National Series of Standard School Bookt,
A COURSE OF MATHEMATICS,
BY CHARLES DAVHJS,' LL.D.
This COURSE, combining all that is most valuable in the various methods
of Europenu instruction, improved and matured by the suggestions of
nearly forty years' experience, now forms the only complete consecutive
Course of Mathematics. Its methods, harmonizing as th*works of one
mind, carry the student onward by the same analogies and the same law?
of association, and are calculated to impart a comprehensive knowledge ol
the science, combining clearness in the several branches, and unity and
proportion in the whole. Being the system so long in use at West Point,
imd through which so many men eminent for their scientific attainments
have passed, it may ba justly regarded aa our NATIONAL SYSTEM ojr MATHE-
MATICS.
'fi.''ir4
Dames' Arithmetical Sable- Book, Designed for
Beginners. 15 cte.
Dam'es flrimarn Qlritljmetic : Containing the Oral
Method with the Method of Teaching the Combination of Figures
by Sight. 20 cts.
Dam'es' Intellectual QUitljmetic, Containing a large
Number of Practical Examples. 25 cte.
Dam'es' 2lritl)metic, Designed for the use of Schools and
Academies. Revised Ed. 45 cts.
Uf2 t Dame*' JScijool fciitfcmrttc far JTtsc&rrs. 45 cte.
Dames' Unioersitj} Qlritl)ihetic, Embracing the Science
of Numbers, and their numerous Applications. 75 ct.
Cffi to Dl*t' Sniuf ritfi Sritfinuttc for Crar&rr*. 50 o tg.
Dailies* C~lcmentarn Algebra, Being an Introduction
to the Science, and forming a connecting link between ARITHMETIC
and AI.GEBIJA. 75 cts.
f j to Daiiit*' EIf:nrutsrj! fllflt liri for Cricfttr*. 50 cte.
Dam'es' (Elements of XSeometrn anb rigonometr2,
with APPLICATIONS ix MENSCRATION. This work embraces the ele
mentary principles of Geometry and Trigonometry. The reasoning
is plain and concise, but at the same time strictly rigorous. New "uxd
Enlarged Edition $1.00.
<5 &
Published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York.
8. Dairies' Practical iUatljematics for Practical iflen,
Embracing the Principles of Drawing, Architecture, Mensuration,
and Logarithms, with Applications to the Mechanic Arta. New
Edition. $1.00.
ADVANCED COURSE.
9. Dairies' JBonrbon's QUgcbra, Including STURM'S
THEOREM; being an abridgment of the Work of M. BOURDON, with
the addition of Practical Examples. New Edition. $1.50.
10. Dairies' Cegenbre's eometrrj, from the works of A.
M. LEGENDRE, with the addition of a Treatise on MENSURATION o
PLANES AND SOLIDS, and a tuble of LOGARITHMS and LOGARITHMIC
SINE. New Edition. $1.50.
11. Dairies' Snroernng, with a Description and Plates of
the THEODOLITE, COMPASS, PLANE-TABLE, and LEVEL ; also, Maps of
the TOPOGRAPHICAL SIGNS adopted by the Engineer Department an
explanation of the method of Surveying the Public Lands, Geodesic
tad Maritime Surveying, and an Elementary Treatise on NAVIGATION.
$1.50.
12. Dairies' QlnalrUical Oeometrrj, Embracing the EQUA-
TIONS OF THE POINT AND STRAIGHT Ll.NB OF THE CoNIO SECTIONS Of
THE LINE AND PLANK IN SPACE ; also, the discussion of the GENERAL
EQUATION of the second degree, and of SURFACES of the second order.
$1.50.
13. Dairies' Dcscriptioe (Seometrn, with its Application
to SPUEIUCAI, PROJECTIONS. $2.00.
i4 Dames' Sh,abcs, Sh,abotos, anb mear$3erspecth>e,
Designed to show, with mathematical accuracy, the Lines of Sha.U
and Shadow on a complicated building which purl* to be darkened
and which to*be made light in the drawing of it. $2.50.
ro. Dairies' (Elements of Differential anb Integral
Calculus. The most difficult branch of the pure
Mathematics. $1.50.
16. Dairies' o|jic anb Utility) of ftlatljematics, with the
best methods of instruction explained and illustrated. A book for
Teachers and Normal Schools. $1.25.
17. Dames anb fleck's Mathematical Dictionary anb
Cjuloucbia OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE : Comprising
Definitions of all the terms employed in Mathematics an Analysis
of each brunch, and of the whole n forming H single science. 2.oC.
* fa .
-^i^iU^4Ui^*\^iiUa
f . & 9t m w
iL '
. 46
" Ninth, . ,,.,. - vrt , r ,
51
" Tenth, . ' . ?; : ; ' ' ^ '* >?
. 55
" Eleventh, . . . . ' .
58
" Twelfth, ..... :I;'i.'
. 61
" Thirteenth, . . . . . ..:..
64
" Fourteenth, . . . . . . v; .-i
. 67
" Fifteenth, .. . . .w."' .V-i':
70
" Sixteenth, . - . . . . . ,s~/.a
. 74
" Seventeenth, . . . . . . .::; '..-
77
" Eighteenth, . . . . ,^ ' :',.v?r
. 79
" Nineteenth, . . . . . - --
82
" Twentieth, . . . . . ,'.
: 84
Uniform, etc., . . S*"-. :^^.ev '.'* ' '
87
GYMNASTICS.
Introduction,
. 95
Pedestrianism,
101
Walking, . . . . . .* #'-'
. 104
Running, . . . .
105
Skating,
... 108
Swimming, . . . .- .
112
Miscellaneous Exercises, .... .
. 120
Archery, . . .
121
[Iz]
X CONTENTS.
MM
Bowing, , . \ 'i V, . ', . . . 123
Cricket, .''.-." . . . . 124
Foot-ball, . . .. ; . * .- . .124
Gymnastics, Cwith apparatus) . . . . . 125
The apparatus, (with plates) . . . , . . 127
Construction, . . . . ''*. 128
Exercises, . . . . .* *. . 132
Parallel Bars, . // ,. . .. , .. v 133
Upright Bars, . . . . . ,,'., .135
Vaulting Bars, . i . . . . ' t , ; . 136
The Swing, ... . . . .. J" 139
The Rings, . . . ... . . 140
Inclined Board, . . , . . . . 141
The Ladder, . .. .. ' . .' . 141
The Jumping Cord, . . . . . ," .142
The Pegs, ...... 142
The Horse, . , .' . . . : .142
SCHOOL MANAGEMENT.
The School Room, . , . . . . . .' . 149
Order and Method, > . . . "'" . . '.- . . 153
Administration, . , . . . . . . .. . 154
Principles, .... . . . . 155
Application of do., . . " . . , 160
Results, ... . . . . _ , ^ . . 167
Whispering, . . . . .* ., . . 170
Republicanism, ... . . . . 174
Lectures, . . ]. . '.. . , . .- ^ . 176
"Facts," . . ......... . .182
Elections and Business Meetings, . . . . 185
Moot Courts, . '. , . . . .194
Post Office, . . . . ' .. '* . 199
The News, , ... .'. . ., . r . . 206
Library, . . .... . .' . 208
Reading Aloud, . ... . . . . . . . . 210
Compositions, . . '. . . . . . . . 213
School Periodical, . . . . . _. .216
Geographical Game, . . . ., . _. : 217
Arithmetical Game, : :. ,. 221
Dictation Exercises, . . . 222
EVERY TEACHER
HIS OWN DRILL-MASTER.
INTRODUCTION.
MILITARY organizations in boys' schools have become
popular, not only in the Eastern States, but in many
other parts of the country, and this in spite of many
objections which were at first raised against them,
both by parents and teachers. It has been proved by
experiment, in some of our best, our modd schools, that
the objections to the 'system are by no means well-
founded, and, on the other hand, that the advantages
arising from its adoption are many and real.
One of the objections to such organizations has been,
that they would tend to foster a warlike and bellige-
rent spirit ; would lead boys to become, when men,
" Full of strange oaths,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation,
Even in the cannon's mouth."
" If," says the editor of the Ohio Journal of Educa-
tion, in the May issue for the last year, " if this ob-
M
Xll INTRODUCTION.
jection is well-founded, it should be fatal to all such
enterprises. We certainly ought not to adopt the
Spartan policy, and imbue the minds of our sons with
a taste for blood and carnage. But we are not of
those who have faith in the justice of this objection.
Properly managed, such exercises can have no influence
so to deprave the heart and vitiate the morals, as to
fit one for the employment of fighting. Even partici-
pation in wars does not generally promote a desire
for war. The most distinguished warriors are, many
times, the most ardent friends of peace. Such was
Washington, such is Scott."
In addition to this theoretical answer to the objec-
tion, it may be urged that actual experiment has, in no
instance which has come under the notice of many
teachers who have conferred on the subject, developed
such Spartan tastes as have been feared ; on the con-
trary, cases may be cited where boys, who had been
longing to enter the Academy at West Point, have ex-
pressed themselves contented with military experience,
as acquired at school.
Another objection has been, that the expense of such
organizations must be very considerable, too great, in-
deed, for many, if not most, parents to bear.
In reply it may be said that, " in some instances this
may be true, where costly uniform and accoutrements
are prescribed. But this need never be. The uni-
form required may be as cheap and plain as any other
INTRODUCTION. Xlll
decent apparel ; and as for arms, they can generally be
provided without subjecting the indigent to expense,
or they can be dispensed with, and lances used, the cost
of which would be next to nothing." Ohio Journal of
Education.
Boys are content with but little finery in the way of
gold lace and feathers ; at least this has been the ex-
perience of the writer and other teachers of his ac-
quaintance.
In the concluding chapter of this section, the subject
of uniform is dwelt upon at length, and it is shown
that the objection of expense amounts to nothing at all,
if, as is claimed, there are any real advantages to be
derived from the system.
The advantages claimed are these :
1. Habits of promptness, exactness, and unanimity of
action, are fostered, and very generally confirmed.
2. Subordination is taught and practised. Implicit
obedience to command, without " grumbling" or ques-
tioning, is necessarily a distinguishing characteristic
of military discipline, and it is just this which boys,
now-a-days, need to learn.
