lips, when happily a third traveler also carrying two sacks, as they were overtook them. The first two men at once pounced on the stranger. "What cargo do you carry in your sack?" cried one. "Let's see your goods," said the other. "With all my heart," quoth the stranger, "for I have a goodly assortment, and I like to show them. This sack," said he, pointing to the one hanging in front of him, "is full of the good deeds of others." "Your sack looks nearly touching the ground. It must be a pretty heavy weight to carry," observed number one. "There you are mistaken," replied the stranger; "the weight is only such as sails are to a ship or wings are to an eagle. It helps me onwards." "Well, your sack behind can be of little good to you," said number two, "for it appears to be empty; and I see it has a great hole in the bottom of it." "I did it on purpose," said the stranger, "for all the evil I hear of people I put in there, and it falls through and is lost. So you see I have no weight to drag me down backwards." -Ed. Courant. EDITORIAL. THE Indiana Journal for Indiana teachers. WE regret that we cannot find space in which to mention all the exquisitely beautiful programs of commencement exercises that come to our table. Neither can we find space for the numerous reports of commencement exercises sent us. Our friends will please excuse us and take the will for the deed. AND now England is to have, not a Committee of Ten, but a Royal Commission, to consider the best methods of establishing a system of secondary education in that country and to make recommendations accordingly. But on this commission are three ladies. Why were they omitted in making up our immortal decemvirate? "THE LAW OF THE SCHOOL" is the title of the first article in the Journal this month. It is one of the most valuable articles the Journal has ever published and should be read by every teacher in the state. It goes to the very center of all school work and its spirit should penetrate and influence the mind and heart of every person who has to do with the schools. THE Proceedings of the Inter-National Congress of Education, held under charge of the National Educational Association at Chicago last year is now ready for distribution. It is unprecedently large and is a complete encyclopedia on educational themes. The most important topics are trea:ed by the ablest educators in the country. It should be in every teacher's library. The fees for last year fell far short of paying for this volume so it is sold so as to cover cost at $2.50, postpaid. to any address. Write to N. A. Calkins, 124 East 80th St., New York City. WHAT TO READ. The following list from the Observer may be of service to some reader who is dazed by the great number of new books: The best historical novel-"Ivanhoe." The best dramatic novel-"The Count of Monte Cristo." The best domestic novel "The Vicar of Wakefield." The best marine novel-"Mr. Midshipman Easy." The best military novel-"Charles O'Malley." The best religious novel-"Ben Hur." The best sporting novel-"Sarcheden." The best political novel-"Lothair." The best novel written for a purpose--"Uncle Tom's Cabin." The best pathetic novel-"The Old Curiosity Shop." The best humorous novel – “The Pickwick Papers." The best Scotch novel-"The Heart of Midlothian." The best English novel "Vanity Fair.” The best American novel-"The Scarlet Letter." The best sensational novel-"The Woman in White." WHY SHE WAS KEPT. To a principal who loves to open a class room door and find everybody busy and happy and orderly, and the recitation animated, she certainly would be a trial. To be sure her room was always full, scorching heat of June and drizzling snow of November made no difference, her children came and came in time. But when the principal opened her door, with a distinguished visitor in his wake, ten to one that half the room would be sitting sideways in their seats, while a number of feet were out in the aisles instead of under their desks, and an undertone from a few particul rly studious children pervaded the room; and when the recitation progressed, the diffident questions of the teacher were met with somewhat indifferent answers from the class. In contrast with most of his teachers she certainly was a trial to the principal. But when the distinguished visitor had gone and he went in again to make a serious business of finding out the conditions there, he discovered that these children could read and write and spell as well as those in the next room; that their writing was more than legible and that they could do numbers as well as the average pupil of their age. Then he breathed a long sigh of relief and went out.-Pop. Educator. The above is not a plea for disorder, but it does prove that a person may teach a good school without having absolute silence and perfect discipline. The essential thing is to secure interested work, and this done a little irregularly does not matter AWARDS. The following is a copy of the paragraph in Mr. Hailmann's report referring to the educational awards: The system of awards adopte by the World's Fair authorities was wholly inadequate. In the selection of judges little, if any, care was taken to secure really competent persons. At any rate, question of locality or represented interests appeared to play a greater part than the desire to have a really trustworthy and instructive report. course, there were among the judges many worthy men and women, but the jury as a whole was notoriously unwieldy and untrustworthy in its decisions. Of So far as Indiana is concerned, one well-intentioned lady had thrown upon her the stupendous task of examining, unaided, the work of more than one hundred schools. A certain learned gentleman from the Islands of the Pacific was entrusted with the business of examining the general educational exhibit of Indiana. This he accomplished in an incredibly short