought and to feel what Homer sung. To read is to get what the author put into his book, to live over with him those ecstacies of thought and feeling, that thrill of high purpose attending the birth of literature. Then, reading being the key to the accumulated knowledge of the race, embalmed in literature, how important its mastery. By reading is not meant the word calling of one set of school readers, in the eight years of school life; but getting, as nearly as may be, during these eight years, the thought and feeling from fifty or sixty books, covering every department of the domain of nature and man, and adapted to the learner's tastes and capa bilities; books that will go hand in hand with rational observation and experiment,

stimulating the pupil to more critical and profitable observation and more ingenious experiment; books that will not surfeit or gorge, but direct, stimulate, and inspire. While reading supplements observation, observation gives that mental equipment that makes intelligent reading possible. The more critically one deals with phenomena and things the better equipped is he for dealing with words. Again, some pupils are better fitted by nature to enter the temple of knowledge through things-through observation and experiment; others through words-through literature. Here (in leading), as in observation, let us put "thoroughness" in durance vile, to be let ont in small installments. In reading, a child (after a certain mastery of word calling) naturally passes hurriedly from page to page, from book to book, getting what his mental appetite craves at that time, just as in observation he passes from phenomenon to phenomenon, from object to object. Just as in observation there should be a teacher to skillfully incite to a more critical reading of the book of nature, so in reading there should be a teacher to incite to a more critical reading of the books of man. But let us be careful how we insist upon thoroughness far beyond the tastes and capacity of the child. What seems thoroughness to us may be nausea and disgust to him. Let us beware how we insist upon difficult philological, ethical, or esthetic distinctions that appeal to the mature intellect only. When we think we have taught them, the poor child, in obedience to the ukase of his ignorant teacher, has learned only to mouth them. The attempt to teach thoroughly a set of school readers (without other supplementary reading) a page or a paragraph at a lesson does gross violence to the fundamental constitution of the child's soul. Having done a reasonable amount of skillful inciting, directing, and inspiring don't lose sleep over want of thoroughness. Just as the bee will return again to the flower, so the child, under proper direction, will return again to the book, to get what he could not get on first reading; or he may get its equivalent from another book. The child presides over a little world of his own, ever widening as the years go by. That mysterious self-active, self-conscious self is day by day and year by year unfolding itself. At any certain period of childlife, for any certain individual child, there are certain soul chords corresponding to certain elements in the domain of nature and man. The more bungling the teacher, the more frequently he strikes into space, there being no soul chord to strike into harmony. While juvenile books, founded upon child nature, can be successfully prepared in the natural sciences, history, civil government, political economy, and literature, the masterpieces of the world's literature can not be duplicated every day to order. Many of these world classics contain lessons for children as well as for mature philosophers. They can thus be read and reread as the years go by. Nature and books spoke not to us in childhood as they speak now. The cloud, the stream, the sunlight come fraught with deeper lessons. To-day you read Emerson, Carlyle, or Goethe. In ten years the coming and going years of pleasure and sorrow, success and defeat, will enable you to read them with deeper insight.

Heaven is not reached at a single bound;
But we build the ladder by which we rise
From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies,
And we mount to its summit round by round.

NATURAL SCIENCE VERSUS LITERATURE.

Much has been said and written upon the relative merits of natural science and literature. Each has its advocates and enthusiasts. We are told, on the one hand, that natural science is materialistic, of the earth earthy, and that the genuinely humanizing and spiritual study is literature. On the other hand, we are told that natural science is peculiarly God's handiwork, and that through its study we rise to the Divine self-activity that spoke nature into being; that literature deals with words, with mere shadows of things. Both are extremes. Both literature and natural science are parts of one great whole. Each is complementary of the other. Both are equally Divine. On the one hand, God has unfolded Himself in a universe of enrapturing beauty and grandeur. Each bears this Divine stamp-from trembling atom to bowling world. On the other hand, God “made man in His own image, and breathed into him the breath of life." The world literature spans every height and sounds every depth of this image of God. May it be ours to know more of the heights and depths of both literature and natural science.