3. Erectness of carriage, a regard for a neat and
dean appearance, and gentlemanly and respectful be-
havior ; these are taught, and not only taught, but by
enforcement learned.
4. An attraction is added to the school. This is an
important point. It is to collect and present to teach-
XIV INTRODUCTION.
ers tried and approved attractions to the school-house,
which is the object of this book, and it is the writer's
opinion, and that of many teachers, as the result of ex-
perience, that hardly any other more real and worthy
attraction than this can be found.
5. Time is occupied by the drilling, parading, plan-
ning, and talking, consequent on the adoption of a
military organization, which might, and probably
would, be spent in amusements more or less vicious
and hurtful.
If amusements are not provided for children, they
will make them for themselves, and all know that the
tendency of the usual amusements and conversation of
boys is, unfortunately, towards vulgarity and even
wickedness. But boys are never unwilling to submit
to the direction of a parent or teacher, who, in a friendly
and sympathizing spirit, proposes such amusements as
the one under discussion, or as those indicated in the
chapter on " Gymnastics." Indeed, it may be confidently
relied upon that not a single boy will be at all unwill-
ing to " play soger."
The success attending the adoption of the military
plan at several popular schools is a final argument in
its favor. Among these may be mentioned the " Col-
legiate and Commercial Institute," conducted by Dr.
Russell, at New Haven, Ct., and " The Rectory School,"
by Rev. Mr. Everest, at Hampden, Ct. With both of
these the writer is well acquainted. To these may be
INTRODUCTION. XV
added the large and celebrated school at Sing- Sing,
N. Y., the public schools at Zanesville and Toledo,
Ohio, and many others, in various places at the North
and East.
The writer, who has been, for several years, a suc-
cessful teacher, has had considerable experience in the
initiation and continuation of military exercises in his
own school, and has thought that his brother teachers
might be pleased to examine, and perhaps adopt, the
system of organization and drilling which follows.
His authorities in regard to " first principles" are,
mainly, the regular army instructions, as taught in his
school by an ex-captain of the Mexican war, and as
contained in " Scott's Tactics."
It is hoped that the instructions here given will be
sufficiently plain to enable every teacher to become his
own drill-master ; yet it is advised that where a com-
petent instructor can be procured, he be employed.
In many cases this will be difficult or impossible, and
perhaps, with this guide, it may be unnecessary.
The writer would add, that he will be happy at all
times to answer letters of inquiry from teachers on
points not made sufficiently clear in the following
chapters. Direct to him, through the Publishers.
TO THE TEACHER.
I MAY be excused for adopting, hereafter, a familiar
style, one in which I may talk freely to my reader.
Let me address you, my brother-teacher, as familiarly
as I should be glad to do, could I meet you personally,
and talk over with you my plans of drilling and or-
ganization.
Much depends on presenting the subject properly to
your boys. It will not do to force the matter upon
them, nor even to let it seem too much your own plan.
Start the ball by asking them, rather carelessly, how
they would like "to get up a company ;" say that you
have just met with a book of instructions in drilling,
and that perhaps you can teach them how to march
and " shoulder arms," just like real soldiers. Let this
leaven work, and, in a few days, they will be urging
you to organize and drill them.
You must consult your own judgment as to whether
you should or should not talk of the matter with the
parents of your scholars. If you are independent of
trustees, or similar control, and are confident of your
standing with your patrons, you may well go on
TO THE TEACHER. 17
out consulting them. They will become convinced in
time of the merits of the plan. I speak here from
experience.
But if you are under control, you will do well to let
slip the plan among your boys before consulting with
" the powers that be ;" for you will then be sure of their
influence, besides your own, in favor of the proposition.
We will suppose that the matter is decided on, and
that the boys have talked it over among themselves,
and with their parents, and are now urging you to
go on.
Call a meeting after school, some afternoon, to con-
sider the question, " Shall we have a company ?" At
this meeting, after talking of all the possibilities in
favor of the plan, remark to them that there is one
difficulty in the way, one that you are really afraid
of, but one that, after all, depends on them for its
removal. Ready and entire obedience is a sine qud non
in soldiering. (Let m& talk to your boys, myself.)
" If the captain orders his men to march to the
right, and some of them prefer to go to the left, what
becomes of the company ? Or if he commands, ' shoul-
der arms,' and some would rather ' Fire/ and do so,
would that be doing right? And suppose again that
I, as your captain, order a drill for some afternoon,
and some half-dozen or so of you stay away ; but at
that drill the company learns a n'ew exercise, and at
the next drill, they who staid away, of course, do not
18 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
know this exercise, and by their awkwardness, 'put
out' all the rest, and throw the company into con-
fusion.
"Now how can we avoid such troubles as these?
This is the way I propose : Let every one who joins
the company promise to obey me and the other officers
in every particular, without a ' why' or a ' wherefore,'
an ' if or a ' but. 7 If you will promise me this, I will
go on and do all that I can to help you become a fine
company ; and when we are well enough drilled, we
will make a public parade."
It will be well for you to draw up a kind of pledge
of obedience to all your martial orders, and require
them to sign it, so that they may be influenced by the
consciousness of having given a distinct and individual
promise to obey.
And here will be the place to connect the company
with the school, by declaring that bad boys, or bad
scholars, shall not belong to the company. You can
do this, or not, as you think best. I can only say that
I have not found such a course necessary.
After having secured their promise to obey, you can
appoint a drill for some future time, as soon as may
be, requiring only, in the way of uniform, that they all
wear jackets and caps. If they ask about uniform,
arms, or drums, remark that they must leave all that
to you for awhile, and that you will report to them as
soon as you have decided on anything.
DRILLING. 19
You may consult the chapter on " Uniform, &c. ;"
and be in no hurry, for you will have no need of any
of these things for several weeks.
In preparation for your first, and every drill, you
must have thoroughly studied and practised every
movement which you are to teach. Do not carry the
book with you to the parade-ground. When on the
ground, assume a martial bearing. It will be well for
the success of your plan that your dress be somewhat
a la militaire ; carry, also, a light cane, as an officer
would carry a sword. Consult the drill on " sword
exercise," and employ the " carry arms," while drilling.
In demeanor be energetic, prompt -and decided; use
no waste words, and err, if at all, on the side of sever-
ity, rather than of familiarity. In fine, become an
example of a soldier to them, in every respect.
DRILL FIRST.
The drill master assumes, himself, " the position of
the soldier," in front of the " line" he wishes to form,
and says :
" Boys ! the command that I shall give you, pretty
soon, will be, Squad 1 FALL IN ! I will explain this : it
means, make a line, side by side, facing me ; not too close
to each other : without crowding ; as you come up, don't
20 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
crowd in at the centre of the line, but seek a place at
the left, next to the last man ; above all, fall in with-
out talking or laughing, or even smiling." The drill
master repeats these instructions, very distinctly and
emphatically.
Squad! FALL IN!
" Remember the instructions I gave you. No talking !
Let your arms hang naturally at your sides, the middle
finger of each hand just touching the seam of your
trowsers ; stand only so near your neighbor on either
side that your elbows, while remaining in that posi-
tion, shall touch, but not press, their elbows. If you
are crowded, move a little toward the left ; and if you
feel pressure from your right-hand man, you must move
toward the left." The drill master takes care that the
line is neither crowded nor too thin. " Now, turn your
heads (not your shoulders) towards the right of the line,
and look along the line to see if you are not too far for-
ward or behind : if forward, fall back; if behind, come
forward. Nothing looks worse in a company than
crooked lines ; we must pay particular attention to this.
" My next command will be, Squad ! ATTENTION !
You are not to move until you hear the last word,
but then you are to face to the front ; heads stiff on
your shoulders, with the chin drawn in ; eyes not look-
ing at me, but on the ground, about twelve paces in
DRILLING. 21
front of you ; arms hanging as I directed before ; chests
thrown forward, not the stomachs." The drill master
illustrates, personally, the difference between protrud-
ing the chest and the abdomen, giving them a side
view of each.
" Heels together, with the weight of the body resting
on both feet ; toes turned out equally, so that the two
feet shall make one exact letter V. Try this now, and
be ready for the command,
" Squad ! ATTENTION 1"
The drill master takes particular pains with each
one to see that he now obeys the directions, in every
one of these particulars. He gives as much praise and
encouragement as possible.
" This, boys, is ' the position of the soldier,' as it is
called. It is the position which you are always to
take at the command, ' attention/ and one which you
are to retain, with but little change, while 'under
arms.' Try, each one, to think over every particular ;
the position of the head, eyes, chest, arms, hands, legs,
and/ee. Let your heads be as stiff on your shoulders,
as if you had swallowed a poker. Let's see how long
you can retain that position. Remember that I have
taught you two commands : ' Squad ! Fall in !' and
' Squad ! Attention !' I shall dismiss you now, for a
recess, and shall call you together again in a few
22 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
minutes." The drill master reviews, briefly, the ex-
planations of each command, and then says :
" DISMISSED !"
During the recess, the drill master drills the awk-
ward ones individually, advising all to look on. He
takes " the position" himself, and asks them to observe
the positions of his head, eyes, chest, and limbs. After
a short recess he commands,
Squad /FALL IN !"
The drill master uses but few explanations. The
only trouble here will be found in their crowding into
the line. If this is serious, the drill master may insist
on each one falling in on the left of the line. This is
the rule, always. Be sure to get the line as straight
as possible.
" Squad ! ATTENTION 1"
" Let each one of you remember the explanations.
Take ' the position' in every respect. Think of your
heads, eyes, chest, arms, hands, legs, and feet. Remain
just so, while I talk a little while.
"Perhaps you think this rather dull work. You
hoped to have guns on your shoulders, and to go
DRILLING. 23
marching around the play-ground at this very first
drill. But think a moment. You couldn't walk until
you had learned to creep ; you couldn't read until you
had learned to spell. Some of you didn't learn to
spell well, and now what kind of readers and writers
are you ? "We are now learning the alphabet of sol-
diering, and I hope you are content to go slowly and
surely." The drill master makes other similar remarks.
If there has been talking in the ranks, he makes a par-
ticular law against it, and reminds them of their
promise to obey him.
With one more dismissal, and calls to " fall in," and
the order "attention," and this third time without
any explanation, he closes the drill.