time and crowned it with two awards, under mistaken names. The examination of private and denominational schools was entrusted to persons more or less interested in the institutions they examined, so that scarcely one of these escaped an award. Judging from their mode of procedure, it is fair to presume that if some enthusiastic Hoosier had deen assigned the pleasant task of cataloguing the public school exhibits of Indiana, every exhibi or would have been decorated with a ribbon. When I look over the list and character of the awards subjoined below and compare it with my own unbiased judgment of the relative excellence of Indiana's school exhibits, coupled with the expressed judgment concerning many of these on the part of professional men of unquestioned ability, I am tempted to infer that those who ultimately distributed the awards, listed the successful competitors at random. At any rate a large number of remarkably excellent exhibits, excellent in aim, method, achievements and presentation, are not mentioned in the list; and on the other hand, a number of those that are mentioned are totally devoid of merit. Altogether the whole award system, so far as the educational exhibits are concerned, is wholly unworthy of confidence, and the awards distributed mean practically nothing. If under these circumstances it is a matter of congratulation that Indiana was among the foremost states in the relative number of awards, her people will have ample cause for rejoicing. HOW TO STUDY BIOGRAPHY. The following suggestions given by W. J. Button, (an old Indiana teacher) to a history class will certainly be helpful to teacher: In making a biographical study certain definite results should be aimed at. Hence a plan for the study of a great name will be useful The following is suggested: If the subject is Patrick Henry for instance, explore the field of inquiry by the aid of the following guides: 1. His youth, education and life preceding his entry upon a public career. 2. The special cause or causes which drew him from private life into public life. 3. The chief events and objects of his political career. 4. His main characteristics as a public man 5. His character as a man, with appropriate illustrative anecdotes. 6. His death. 7. In what lay the secret of his power for good or evil? 8. The influence of his life and deeds upon his time. 9. For what will his name live in history. 10. If he contributed to the literature of his age, name what you consider the characteristics of his style, and read from his speeches, essays and poems, in illustration of his best products 11. Estimate of his character and career by his contemporaries. 12. Estimate of his character and career at the present time. This scheme or analysis is simply suggestive and may be varied to suit the subject of study. THE National Educational Association meets this year as heretofore announced, at Asbury Park, N. J., a beautiful sea coast resort about 30 miles from New York City. The program is a most attractive one and will command the attention of all who are interested in educational subjects. The railroad will sell round-trip tickets for a single fair plus $2, which pays the association fee, and will make the ticket good returning till Sept. 1. The fare from Indianapolis is $17+$2-$19. Hundreds of Indiana teachers should attend this meeting and visit the great East. NORTH MANCHESTER now feels confident that it will secure the million dollar university with a normal department independently endowed. The powers that be have offered the control of this department to Arnold Tompkins and it is probable that he will accept the place. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. STATE BOARD QUESTIONS FOR APRIL. WEBSTER-THE CONSTITUTION NOT A COMPACT.-1. Give the events which led Webster to deliver this oration. 2. What did Webster say in regard to the interpretation of the supreme law of the land? 3. State the conditions under which this oration was delivered. 4. Give the prominent features of Calhoun's theory of the govern ment. 5. Give the proposi ions set forth by Webster in opposition to Calhoun's theory of the government. 6. Distinguish between a government and a confederation. 7. What was Webster's position on the tariff? On internal improvements? 8. What did Webster say of the mission of the United States to other peoples and future ages? 9. Where did Webster locate the source of all power in government? 10. What value have these constitutional arguments been to our country? (Answer any eight.) GEOGRAPHY.-1. Draw a map of your county, showing its boundaries and the outline of contiguous counties. 2. Describe the Danube river; the Merrimac. 3. Locate and bound the Japanese Empire. What are the chief industries? 4. Describe the process of irrigation. In what part of the United States is it practiced. 5. What are the principal causes that have contributed towards making Liverpool a great comme cial center? 6. What should be the purpose of map drawing in the school and to what extent should it practiced? 7. In what direction is the general slope of Siberia? Of the Chinese Empire? Of the German Empire? 8. Draw on the same scale rough outline maps of California and Ohio, so as to show relative sizes. 9. Locate Odessa, Birmingham, Valparaiso, Cape St. Vincent. 10. Locating Chicago at the center of four concentric circles, show on this diagram the direction and relative distances of the following cities: Duluth, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Kansas City. (Answer any eight.) ENGLISH GRAMMAR.-1. In what ways have you been benefited by the study of English grammar? 2. Is prosody a depar ment of grammar? Give your reasons. 3. When we say that grammar is a reflective study, what do we mean? 4. In what ways are adjectives compared? Give examples. 5. He can go easier than I. Correct this sentence, giving reasons. |