MATHEMATICS.

Mathematics is a general branch applicable to both the domains of nature and man, and should be so taught as to vitally relate to the branches of these domains. Improbable, artificial, far-fetched, so-called "mental arithmetic" examples flagrantly violate the above principles. Such examples are semialgebraic, and, while furnishing a good mental discipline, lack close relation to actual life, and hence are not of

the highest utility. The hare and the hound still continue their unequal leaps across the pages of many of our "intellectual" arithmetics. While these animals are important, from a zoological standpoint, they do not figure arithmetically in the business world so extensively as these authors would have us believe.

In the opinion of the writer too large a place is given, in the elementary course in mathematics, to arithmetic; and too large a place in arithmetic to value. Much pertinent work in arithmetic would grow out of the elementary study of nature. Upon reflection, it will occur to one how rich this field is; but here, as elsewhere, we should be careful not to go far out of our road to manufacture artificial and farfetched examples, not bearing vitally upon the important parts of the natural science work in hand-all this, lest the fundamental law of unity be violated, and the child's time and energies be squandered.

Lines, surfaces, and solids-geometry-in an clementary form, could be successfully taught in grades 7 and 8, and possibly lower. The subject of arithmetic could be much simplified and unified by omitting cause and effect, six per cent rule, twelve per cent rule, Connecticut rule, and other unnecessary and mystifying methods. Quite frequently the pupil gets these extra methods mixed in such proportions as to result in an incorrect solution. What the pupil (soon to face practical life) needs is one direct, common-sense method of solving examples, and such abundant practice in miscellaneous examples as will insure accuracy and rapidity. The great method of methods in arithmetic is analysis. The method that will find the cost of one orange at 5 cents and a doll at 10 cents, the change in return when an orange at 5 cents is exchanged for a stick of candy at 1 cent, the cost of two lemons at 4 cents each, the cost of one lemon when two cost 10 cents, will solve most of the examples of arithmetic. In this way arithmetic can be unified. But the greatest stride in unification will come with the adoption of the metric system, thus unifying all denominate numbers and calculations to the simple decimal system-ten units of one order making one unit of the next higher order. While this system has taken a strong hold upon continental Europe, notably France and Germany, the prospects now are that it will be many years before it takes much hold upon the United States. It is true that the metric system is now in all our text-books, but it has no practical hold upon the people. The old, cumbersome system of weights and measures is still universally used in the transaction of business. It is a matter of deep regret that this wonderful labor-saving metric system still knocks in vain for admittance in the United States and insular Europe.

EXPRESSION.

All mental growth consists (1) of the acquisition of knowledge through (a) observation, (b) reading, and (c) elaboration; and (2) in the expression of this knowledge (a) in language; oral and written, (b) in drawing, (c) in modeling, and (d) in making. It is only through these four methods of expression that man attains complete communication of himself to his fellow-man. Besides, some pupils are naturally weak in language, but strong in drawing, modeling, and making. Unable to enter the temple of knowledge through words, they enter it through things. I therefore advocate the teaching of these four methods of expression, without attempting to decide the relative importance of these four methods. To what extent it will ever bo practicable to teach the fourth method-making-in all the district schools, time only can determine. Just now, it seems that modeling is more universally applicable to the common schools than making; likewise, drawing than modeling. Certain it is that in the common schools of this country, as a whole, comparatively little drawing is taught, less modeling, and still less making. Language is the universal channel of expression. Obeying the guiding principle of unification, acquisition and expression of knowledge should be linked together. Years of practice should be given to the expression of knowledge at the moment of its birth; not to the memorizing of multiplied rules and minute directions for expressing knowledge and dissecting sentences, but to expressing ourselves as we will be called upon to do in life-in business and the professions-on the farm, at the carpenter's bench, and the merchant's counter; at the draftman's table and the artist's easel; in printed page; from pulpit, bar, and rostrum; linking this rich and varied expres sion closely and vitally to the entire line of work, in observation, experiment, and reading, in the domains of nature and man, from lowest primary to highest university. Admitting, as we gladly do, the importance of a few fundamental rules, principles, and directions to guide in the expression of thought, wo most deeply deplore the burdening of grammars and rhetorics with infinite minor rule and direction, memorized without adequate practice, and disgorged as soon as examinations are over. These fundamental rules, principles, and directions should grow out of infinite concrete practice, and be memorized only when the mind has fully grasped their concrete contents. Just as no mere memorizing of a cook book can make a good cook, so no memorizing of directions alone can make one proficient in the use