DRILL SECOND.
" Squad I FALL IN ! Squad ! ATTENTION !"
Let there be a careful review of previous drill.
" You will have observed, boys, that these commands
are in two parts. The first part is called ' the word
of caution/ the second 'the word of execution.' I
will illustrate this. The next command will be, Eyes
RIGHT ! ' The word of caution' is, ' Eyes.' You are
warned by that word that something is to be done with
the eyes. You are to do nothing until you hear ' the
24 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
word of execution,' which is, 'Right.' As soon as you
hear that, you are to turn your heads toward the right,
so far that the left eye shall be on a line with the but-
tons of your jacket, and are to glance along the line
toward the right. You are to remain in this position
until you hear the command, ' Front,' when you are to
resume the first position. Now we will try it.
" Eyes EIGHT."
The drill master corrects such errors as heads turned
too much or poked forward. He reminds them of
the poker, which never allows the head to assume any
other than an upright position.
"FBONT!"
"Eyes RIGHT! FBONT! Eyes RIGHT! FKONT!"
Repeat these several times. If they are not well
done, the drill master may stand at the right of the
line, and remark, " Boys, I want this motion done by
all at precisely the same instant. Let the heads move
just as if there were a long wire running through all
the noses, and I should ierk it this way, at the word
'Right.'
The drill master's voice, in giving a command, must
be very decided in tone. Utter " the word of caution"
rather slowly. Make a sufficient pause, but not too
DRILLING. 25
long, between the words, and jerk out the last word
and bite off the end of it, a few tones higher than that
in which the first word was pronounced.
"Eyes left!" is performed as the reverse of the
previous command. The drill master drills them for
some time on both, never forgetting that "Front!"
must follow each command.
" One object, boys, of these exercises, is to teach you
to move together. The beauty of all military inaneu-
vres consists in exact harmony and oneness of the
execution of the commands. And the only way by
which this perfection can be attained is this : Each
man must listen attentively to every order, and at the
very instant he hears the last word, he must execute
it thoroughly. I say thoroughly, because, if one turns
his head, in ' Eyes right' or ' Eyes left,' as he ought,
and the next one turns only his eyes, there will be an
imperfect line.
" My next command will be ' Right Dress !' At the
last word, you will do just as you did in ' Eyes Right ;'
and, in addition to that, you will immediately correct
your, position in line. If you are too far forward of
the rest, you will fall back quietly, until you are so
placed as to see no further up the line than the buttons
on the coat of the third man from you : if you are
behind the line, you will come forward and find the
same place. Thus you will make the line straight.
Of course, the right-hand man stands fast, although he
2
26 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
turns his head like the rest. Besides this, if you find
you are at too great a distance from your right-hand
man, take side steps toward him, until your elbow
iust touches his. Now we will try it.
The drill master stands at the right of the line, and
orders particular individuals to come forward, or fall
back, as may be necessary.
"FKONT!"
The drill master may observe that some are for-
getting " the position," and, in rather a stern voice, he
orders,
" ATTENTION 1"
and reminds them of their forgetfulness. " Left dress"
is the converse of " Right dress." " Front" follows each
command. The drill master drills them in both.
" Rest" is performed by bringing the hands together,
the left crossed over the right ; arms at full length ;
left foot brought at right angles with the line ; right
foot thrown back, the hollow three inches in the rear
of the heel of the left foot, and parallel with the line ;
weight of the body on the right foot. See plate
No. 1.
DRILLING. 27
The command "Attention" brings them back to
" the position."
"Break ranks March!" is performed by clapping
the hands together briskly once, and leaving ranks for
a recess or dismissal.
The drill master will practise both of these, taking
care to have them well done, and then will close the
drill, after a recess, with,
"Squad! FALL IN! REST! ATTENTION!
ATTENTION ! Right DRESS ! FRONT !
Eyes RIGHT! FRONT! Left DRESS! FRONT!
Eyes LEFT! FRONT! REST! ATTENTION!
Break ranks MARCH !"
A drill should rarely extend beyond an hour.
REMARKS.
If reviews are necessary, as they probably will be,
the third drill may be entirely a review.
The teacher will need to guard against,
1st. Talking and playing, "sky-larking," as it is
termed, in ranks. This must be checked, and, if pos-
sible, entirely prevented ; because the whole attention
of the soldier should be given to the commands. If,
while practising, " Eyes Right," and " Eyes Left," or
" Right Dress," and " Left Dress," a boy is playing,
and fails to observe " the word of caution," he will be
28 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
likely to make a mistake ; others, thinking that he is
right and they wrong, will follow him ; the neighbors
will laugh, and be unprepared for the next order.
This is only an illustration ; the principle applies to
the whole course of drilling. Explain all this to your
boys, and obtain their conviction to the necessity of
this, your strictest law. Bring penalties to bear, if
necessary.
2d. Forgetfulness concerning " the position of a sol-
dier." It may be safely said, that if, by any means,
the teacher can secure attention and correctness in this
particular, he may be sure of having a well-drilled
company, in every respect. If the boys can be induced
to pay sufficient attention to their work to maintain
" the position" strictly and continually, they may be
relied on for accuracy in all other particulars. It is
the A B C of discipline.
3d. A desire to advance tao rapidly in learning new
movements. " Slow and sure" must be the motto at the
commencement. The teacher must insist on accuracy
on the part of all and each. These " first principles,"
as they are called, must be practised over and over
again. At every drill, a review of the previous drills
must be gone through with, and nothing new learned
until all that has been taught before is perfectly ac-
quired. Yet the teacher must avoid fatiguing his
troops. He must give all the variety possible. He
must also avoid harshness and severity. He should
DRILLING. 29
drill an " awkward squad" by itself, making it some-
thing of a disgrace to be ranked in this corps.
Finally, the teacher must, above all, be himself all
that he desires his soldiers to become.
DRILL THIRD.
" REST !" In this position, hereafter, give all expla-
nations ; none while under the command, " Attention."
" Right FACE," is performed by throwing the weight
of the body on the left foot, making the heel of that
foot the pivot on which the body turns, the right foot
being raised very slightly and brought around, while
turning, to the V position, the one employed always
while the soldier is not in motion. (See plate No. 1.)
These "facings" are rather difficult. The drill
master needs to practise them himself to perfection,
before attempting to teach them.
" In turning, be careful not to sway the body nor
bend the knees. Do not move with a jerk. When
faced to the right, the man in front of you is called
your ' file-leader '; look him right in the back of the
neck."
The drill master will now give " Right face" three
times in succession, when the line will be again facing
him. He must caution them to keep their heads up,
and to pay continual attention to " the position."
30 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
Before giving " Left face," which is done in the
same way with " Right face," the drill master will
remark :
" Observe, boys, that ' the word of caution' tells you
in which direction you are to face. As soon as you
hear the word ' Right,' or ' Left/ think towards the
right, or left, of the line. If you give the attention
you ought, there can be no excuse for you if you face
the wrong way."
In these facings, the drill master will observe that if
the line is crowded, there is trouble in turning, on ac-
count of collisions. He may obviate this by giving a
" right dress." Definition : Heads turned so that the
left eye is on a line with the buttons, and not poked for-
ward ; eyes glanced along the line so that the fourth
man is invisible ; and now, particularly, position taken
so that elbows only just touch neighboring elbows.
" No crowding or ill-feeling if a right-hand man presses
you ; yield to pressure from that side, if a ' right dress'
is given ; the reverse, if ' left dress.' ' Front,' always
follows a ' dress.' "
The execution of these facings, together with a
thorough review of previous lessons, ought to occupy
the time of this drill. But, for a novelty, the drill
master may prepare for " sizing."
Let some contrivance be prepared by which the stat-
ure of every boy may be determined. Each one should
be furnished with a card, on which should be marked,
DRILLING. 31
distinctly, his feet and inches of height, so that he may
remember them. The card has, also, other future
uses.
DRILL FOURTH.
Before falling in, let each one have his card pinned
on his back, just below the collar. After the line is
formed (by Squad FALL IN! ATTENTION! Eight
DRESS ! FRONT !) give command, " Right FACE ! Size
MARCH !" At this, each boy who sees a lower figure
than his own in front of him, takes a side step to the
right and advances until he sees a higher number, when
he steps again into file ; and each boy who sees a higher
number endeavoring to come in front of him, quietly
falls back.
When all have found places, require them to notice
who their file-leaders are, so as to remember them, and
thus make the next sizing less difficult. Require also
a distance of sixteen inches from back to chest, (which
is always to be preserved in file,) for convenience in
coming to the front. The order to secure this is, " Take
your fronting distance." They may easily understand
how much space to allow, by your remarking that there
should be just room enough between each man, in file,
for another man to slip into, with a close fit. At the
words, " Take your fronting distance," they who are
too near their file-leaders must fall back, but never
crowd back.
32 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
The teacher must observe that in dealing with boys,
he must be continually on the watch against talking
and playing in ranks. There will, probably, be some
of this in sizing, some disputing about places. Every
means should be adopted to repress this entirely.
The squad is now " in file," facing towards the right.
" FRONT," brings them into line. If the line is crooked,
give, " Right dress."
" Mark time MARCH 1" At the word of caution, the
weight of the body rests on the right foot ; the left foot
is held ready to take a step. At the word " March,"
the left foot is thrown forward, as if to advance, and
brought back to place : the right foot follows in the
same way. There is no advancing, and care must be
taken to bring the feet back into their tracks, or the
line will be broken. While " marking time," the drill
master counts " one, two, one, two, one, two," f the sergeants when
the movement is done in sections.
I give no illustration of these movements, because
my instructions are, I think, explicit, and because I
DRILLING. 69
wish the drill master to think them out, and make his
own diagrams.
A good use of this movement may be made as fol-
lows : Suppose your company is marching in a
muddy street, and you wish to get on the sidewalk ; as
your 1st section comes up to the cross-walk, command,
" Sections, by the right (or left) flank, file right, (or if
left, the corporals are file leaders ; sergeants on the
right) MARCH !" As soon as the sergeant reaches the
middle of the sidewalk, order a " file right" or " file
left."
Draw lines on the ground for imaginary sidewalks,
explain to your men the object of the movement, and
practise it, both to the right and left.
Now, to come from single file into sections, as, for
instance, from the right-hand sidewalk into the street,
command, " Company, form column of sections to the
front MARCH I" The 1st sergeant commands, at the
word " front," " 1st section, file left" and as soon as the
whole section is on the cross-walk, he commands,
" Front !" The other sections, as they come up to the
place just vacated by the 1st section, imitate its move-
ments, each sergeant taking care to command, " Front,"
just when he sees his corporal on a line with the one in
advance. A
Plate No. 8, gives other examples of forming sec-
tions from single file. Study it carefully.
In these directions, and, I suppose, in many others,
70 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
there may seem to be much that is inexplicitly and
confusedly expressed. I doubt whether it is possible
to make these movements intelligible at a glance ; but
I believe that if the teacher will give as careful a
study to this treatise as he would to the works of
a Latin or Greek author, he will not fail to under-
stand it.
In marching in the street, obstructions are sometimes
met. The company will probably be marching by
sections, the usual way. If it is desired that the com-
pany march from the middle to the side of the street,
(say the right,) command, " Company, by the right flank,
file BIGHT I" When they are sufficiently near the side,
order " FRONT !" At the first command, each section
faces to the right, and in distinct and independent file,
marches in that direction. " Front" brings them into
the original direction. But they are now, after hav-
ing passed the obstruction, too far on one side of the
street ; " Company, by the left flank, file LEFT ! FRONT 1"
brings them back.
DEILL FIFTEENTH.
In this drill I shall endeavor to present a series of
movements, which may possibly serve the captain as
a programme for parade. I shall explain only the
new movements.
DRILLING. 71
Jt will be an excellent lesson for the "major" or
captain to draw off, on paper or the black-board, a
diagram of the whole, in connection.
Company is at rest, in line.
" Company ATTENTION ! Right FACE ! Sections,
right into line (each sergeant repeats the command,
standing in front of, and applying it to his section,)
MARCH! Company, forward, MARCH! Sections, by
the right flank, file right MARCH ! Company, FRONT !
(Sergeants must attend to their sections, and order a
"guide left," if necessary.) Sections, by the left
turn MABCH!" (See plate, No. 9.) At the word
" turn," the 1st lieutenant (or " 1st guide j" see para-
graph at end of this drill) takes position beside the
corporal of the 1st section, standing there to mark the
turning spot for the other sections ; and at the same
word, the 1st sergeant commands, " 1st section, by the
left turn" At the word, " March," from the captain,
the section turns, as shown in the plate. In turning,
the line must not be broken, and a " guide left" may be
necessary from the sergeants. As the 2d section
approaches the turning point, the 2d sergeant com-
mands, " 2d section, by the left turn" and as soon as his
corporal touches the point opposite the lieutenant, he
adds, " MARCH !" Tjte 2d lieutenant has now reached
the turning point, and he assumes the place of guide,
while the 1st lieutenant advances to his post. The
3d and 4th sergeants and sections imitate the ex-
72 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS'.
ample of the 2d. As soon as the 4th section has
turned, the 2d lieutenant takes long steps and regains
his post.
" Company, by platoons, MARCH ! Platoons, by the
left turn, (the lieutenants command their platoons as
the sergeants did their sections) MARCH ! Company,
by front of company, MARCH ! HALT ! (until this word
the company had been constantly in motion.) Right
DRESS ! Support ARMS ! To the rear, centre FACE 1
(' To the rear,' is something new. At the word, ' rear'
the two file leaders, who, in 'Centre face' have
taken a step together in advance, come to the first
position of an about ' face,' and at the word ' face,'
they about face.) Forward MARCH! File RIGHT!
File LEFT 1 Outiuard countermarch in single file
MARCH ! Inward countermarch MARCH ! Outward
countermarch by two's MARCH ! Inward countermarch
MARCH ! Outward countermarch by four's MARCH !
Inward countermarch MARCH ! Outward countermarch
by sections in circle MARCH. (At the word ' march,'
each section marches in a circle [See plate No. 10.]
They revolve several times, and then, as the captain
sees that the two file leaders are coming together, he
commands, ' Forward MARCH!') Outward counter-
march in circles by platoons MARCH. (The principle is
the same as 'in circles by sections.') Forward
MARCH ! Into line MARCH ! Eight DRESS !"
" Front," after a " right" or " left dress," has been
DRILLING. 73
omitted, and will be, because it has been remarked that
that command always follows a " dress."
Practise now the manual of arms. The order of this
manual may be varied ; but the captain must have dis-
covered that there are certain commands which cannot
follow each other ; for instance, " Order arms" cannot
follow a " Present arms," and vice versa.
Note. " Guides" are an addition to a company, but
are not necessary ; for, as has been seen, the lieutenants
may do their duties. However, it is really beneath the
dignity of a commissioned officer to do such duty.
"The guides" may be the two smallest boys in the
company. They may carry lances, with small stream-
ers, painted (gilt on blue), with the name of the com-
pany. Their posts are, while marching, at the rear of
the 4th section, one in the rear of the sergeant and the
other of the corporal, two paces off. When " in line,"
their posts are at the extremes. When the line -is to
advance by front, to a new alignment (new position of
line), they may be stationed as points to march to. A
command in such a case, would be, "Company, for ward,
guide right, to tJie alignment of the guides MARCH !"
They are also to stand at all turning points, the 1st
guide being relieved by the 2d as soon as half the
company has passed the point.
74 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
DEILL SIXTEENTH.
While in sections, marching or not marching, the
command may be given, "To the left, arms' length
EXTEND ! At the last word, each man, except the cor-
poral, extends his left arm, and places his left hand on
the right shoulder of his neighbor, at the same time all
taking a side step, in time (a left-oblique step, if march-
ing), until they are at such a distance from each other
that only the fingers of the hands rest on the shoulders.
At the command, " Arms DOWN !" each arm returns,
promptly, to its side.
This movement makes a fine display of the company.
While marching thus, in open order, each man must
take care to march exactly in the rear of the man in
front of him in the section in front ; and he must also
take care not to break the line of his own section.
" To the right dose MAECH !" brings them back. All
except the right-hand man take a side step, in time, to
the right (if marching, an oblique step), until elbows
touch.
" Company form cross on 2d section MAECH !" (See
plate No. 11.) The company is in line. 2d sergeant
commands, "2cZ section, stand FAST! 1st sergeant
commands, " 1st section, one pace forward MAKCH !
Left turn MAECH !" and he marches his section to its
position, as shown in the plate. 3d sergeant com-
DRILLING. 75
mands, " 3rf section, rigkt FACE ! File right MABCH !
FRONT !" The " front" of this section is shown in the
plate. 4th sergeant commands, "Ith section, right
FACE ! On right by file into line MARCH !
" On right by file into line," is a new movement. (See
plate No. 9.) The sectio'n is at a " Right face ;" at the
word " March," the right-hand man faces right, and
takes one step forward, and the section, in file, marches
behind him, the second man coming beside him as soon
as he passes his back, the third man passes on by the
second, and comes beside him, and so on.
The sections are now in the form of a cross, with the
corporals at the centre. Observe in the diagram, in
which direction each section faces. (See plate No. 11.)
While in this form, command, " Sections, left turn,
guide left MARCH ! Sergeants seek the right of their
sections, move with them, and in an under tone, insist
on the " guide left." Let the right angles of the cross
be exactly preserved. Turn once or twice completely
around, back to place.
Another movement in form of a cross results from
the commands, from the captain, " 2d section, right
FACE! 1st section, about FACE! th section, left
FACE! (All are now facing in the same direction.)
Company, forward MARCH !" Let them march a few
yards in this direction, the lieutenant taking care that
the form of the cross is preserved, and thus command,
" By the right flank MARCH !" At the last word, all
76 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
turn, briskly, to the right, and continue marching as
they face. " By the left flank MAECH 1" is similar to
the previous command. By means of a "halt," and
an " about face," they may be made to march in still
another direction.
There are two ways by which the line, or front of
company may be reassumed from a cross. (The sections
must first be faced as in the diagram.)
The first is by reversing the process of formation.
Command, " Company, reduce cross and form front of
company on 2d Section MARCH !" Sergeants command :
" Zd Section, stand FAST. ~Lst Section, about FACE !
Forward MAECH ! (Until the left rests on the right
of 2d section.) Right TUEN ! (They are now in line,
facing to the rear.) About FACE ! 4th Section, right
FACE ! Left, lyfile into line MAECH ! (This is done
in a manner exactly the reverse of that by which they
were formed in cross.) 3d Section, left FACE ! File
left MAECH !"
All are now in line. Give a " right dress."
The second method introduces a novelty, and the
movement is more easily, rapidly, and showily exe-
cuted. (See plate No. 12.)
Command, " Sections, form circle MAECH!" At the
word " circle," each sergeant goes to the right of his
section, and commands a " right face," and himself files
left, and at the word " march" he leads his file into a
circle, as shown in the diagram. The circle must be
DRILLING. 77
complete, that is, without gaps between the ends of
sections. The commissioned officers must have con-
trived to stand in the centre of the circle.
After marching once or twice around, the captain
may command, " Company, by file, forward MARCH!"
whereupon the orderly sergeant marches straight for-
ward, (leaving the circle,) followed by the rest, in file.
The circle is now straightened out, and the company is
marching in file. " Company HALT !" The captain,
standing on the left of the advancing file, commands,
" FRONT !" and the company is once more " in line."
In marching " by the right flank," that is, from a
"right face" or "file right," "Front" is executed by
facing to the left ; " by the left flank," by facing to the
right.
The maneuvres of forming cross, and the various
movements while in that form, are, perhaps, the most
showy of any that can be executed. They should be
perfectly learned.
DRILL SEVENTEENTH.
The company is in line.
"Company, form square on second section, MARCH !"
(See plate No. 14.) Sergeants command : " 2d Section,
stand FAST ! 1st Section, about FACE ! Might TURN !
(They turn until they make a right angle with the 2d
section.) HALT ! About FACE !
78 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
" 3d Section, Right FACE ! File right MARCH !
(They turn until the left of this section reaches the left
of the second.) HALT ! Left FACE ! Bight TUKN !
They turn until this section makes a right angle with
the 1st section.) HALT !
" 4th Section, Sight FACE. Forward MARCH !