of the English language. Let us keep close to living thought and living expression, remembering that the chief value of grammatical analysis is to enable the learner to interpret literature and to communicate himself to others. Here seems to be the heart of the whole matter; to read man in his works-books, drawing, modeling, making and God in nature, and to communicate oneself most fully and completely to his fellow-man, in language (including music), drawing (including painting), modeling, and making (including the work of the artisan and sculptor).

NEBRASKA.

[From the Report for 1893-94 of State Supt. A. K. Goudy.]

HIGH SCHOOLS-VARIOUS PLANS FOR A STATE SYSTEM CONSIDERED.

In Nebraska a high school is a school organized under our common-school law, doing work in subjects in advance of those required for a first-grade county certifi cate. These schools are next in importance to the primary schools. They constitute the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades, or years, of the common-school course. They are of importance from two distinct considerations: First, they are the preparatory schools for the college or university, and second, they are the schools in which a vast number of our boys and girls finish their school life. Under our statute any school district having a school population of more than 150 may, by a vote of the district, establish a high school-that is, such district may make provisions for carrying the pupils forward until they have completed a course of study which will fit them to enter college. It is unfortunate that more of our boys and girls have not these opportunities, and many plans for extending the provisions of high-school instruction have been attempted. In our own State, in some of the counties, a plan for admission to convenient high school of city or village from the rural or ungraded schools has been successfully adopted. The objection to this is that the pupils attending the high school under this plan must pay a tuition fee.

A further objection is that high schools are thus likely to be crowded beyond their ability to do the best work for their pupils. If these objections could be overcome, it seems to me to be the ideal plan, for the reason that it brings the country schools into close relation to that high school which is most convenient to them, thus making it possible to take the high-school course while at home, under the home influence and home restrictions, at the most. critical period of their school life. Another plan, adopted in some States, is a provision for establishing a high school in each township for the free tuition of the children of the township. This makes it possible for all the youth of the township to pursue a high school course while at home. This plan would be most feasible under the system of "township districts," in which each township becomes a school district.

A third plan suggested is that of the establishment of a high school for each county in the State. Some of the objections to this plan are: Children must go away from home to attend; it involves the further complication of our school system; it involves a large additional tax for school purposes; it involves the establishing of a high school for the county, besides another high school established and maintained by a city or village; it introduces an element of friction between the city and village high schools in a county and the county high school of that county; it further introduces local politics into the schools, the location of the county high school being made the occasion of local jealousies and trades in connection with county seats and other local affairs which are foreign to the schools. The history of county high schools in Iowa and in Kansas, where the system has been introduced into their statutes, does not seem to be encouraging, the Kansas law being enacted in 1883, since which time but three or four county high schools have been established in the 105 counties of that State, and the Iowa law being enacted in 1869, since which time I am informed that but one county high school has been established.

The ideal plan, and one which is not difficult of realization, which obviates most of the difficulties named above, is the following: The arrangement of a course of study for the rural schools, which, complete in itself so far as it goes, is also preparatory to the first year of a local high school, into which pupils completing the course in the rural school may graduate; the arrangement of a course of study for the local high school, which, while complete in itself so far as it goes, is also preparatory to the first year of the university course, into which the pupils of the high schools may graduate; the high schools to receive from the county general fund, or from a special fund created for that purpose, a sum sufficient to pay the expenses incurred by the tuition of the nonresident pupils attending such high school. In such a system there are no divided interests; there are no local jealousies; the pupils are educated practically at home; there are no duplicating of the things attempted; each part leads to the next-in short, there is a system leading from the elementary school to the university.