(They march until this section reaches the left of 2d
section). HALT! Right FACE! Left TURN! (They
turn until this section comes to its place in the square.)
HALT ! About FACE 1"
The square is now formed, all facing outwards.
Commissioned officers should be in the centre of the
square. Care should be taken that the angles are all
right angles, and that the sides are " dressed."
By so commanding that all shall face in the same
direction, there may be marching in the form of a
square, as was done in the form of a cross.
To return into line, reverse the process of formation.
The instructor ought, by this time, to be able to do
this without explanations.
While in form of square, practise the manual of arms.
An effective movement while in square results from
the commands, " Company, charge BAYONET ! Sections
five (or more) paces forward MARCH! Shoulder
ARMS! About FACE! Into square MARCH!" At
the last word, they march back to the lines of the
square, halt and about face, without commands for
these movements.
DRILLING. 79
Company in line. . "Bight FACE! File RIGHT!
(again), File EIGHT! Eight by file into line, two
paces distant MARCH 1" (See plate No. 15.) The ex-
ecution of this differs from that in the movements of a
single section, as before taught, only in this, that it is
done by the whole company and that, instead of form-
ing in close order, each man passes two paces beyond
the last in line and then steps squarely into line. If
there is not room for the whole line in any one direc-
tion, order, " Break ground to the right, or left."
To return to a close line, command, "Company, right
FACE! In dose order, into line, MARCH!" The file
leader (orderly) retains his position ; the rest march
on, not increasing or lessening their distances between
them, until they reach their file leader in line, when
they turn squarely into line.
DRILL EIGHTEENTH.
In this chapter will be found various exercises and
movements, together with general information, some or
all of which may be introduced into this drill.
The " oblique step" is often useful, in cases of meet-
ing obstructions of any kind, or in closing ranks after
" an extend."
" Bight oblique MARCH !" (See plate No. 16.) If
from a halt, carry the right foot obliquely to the right
80 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
and front about twenty-two inches from the left foot>
and sixteen toward that side ; carry the left foot six-
teen inches in front of the right heel. Take special
care not to derange the head and shoulders, that is,
keep them to the front, and not in the oblique direction.
" Left oblique" is executed on the same principles.
" Forward MARCH " brings all to the direct march.
" Arms at WILL 1" It is necessary to give this com-
mand occasionally, during long marches on parade,
and, sometimes, at drills.
At the command, the guns may be carried over the
right shoulder, " at will." On long marches, " Trail
arms" will be found a convenient way of carrying the
guns; and at the command, "Change TRAIL!" the
gun may be shifted and carried by the left hand.
Sometimes the line may be located a few inches in
advance or behind a desired line. To bring it forward,
station the right-hand man at the end of the desired
line and command, " By fie, right DRESS !" (or the
left-hand man may be so stationed and "left dress"
ordered.) At the word " dress," the second man, fol-
lowed, one by one, by the others, will step forward and
dress himself by the guide. The same movement may
be executed backwards.
In marching by platoons or sections, if any such
division has gained ground, that is, is too near the
division in advance, command, for instance, " 2d Sec-
tion, mark TIME !" At the last word, they will stop
DRILLING. 81
and, as it were, march in their tracks, until their
proper position is attained, when "Forward MARCH,"
will start them on again.
I omit giving " Fix and unfix bayonets," together
with the manual of loading and firing, because I shall,
hereafter, urgently advise the use of lances. If, how-
ever, guns are used, instructions on these points, and
on others which may seem desirable to be adopted by
the instructor, may be found in " Scott's Tactics,"
"Hardies' Rifle Tactics," "The Recruit," and other
military works.
It may be discovered, by reference to these books,
that the writer has not strictly adhered to "author-
ity," but his reasons for deviating are that " author-
ity" for men is not " authority" for boys, and, that
instructions for men who are to be soldiers by profes-
sion, are not adapted for boys, who are only amateur
soldiers.
The length of pace in marching, for boys, should be
about twenty inches, on an average. Paces may be
marked, on the ground or floor, of this length and all
taught to acquire this step.
In a " turn," from a halt, the pivot man turns in his
tracks. In turning, while marching, the pivot man
should advance not more than seven or eight inches,
while the outside man takes the full pace, and no more.
The swiftness of pace, in common time, should be at
the rate of ninety steps in a minute.
4*
82 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
As recruits enter the company, the sergeants, undei
the supervision of the major or captain, should instruct
them in " first principles." They should be introduced
into the company as soon as possible.
The position of the " color-bearer," while marching,
is with the 3d sergeant, in sections, or in file : with
the 2d lieutenant, while marching in platoons ; at the
centre of a cross ; and inside of a square. While the
company is executing other division or company
movements, or the manual of arms, the color should
be posted out of the way, and the bearer is not on
other duty. The color-bearer is, by right, an ensign
and a commissioned officer, but it may not seem ad-
visable to give him any rank.
Promotions, resulting from vacancies or removals,
should be from corporals to sergeants, and from ser-
geants to lieutenants. In the absence of a corporal,
a private may be appointed in his place, pro tern. ; in
the absence of a sergeant, a lieutenant should fill the
vacancy.
DRILL NINETEENTH.
The sword exercise of the sergeants is as follows :
" Shoulder (or carry) AKMS !" The gripe in the
right hand, the arm extended, close at the side, the back
of the blade resting in the hollow of the right shoulder.
" Support ARMS !" The left arm forms an acute
DRILLING. 83
angle at the elbow, and the blade rests, the edge out-
wards, in the left hand, the fingers uppermost.
" Order ARMS !" or, " REST !" The sword is brought
to rest with its point on the ground, on a line with
the toes, and as far from them as the extended arm and
length of blade will allow ; the back of the hand out-
wards.
" Present ARMS 1" This is done in two motions.
At the first, the sword is raised so that the hand
rest on the upper buttons on the coat, the flat of the
blade outward and the blade inclined forward : at
the second, the sword is brought down as in " order
arms," but the point does not touch the ground, and
the palm of the hand is outward. These motions
should be executed in time with the motions of the
guns.
" Trail ARMS !" The same position as in " shoul-
der arms !"
" Charge BAYONET !" The sergeant takes a posi-
tion with his feet precisely as do the privates ; the
sword is raised and held, horizontally, on a level with
the eyes, the edge outwards.
The captain and lieutenants may carry their swords
either " at a shoulder" or " a support."
The sergeants should be thoroughly drilled, in a
separate division, in these exercises, and should never
fail to execute the required movement, when com-
manded, on drill with the company or on parade.
84 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
DRILL TWENTIETH.
At a drill preparatory to a parade, practise every-
thing which is intended to be displayed. If excellence
has not been attained in any particular exercise, it is
better to omit it on parade ; sufficient variety may be
given even if several movements are omitted. Be-
sides, it is best to reserve some maneuvres for future
parades.
Endeavor to infuse into the minds of all a spirit of
determination to do the best possible.
Take care that the sergeants remember and under-
stand their commands, positions and general duties.
At your first parade, it may be contrived that your
colors shall be presented, by ladies, perhaps. Receive
them in line, sergeants three paces to the front, lieu-
tenants, five paces, captain, seven : let all " present
arms." This same salute may be given to individuals,
for instance, to a person who has addressed the com-
pany ; or it may be given at the houses (to the fami-
lies) of officers of the company, or distinguished per-
sons.
Let a programme be carefully prepared of the streets
to be passed through, and, particularly, of the move-
ments to be made. Unless this is done, the command-
ing officer may become confused, and make mistakes.
Your captain may, or may not, be entrusted with
DRILLING. 85
the sole command. If he is to be, he should have had
frequent opportunities to practise commanding, and,
especially, should have entire command at this pre-
paratory drill. If the teacher commands, it is in the
rank of " major," and he should march with the cap-
tain, to whom he should entrust some commands, and
as many as possible.
I would advise, as a programme for parade, the fol-
lowing movements, the company being in line, and at
rest :
ATTENTION ! About FACE !
Shoulder ARMS 1 Support ARMS !
Eight FACE 1 Centre FACE !
Left FACE ! Forward MARCH !
About FACE ! File RIGHT !
Outward countermarch in single file MARCH !
Inward countermarch MARCH !
The same by two's and four's.
Outward countermarch in circles, by sections MARCH !
Forward MARCH I
Outward countermarch in circles, by platoons MARCH !
Forward MARCH ! Into line MARCH I
Carry ARMS ! Order ARMS !
REST!
86 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
ATTENTION ! Shoulder ARMS !
Shoulder ARMS I Present ARMS 1
Support ARMS ! Shoulder ARMS!
Carry ARMS ! Charge BAYONET !
Trail ARMS ! Shoulder ARMS !
Shoulder ARMS ! Order ARMS !
Order ARMS ! REST !
ATTENTION ! Shoulder ARMS ! Right FACE !
Sections, right into line MARCH 1
Company, for ward MARCH !
Right oblique MARCH ! Left oblique MARCH !
Forward MARCH ! Forward MARCH !
Right turn MARCH!
Company, by platoons MARCH !
By front of company MARCH !
HALT ! Support ARMS !
Form cross on second section MARCH !
Sections, left turn MARCH ! HALT !
March, in cross, by right and left flank.
Reduce cross and from front of company on 2d sec-
tion MARCH !
Right FACE ! File LEFT !
Forward MARCH ! File RIGHT !
File RIGHT ! File RIGHT !
DRILLING. 87
Right by file into line, two paces distant MARCH !
Carry ARMS ! Shoulder ARMS 1
Order ARMS ! To the right close MARCH !
Shoulder ARMS ! Right DRESS !
Present ARMS ! Order ARMS 1
Rest AT EASE !
Let this be written out distinctly and practised
thoroughly at this drill. Try nothing else, and pre-
serve this order of arrangement. Let the command-
ing officer carry this paper in his breast and consult it
when in doubt.
Whatever has been omitted may be displayed at the
next parade.
UNIFORM, ETC.
There are reasons for the adoption of a permanent
uniform, one to be worn every day, by a whole school.
A boy who is dressed in the uniform in which he has
been taught " the position of the soldier," will be con-
stantly reminded to bear himself in a soldierly manner.
He will be conscious that eyes are upon him as he walks
the streets ; and he may overhear such remarks as,
" There goes one of the Cadets 1" If he has learned
that " a perfect soldier must necessarily be a perfect
gentleman," he will remember and do credit to his in-
struction. He will not, generally, engage in such rough
88 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
and dirty amusements as are likely to injure or soil the
uniform which he is proud to wear. He will feel
manly, and will behave like a man. Of course not
every boy, but most boys, will be thus influenced.
The expense, to each one, for an every-day uniform,
should be less than for the usual variety dress. The
cloth chosen, and the necessary trimmings, can be
bought at wholesale, from " first hands," and any tailor
will contract to make the clothes of a company, and to
continue making them, at a less price per suit than he
would ask for a single suit.
Many of our best schools have adopted a permanent
uniform, and their teachers and parents are pleased
with the results.
If such an uniform is to be procured, I may advise a
grey suit, trimmed neatly, and not over-trimmed, with
black silk braid ; or a suit of dark blue, trimmed in
the same way. To the taste of many, an entire suit of
one color is more pleasing than a suit of which the coat
is of one color and the trowsers of another. It will
become a question, also, whether all shall wear coats,
or all jackets. I have seen both styles, and my own
taste has been better pleased with the coats. I have
preferred little boys in short-skirted coats, to large
boys, of sixteen or seventeen, wearing jackets.
The summer trowsers of either uniform may well be
of white or brown linen, which forms a pleasing con-
trast with either blue or grey.
DRILLING. 89
The coat should be single-breasted, and cut with a
military collar. The trimming on the coat may be only
on the collar, (except for officers, see below,) and on
the trowsers, a plain stripe on each leg.
The regular army buttons may be ordered, in quan-
tity, through any tailor.
The army "fatigue cap," a style much worn by
boys, may be very cheaply purchased by the case ;
and oiled-silk coverings may be bought with them.
The entire uniform, thus described, need not cost
more than $10 to each one, and may be procured for
less. However, it will not be economy to buy cheap
cloth for a permanent uniform. At wholesale prices,
good grey cassimere may be bought for from fifty to
sixty cents per yard.
Thus dressed, the officers may wear a little gold lace.
Corporals are entitled to one " chevron"* of gold lace
on the left arm ; sergeants to two ; lieutenants to three ;
and the captain to four. Sergeants may have a narrow
strip of lace around their caps ; lieutenants two strips ;
and the captain a band of broad lace, extra gilt. The
three commissioned officers may wear epaulettes on
parade. A pair of good gilt epaulettes, good to wear
and last, will cost about $4 ; cotton epaulettes, which
may well take the place of gilt ones, will cost seventy-
five cents a pair. Epaulettes are fastened on the shoul-
* A " chevron" is a strip of gold lace sewed on the arm above
the elbow, in a V shape, the angle of the figure being uppermost
90 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
der by passing under a band of gold lace ; and this
they should wear at all times, as they wear also the
chevron. If they have neither, they should be allowed
to wear a parallelogram of lace on each shoulder.
If it is decided to adopt a uniform only for parades,
and if economy is a necessity, no expense, or next to
none, need be incurred. Almost every boy has a dark
coat, with gilt buttons. Secure, then, as much uniform-
ity in dress as possible, (let all wear caps,) add a little
gold lace, and, perhaps, a little scarlet trimming, and
you have all that is really necessary.
If, however, the expense is not much regarded, a very
pretty and very cheap uniform may easily be procured-
Since the suit is to be worn only at occasional parades,
it is not necessary to have cloth of any more than me-
dium quality ; the inside trimmings may be cheap,
pockets omitted, and the sewing substantial but not of
the best. Such an uniform, bought at wholesale, cut
out by a tailor, but made by a tailoress, or at home,
need not cost more than $6, cap and all, for privates,
and $7 for officers.
Although this plan seems the cheaper, the other of
wearing a more expensive and durable uniform all^the
time will be found to cost less " in the long run."
Guns are expensive. They may be procured at
wholesale stores in New York at various prices, but at
not less than $5 each, for decent arms. Possibly the
teacher may be so situated as to be able to obtain, from
DRILLING. 91
the State authorities, the use of the " U. S. Cadet mus-
kets," or the shorter (and clumsier) artillery musketoon.
If this is possible, it certainly is advisable. But I would
urge that guns are unnecessary. A very good imita-
tion of a gun may be cut from seasoned oak or hickory,
stained in imitation of black walnut and varnished, by
any wheelwright or carpenter, and furnished at a cost
of less than a dollar each. By some plan, bayonets
may be procured, and fastened on these wooden guns.
Thus equipped, the company, at a little distance, might
seem to carry real guns.
For my own company, I provided these wooden guns,
ornamented with the cast-off and polished up bayonets
of a military company in town. My boys were con-
tented with them, and some people " always thought
that they had regular guns."
But I can recommend lances as being, in many re-
spects, the best " arms" for a boy-company. They are
cheap, neat, and have "no ugly, sharp points about
them." They may be turned from ash, varnished, and
tipped with a brass spear-head, and even ornamented
with the " red, white and blue" ribbons (for parades)
at a cost of from fifty to seventy-five cents each. For
these (or for wooden guns) there should be a small
knob of some kind, corresponding with the trigger-
guard of a gun, by which they may be supported easily,
and at a regular height.
Swords, for officers, may be procured from New York,
92 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
at various prices. A good sergeant's sword may be
bought for $2 50 ; swords for the commissioned officers
should cost a little more, but not more than $5 each.
Belts cost about seventy-five cents each. Sashes are of
two kinds, silk and worsted : those of silk cost about
$5 ; of worsted, from $2 to $3.
Let us see, now, at what cost a company of thirty-two
may be equipped. The uniform consists only of similar
dark clothes and caps. In this case, the privates need
expend but fifty cents each for lances, and a trifling as-
sessment for the drum and fife. If the cheapest of
everything must be bought, swords may be found at
less prices than those above mentioned, say for less
than two dollars each. We will have everything as
cheap as possible, as follows :
4 Sergeants' swords and belts, , . . $7 00
2 Lieutenants' " " .... 4 00
1 Captain's " " .... 4 50
3 pairs Epaulettes, at 75c 2 25
24 Lances, at 50c 12 00
10 yds. Gold Lace, at 30c. '. . . . 3 00
Drum and fife, 6 75
$39 50
We may safely say, then, that a company may be
decently equipped for $40. Now, from my own ex-
DRILLING. 93
perience, I can advise a teacher to pay for all this himself,
if, of course, he is teaching a private school. He may
consider the money as an investment in his business,
and I can assure him that it will prove a good invest-
ment. His school will be made so much more attract-
ive, that he may safely calculate on receiving a suf-
ficient increase of patronage, within six months, to
bring back the money.
But whether the teacher buys these equipments
himself or not, it has been demonstrated, I think, that
the cost need not deter the teacher from attempting to
introduce the system into his school.
The music for a company may be provided in accord-
ance with circumstances. All that is necessary is one
small snare-drum and a fife. If it is possible, let these
be played by boys. It will be cheaper to employ in-
struction for them than to hire regular musicians at
every parade. It is advisable to equip the musicians
in a style somewhat different from the rest. Scarlet
jackets look well ; scarlet caps will cost less. They
are to be under strict discipline, like the rest, to be
present at all drills, and to learn just when and what
to play.
The flag may be home-made. If made and present-
ed by young lady friends, it will be the best possible.
Flags of various prices are for sale at the military
stores in Maiden Lane, New York, costing from $10
J)4 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
to $100. Send the amount of money you can afford
to expend, and a flag of that value will be returned.
There should be an armory of some kind, in which
the guns or lances, the swords, flag, drum, &c., should
have suitable places. If nothing better can be pro-
cured, a rack for arms may be cheaply put up around
the sides of the school-room.
PLATE I.
Right Face. Left Face,
Rest.
About Face.
Wide Line, About
dotted Line , Face
Left into Line. Right into Line,
PLATE 11,
A
!o
Tu r iniiig* Coinp any.
:PLATE in
V V V W \/ \/
Ri^ht Fat-r !
Left into Line
PLATE IV.
Captain.
o
2d.S.
o
4th. S.
o
Marching- Order.
PLATE V.
fcsr
; '
A7.A2.yjV3.A4.
V2. V2.
Vi/4. \i/4.
PIRATE VTI
"P." Fiyot .
Outwaid and Inward Countermarching by Fours
yi. yj. I I
r
Y 2 v^
Y3. Y- 5
A^./^2.A3.A4. y4 - y4 - A4.A3.A2.Ai
\ * * % *"*.......*??' '. / / * /'
** **, *"-""".;'* ** * ' ** ''
Inward Countermarching &om Fours in single File '
PLATE
'V V\
Outward Countermarch.,
in Circles bv Sections.
PLATE XII,
A A A A A A A A
V V/ V V/ V/ V/ V/ V>
44 Left turn'- in .Cross.
PJLATE XIII.
...-- Forward. March !
Reducing Cross.
PLATE XIV.
The Square,
4th. Ser.
V V V \/ V \/ \/
A A A A A A A A
GYMNASTICS.
INTRODUCTION.
IT is a fact not sufficiently noticed and lamented,
that the young men of this country, who are engaged
in commercial or professional pursuits, are, as a class,
but weak and effeminate specimens of manhood. We
see them on their way to or from the counting-room,
the office, the study, dragging along their half-vital
frames, pale-faced, dyspeptic, sacrificing themselves to
gain a fortune which they may not have life, and cer-
tainly will not have health, to enjoy if obtained. More-
over, there seems to be a strange prejudice against
bodily exertion, and this, to such an extent, that he
who has means on which to live without labor, takes a
kind of pride in doing absolutely nothing. Fast horses
and fast yachts attract a few, it is true, but the above
assertions are not to be denied in their application to
the majority.
The contrast between young America and young
England, in respect to physical development, is marked
[06]
96 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
and striking. One sees in the young men of England
or Scotland most noble examples of robust, athletic
and graceful manhood. The young nobleman and the
poor barrister, the banker's clerk, and even the shop-
man, are, as a general rule, broad-chested, fresh-color-
ed, hearty fellows, who take pride in walking ten miles
before breakfast, in pulling a pair of sculls as well as
a regular wherry-man, or in being thorough sailors,
able to trim a sail or clean a deck. Athletic sports of
various kinds are cultivated by the people.