The problem of secondary education, included in high-school work, lying between the elementary school and the college, university, and normal school, is one most difficult of solution. This problem has been attacked in many of the States, and nowhere has a satisfactory solution been reached.

Massachusetts has probably come nearer a satisfactory disposal of this question than any of the other States which have seriously moved in the matter. Her theory, like that of other States, is that free instruction of all the youth of the State from the primary school to the university should be afforded. The conditions in Massachusetts are so different from those existing in Nebraska and other Western States as to make the details of her system impracticable in our own State; and still Massachusetts has furnished the key to the situation by providing for the tuition of pupils attending a high school outside their home district when they have no such school in their home district, one of the provisions of the high-school act being "that any town in which a high school is not maintained shall pay for the tuition of any of its qualified children who may attend the high school of another town or city. In other words, free high-school tuition is the legal right of every qualified child in the Commonwealth." The foregoing quotation is from the report of the secretary of the board of education, adopted by unanimous vote of the board.

Minnesota provides for State aid to the extent of $400 annually to each high school in any city, village, or township district which shall provide a course of study preparatory to entrance to the State university. Of a total of 64 high schools in the State 14 were reported, in 1891, as complying with the university preparation requirement; 21 were reported as substantial and complete in organization and instruction, though not quite up to the standard indicated above, and 29 were reported as not mecting the conditions of a well-equipped high school. Not more than 5 high schools in any one county to receive aid in any one year, and not more than $20,000 per annum may be given by the State to aid high schools.

So it appears that Minnesota is working for the solution of the same problem, with some progress toward the result.

Wisconsin has a high-school law, which, unlike that of Minnesota, stops short of making the high school free to nonresident pupils; and so does not in the largest sense stand between the ungraded district school and the college, university, or normal school.

There can be no doubt of the excellence of existing high schools in Wisconsin; but the futility of attempting to build up this grade of school where there is not an existing sentiment in the locality favorable to its establishment and maintenance is demonstrated by the fact that while there is a State tax, the proceeds of which are to be divided among those high schools established and maintained amounting to one-half of the entire sum expended for instruction therein, the State superintendent, in commenting on this matter, says: "By this act an annual appropriation of not more than $25,000 is made to encourage the establishment and maintenance of free high schools in towns where there are none but ungraded district schools. This was the principal purpose of the first act proffering aid to free high schools. But few of these places took advantage of the assistance thus tendered, and the remainder of the appropriation is now devoted to the high schools established in connection with graded schools."

In Wisconsin the State superintendent prepares a course of study for free high schools; he exercises a personal supervision over them; he personally visits and inspects them; he appoints a suitable person to assist him in inspecting and supervising them; he furnishes suitable blanks for annual and special reports for these schools. He is, in short, the responsible head of the high-school system of the State, an amendment to the law, increasing his power and authority, being made to carry out this plan.

In order to establish a connection between the ungraded district school and the schools beyond the high school, viz, the college, university, and normal school, so that all the youth who desire to do so may have free high-school privileges, there remains in Wisconsin but a single step-the payment by the State of the tuition of all the youth of the State who may elect to attend such high schools as now exist. This being done, there is free high-school training for all, whether a high school exists in their home district or not.

What are the conditions in Nebraska? We have many local high schools, a number of them fitting for college, or university, or normal school, their graduates admitted without examination to these institutions.

Then there is a still larger number of local high schools, which, while not fully preparing their students for the institutions of higher learning, do carry them materially beyond the last point possible of attainment in the "district school." Pupils from the district schools should be permitted to enter those high schools most convenient to them; the county or the State should provide for the payment of a suitable tuition; thus, in most cases, could the boys and girls advance beyond the last possible step taken in the district school. Then, if in their further attainments they must go