It will not be denied that we, as a nation, are un-
wise in neglecting the admitted necessities of amuse-
ment and exercise ; but it will not seem out of place
here, the repetition of some of the arguments in favor
of physical education.
1. Nature demands it. Boys, at least up to the
time that their heads reach the level of a counter, and
they breathe in the lowest stratum of our polluted
business atmosphere, delight in nothing so much as
play, and that the heartier, the better. During that
period nature demands and receives her full meed of
attention ; the muscular and digestive systems, so
closely allied, work harmoniously together ; the mind
grows with the body, and under proper intellectual
care, they seek mental and physical exercise with equal
avidity. But as soon as the toga virilis, the skirted
coat, is -prematurely assumed, they " put away childish
things." Their stock of boy-health and vigor lasts
GYMNASTICS. 97
for awhile, but too soon, the love of mental exertion,
(its twin companion, bodily exercise, having been put
to death,) passes languidly away, and the spurs of am-
bition or desire of gain must be used to urge on the
slow paces of a half-vital existence.
2. Active exercises confer beauty of form ; and they
even contribute to impart an elegant air and graceful
manner. The most perfectly-formed man I ever saw
was a young merchant, who was, at the same time, an
enthusiastic gymnast ; a sculptor would have rejoiced
to copy his graceful form, and study the details of his
magnificently developed muscles ; he walked the streets
with the carriage of a Grecian hero. And yet this
same man had been by no means conspicuous for manly
beauty before he began a course of training ; he had,
in fact, entered a gymnasium in accordance with the
advice of a physician, who wished to drive away in-
cipient consumption. In this case, daily ablutions in
cold water accompanied the exercises of the gymna-
sium, and now, although he no longer labors at the
vaulting bar, he values his bath more than his break-
fast, and is like a caged lion if deprived of his regular
daily exercise. And he accomplishes almost the work
of two men in his business, yet keeps up with the
literature of the day.
His is not a solitary case : I know of many such,
but not enough.
The Oxford and Cambridge students afford numer-
5
98 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
ous examples of the mens sana, in corpore sano. Eead
Bristed's " Five years in an English University," and
admire the manliness of the sensible students there.
Recall the beauty of the heroes of the Grecian war-
riors, or of the contestants in the Olympic games, as
wrought in the living marble of the old sculptors, or
copied by the genius of Flaxman. The Greeks were
men, and all the more heroes, and statesmen, and schol-
ars, for being men.
3. A consciousness of strength and dexterity, natu-
rally leads a man to noble efforts in the defence or
preservation of the weak or helpless. He who has
been taught to be fearless in the water, and has learned
to rely on his strength and endurance of muscle, will
leap boldly into the waves to rescue a drowning per-
son, while a score of sickly, effeminate fellows will be
trembling on the shore. In many other ways, which
need not be mentioned, true courage will be found to
be allied with a consciousness of power, gained by ac-
tual experience in manly exercises.
If these things be true, it becomes us, as teachers, to
inquire how we may best use our influence over those
committed to our charge, to make them men, to
implant in them a fondness for manly, healthful exer-
cises, to give them a thorough education, physically as
well as mentally.
In answer to this question, I beg leave to call the
earnest attention of teachers to my descriptions of the
GYMNASTICS. 99
following branches of physical education, which I offer
as the results of considerable personal experience and
long attention to the subject, as displayed in books and
the practices of some of our best schools.
Drilling so called has been already treated of,
and there remains to be said but little on that subject.
It has been considered mainly as a means of interest-
ing students in their school and teacher, of teaching
principles of subordination, unanimity, and promptness
of action, an erectness and grace of carriage, and of
affording an innocent way 'of occupying time, likely to
be otherwise misspent. But drilling may be also re-
garded as a branch of physical education. The boy
who maintains " the position of a soldier" through a
long drill or parade, at the same time carrying a musket
of a weight by no means to be despised, gains strength
and endurance of muscle, together with a certain de-
gree of activity, and a habit of alertness and energy
of motion.
I am free to confess, however, that the tendency of
drilling, unaccompanied by other exercises, is to give
lads a certain stiffness of body which is by no means
to be admired. French soldiers, who are taught,
most thoroughly, a great variety of gymnastic exercises,
are celebrated for their activity and cat-like litheness.
In ranks they can be as immobile as statues, but in
action they are as agile as leopards, and their powers
of endurance have been attested by their rivals, yet
100 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
inferiors, the English soldiers, in the late Russian
war.
It is necessary, then, I submit, to combine with drilling
any or all of the exercises which are treated of hereafter.
The teacher will remember, also, that the usual
games and sports of boyhood ought not to be discour-
aged. Bat-ball and foot-fall, " base" and " tag," and
similar sports are well adapted to boys ; but while
clinging to these, they may yet be initiated into more
manly exercises, which may soon take the place of
" childish things."
It may be well, at this point, to speak for a moment
of the old notion that the teacher loses dignity by
mingling with his scholars in the amusements of the
play-ground. I am glad to have evidence for believ-
ing that this impression is retreating before the light
thrown now-a-days on the profession of teaching. The
teacher who is in doubt in regard to this, has only to
try the experiment of joining in the sports of his boys
to be convinced that he may, if he will act judiciously,
maintain his dignity in the school-room, a dignity sup-
ported by the affection of his pupils, although, on the
play-ground, he may have acted as the companion,
and even the equal of his young friends. If he will
but be the elder brother or kind father of his boys,
leading and guiding them in their studies and sports,
he will be acting as a true teacher. The days of the
mere school-waster, let us hope, are nearly over.
GYMNASTICS. 101
I come now to speak, in course, of the following ex-
ercises, viz. :
Walking, running, skating, swimming, archery, row-
ing, and exercises particularly confined to the gym-
nasium. I may here willingly confess my indebtedness
for many suggestions, to that excellent English work,
" Walker's Manly Exercises," an American edition of
which, I may add, has been recently published in Phila-
delphia.
CHAPTER I.
PEDESTKIANISM.
IT may be remarked, at starting, that too much at-
tention is apt to be given to the development of the
muscles of the arms and upper part of the body, to the
neglect of those of the lower limbs. Viewing the
matter practically, it is evident that there occur fre-
quent instances in which the legs are called upon for
prompt, rapid, and continued action. In self-preser-
vation, or the rescue of others from accidents in the
water ; in pursuit after, or flight from, those whom
circumstances render the enemies of ourselves or others;
in journeys, or in forced marches, in which, as, for in-
stance, in the case of Lieutenant Strain's party on the
Isthmus of Panama, life may depend on the speed or
endurance of one man ; in these and other similar cir-
102 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
cumstances there may often happen a need for stout
legs, strong in large muscles, and guided by a thorough
knowledge of what legs can do.
In addition to these considerations, it may be well
observed that the laws of grace and symmetry demand
that the muscles of the whole body shall be developed
and strengthened. The brawny-armed blacksmith
stands, likely enough, on a pair of " spindle shanks,' 7
while the postman, or the professional dancer, has
stout legs, but puny arms and a weak chest.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
Exercise of any kind is best practised in the early
morning, or towards night, and if indulged in during
the day, it should never immediately follow a meal.
All unnecessary clothes should be laid aside, and
the limbs left perfectly free. It is advised, particularly,
that the habit be formed of leaving the chest and
throat exposed ; at least the practice so much indulged
in by boys, of wearing " comforters" around the neck,
should, except in very cold weather, be discouraged.
The same advice applies to the covering of the head ;
during exercise, a straw hat, or light oiled silk cap, is
best.
Many recommend a belt, tightly strapped around the
abdomen. When used, however, it ought not to be
strapped too tightly. In walking, and in other exer-
GYMNASTICS. 103
cises not violent, the belt is unnecessary, but in run-
ning and leaping, and similar exercises, a moderately
tight belt answers the purpose of preventing the too
violent motion of the viscera, and of supporting the
organs of the chest.
Exercise should always begin gently, and end in the
same manner. The being cooled too quickly is injuri-
ous ; therefore a sudden transition from action to rest,
drinking cold water while hot, and lying on the ground,
should be avoided. As soon as the gymnast ceases his
exertions, he should resume his clothes and continue
walking about, moderately, until thoroughly cooled, or
until ready to begin again. Men take this same care
of race-horses, and they show singular folly if they
neglect themselves.
As preparation for walking or running, there are
various exercises for the legs, tending to strengthen
their muscles. Some of these are,
1. Standing with the left foot in place, and taking
a long step in advance, with the right, bringing the
foot back to place promptly.
2. Standing with the right foot in place, and step-
ping with the left.
3. Standing perfectly erect, and practising any of
the " facings," as taught in drilling.
4. Executing the peculiar stamping movement used
in fencing, instructions in which are contained in any
" Boys' Own Book."
104 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
5. Standing on one foot, and holding the other in
various forced positions.
It is advised that these be practised in line simul-
taneously, in obedience to commands by a regularly
formed class.
The suggestion might have been previously made
that it is advisable to form classes for all exercises,
and this for reasons obvious to every teacher.
A circular " course" should be laid out in the play-
ground, or, better, in some large, open field. If noth-
ing better can be done, measure off a course in the
highway, between two piles of stones. Let this course
be as smooth and free from stones, &c., as possible.
Let it be measured in sixteenths of a mile, or in rods,
and devise some plan of distinctly displaying the de-
grees of distance by means of stakes, or marks upon
a fence, parallel with the course.
WALKING.
In walking, it is not expected that speed will be at-
tained. Good walkers very seldom accomplish more
than five miles an hour, although for a single hour,
and even for two and three hours, a pace of six miles
an hour has occasionally been kept up. It is not de-
sirable for an adult to attempt more than four miles an
hour for any long excursion or trial ; and at that rate
he can walk comfortably from morning to night.
GYMNASTICS. 105
Boys, of course, cannot accomplish as much, but
there are few of them, over twelve years of age, who
cannot make three miles an hour, for a long walk,
and four or four-and-a-half for a single hour. Strength
and patience to endure, is that which a pedestrian
needs at first, to try to gain. After he becomes ac-
customed to walking, he will come in from a walk of
ten or twelve miles before breakfast, as fresh as when
he started, the blood coursing in every vein, and with
an appetite like that of a horse, while the lazy fellow
who has crawled from bed just in time for his morning
meal, has little enjoyment of food, or spirit for the
labors of the day.
The walker will not, of course, confine himself to
" the course ;" he will delight in country walks, over
fences and across lots. And the teacher will do well
to organize excursion parties for his whole school, all
starting off to see how far they can walk in the after-
noon.
RUNNING.
The teacher may find it difficult to create an inter-
est in walking, except among his elder pupils ; but all
will become enthusiastic about running. Enthusiasm
naturally accompanies ardent efforts to excel, and is,
also, stimulated by this vigorous exercise ; for excite-
ment of body always produces excitement of mind.
Taking advantage of this desire to excel, let the
106 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
teacher form classes and offer, in each, " the champion's
belt" to the fleetest or most enduring, a belt made
well and slightly ornamented. Besides this, it will be
well to honor the champion of the school. Races may
be arranged, in which, by giving a start to the younger
or shorter boys, the conditions may be just to all.
Occasionally, therefore, let all compete together. Let
the champion wear his belt until some one surpasses
him and gains it.
Directions for Running.
In beginning a course of training, the racer should
not allow himself to run until he is completely out of
breath. He should begin with short courses, and, as
he makes these gradually longer, he will find his lungs
grow strong by exercise, and he can ultimately run a
distance, to have accomplished which at first, would
have been impossible.-
Let him learn to keep the mouth firmly closed and
to breathe only through the nose ; to respire slowly,
filling the lungs completely at each inspiration, and
retaining the air in the lungs a moment before letting
it escape. He will be astonished to find that, by such
practice, he can become " long-winded," and will re-
alize other advantages from having a large and strong
pair of lungs.
In running, let the arms be held firmly at the sides,
GYMNASTICS. 107
the fore-arm held so as to form an angle rather acute
at the elbow, and let the hands be clinched. If the
arms are allowed to swing, their motion interferes
with the momentum of the body. Let the body be in-
clined forward, the shoulders and head thrown back.
After passing the running post, it is best to keep on
running a few rods, and to keep in motion for some
time after completing a course. Too sudden a change
from violent action to complete inaction is hurtful, be-
cause the artificial heat created by muscular exertion
passes off so rapidly as to cause colds and rheumatic
complaints.
For a long course, endurance, or " bottom," as it is
called, is of more worth than fleetnese. Great speed
is called for only in short matches.
For boys of ten or twelve, two hundred yards, at
full speed, is quite far enough. This distance may, of
course, be increased for older boys or young men.
For a race to test endurance, let a long course, from
half a mile to two miles be tried ; or, let the contest-
ants attempt to pass over the longest possible distance
within a given time, say from ten to thirty minutes.
Feats in Running.
A mile in ten minutes is good running. A thousand
yards in two minutes is very good speed. Six hundred
yards in one minute is extra fast.
108 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
Ten miles an hour is done by all the best runners.
A mile in four minutes has, perhaps, never been ac-
complished, but it has been done in four minutes and
a half; while a mile in five minutes is frequently
made.
These feats have been accomplished by men ; boys
cannot do as much, but legs half as long as men's legs
ought to do more than half as much.
SKATING.
It will be unnecessary to do more than call atten-
tion, briefly, to the merits of skating as a gymnastic
exercise, and to speak of the best kinds of skates.
The muscular exertion demanded in skating is simi-
lar to that made use of in walking and running ; but
since the exercise is taken in cold, bracing, wintry air,
and at a season, also, when the number and variety of
out-door sports is limited, it has peculiar claims on
our attention.
It may be said that boys need no instruction in
skating, and the remark is quite true. The subject is
treated of here because it is the aim of the writer to
induce teachers to take interest in all the amusements
of their pupils, and this in such a way as to gain and
retain an influence over them for their good. I have
one other reason ; I wish to persuade teachers to en-
joy, themselves, the vigorous exercise and healthful
GYMNASTICS. 109
warmth and lightness of inind and body consequent
upon an hour's skating in the bracing north wind.
Skates are of various kinds, and it may be said that
the simplest in construction are the best. The orna-
mental curl which, for its grace, is much admired by
boys, is a useless and, sometimes, a dangerous append-
age. It adds to the weight of the skate, and is liable
to catch against dead branches, which may happen to
be on the ice, and thus trip the skater ; besides this,
if the foot catches in an air-hole, or breaks in, the
curl prevents an easy release.
The runner should be as low as possible ; if it is
high, too much exertion will be required from the
muscles of the leg in keeping the ankles stiff. The
best height of runner is about three quarters of an
inch, and the width from an eighth to a quarter of an
inch.
Grooved skate-runners are much used in this coun-
try, while in Holland, where skating is a national ex-
ercise, " flat-bottoms" are universally preferred. For
beginners, grooved runners are of use, because they
take a firm hold on the ice and prevent that spreading
apart of the legs which is the young skaters first trou-
ble. But for those who have passed through their
initiation of bumps and troubles, who are at their ease,
at home, on the ice, the Dutch pattern is the best.
With these, all the intricate " rollings" and cuttings of
graceful figures which mark the skillful skater, can be
110 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
easily performed. This kind of skate can be easily
kept sharp, for they can be ground on a common grind-
stone.
The bottom of the iron should be a little curved ;
much more ease and grace of motion may be acquired
with curved than straight bottoms. The curve of the
iron should be an arc of a circle whose radius is two
feet. This shape enables the skater to turn his toe or
heel outwards or inwards with equal facility.
The heel of the shoe or boot worn by the skater
should be low, so as to permit the whole foot to come
in close contact with the skate and thus be fastened
firmly to it. Heels are an excresence of modern shoes ;
they are unnatural and would be extremely awkward
were we not accustomed to them from childhood. For
skaters the rule should be only heel enough to hold
the peg ; and if the wood is thick enough, cut away
that part on which the heel rests and file down the
peg, so that the bottom of the foot shall be parallel
with the surface of the ice.
Beginners may be taught to balance themselves on
their skates by practising walking on them in a room,
the floor of which shall not be dirty or gritty, and thus
spoil the edge of their runners. I have seen beginners
make excellent progress by retaining a hold of a long
cord, fastened to a post or tree on the shore, or a stake
made fast in the ice ; by means of this they pulled
themselves forward, so that the arms exerted the pro-
GYMNASTICS. Ill
pelling power, giving the feet a better chance to learn
the peculiarities of the stroke.
Dangers in Skating.
"If the chest is irritable it is neither salutary nor
easy to skate against the wind. In countries where
these exercises are general, inflammations of the chest
are very common in winter.
" Skating sometimes exposes to much danger. If the
skater find that he cannot get away from rotten ice,
he must crawl over it on his hands and knees, in order
to reduce his weight on the supporting points. If he
fall at length on weak ice, he must roll away from it
towards ice more firm. If he fall into a hole, he must
extend his arms horizontally over the edges of the
unbroken ice and only tread water till a plank is pushed
towards him or a rope thrown for his hold." (Walker's
Manly Exercises.)
From these few hints and instructions, the teacher,
although not a practised skater, may gather informa-
tion which, with other acquirements in similar exer-
cises, shall tend to give him that influence over his
scholars, both indoors and out, which he may and
ought to have and retain.
112 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
SWIMMING.
The writer was once saved from drowning by the
fearless action of a friend, who leaped into the water,
in full dress, and rescued him at the last moment. It
is not strange, therefore, that he feels as if he were
only discharging a part of the debt which he owes to
his fellow-men, in urging on all the acquirement of
the noble and healthful art of swimming.
If swimming should be taught in all our schools, to
both boys and girls, how many lives might be preserv-
ed ! It is true that boys generally learn to swim, and
that without instruction, but they practise the art
merely as an amusement, and only they who are natu-
rally daring and energetic become sufficiently expert
and fearless to afford reliable assistance to others, or
to save themselves, in circumstances of danger. But
it must need little, if any argument to prove that all
may profit by suitable instructions, and by practice in
various methods of swimming with or without clothes
and weights, alone or grappled by others, &c., &c.
And it is submitted here, that it is the duty of teachers,
a duty which they owe to humanity, to teach swimming
to their scholars, to prepare them for the accidents
which they are so likely to meet, during life, on the
water. While they are fulfilling this duty, they will
be, at the same time, instructing their scholars, and
GYMNASTICS. 113
adding to the general reputation and success of their
schools.
Confidence.
A great reason why boys do not learn to swim
easily, why they do not generally acquire a practical
and thorough acquaintance with the art, is because
they lack confidence.
In the first place, the uncertainty and unknown
depths of the water naturally alarm them. They are
about to trust their life to an element which is proverb-
ially treacherous. They fear the dark holes which
may be waiting to swallow them down to a dismal and
horrid death.
In the second place, they are not assured of the fact
that their bodies will naturally float. They fear that
they shall sink, and as soon as their feet are off the
bottom, in an effort to swim, they make convulsive
efforts to support themselves. These efforts teach
them nothing. Swimming is only to be learned by
slow and regular attempts in moving the arms and
legs. During these hurried, frightened, and vain ef-
forts to sustain themselves in the water, their heads,
which they do not know is the heaviest part of their
bodies, naturally gets under water ; they become
blinded and half suffocated ; their terrors are increas-
ed, and they, at last, scramble out, more than ever con-
114 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
vinced that the water and their bodies are natural
enemies.
The confidence they need may be easily given to
them by a teacher who has read the following, or other
instructions, and who enters systematically on the busi-
ness of teaching the art.
Time.
In the Northern States, the season for bathing ex-
tends from the middle of May to the middle or end of
September. The danger of entering the water too
early in the season should be explained by the teacher.
Boys are anxious to " go in swimming" by the first of
May, during those warm spring days, when they be-
come heated by exercise. But at that time they have
not left off their winter clothes, their warm undergar-
ments, and the change from being warmly clad to
nudity and contact with cold water, is greater than
they think for. My father used to give me this rule :
Don't go into the water until a week after you have
left off wearing your under-shirt.
Morning is a better time for bathing than evening.
It is not advisable to enter the water before digestion
is finished. One should never bathe while in a perspi-
ration ; it is unwise even to undress while perspiring
freely, unless in very warm weather, and during the
middle of the day.
GYMNASTICS. 115
Place.
Of all places for swimming, the sea is best ; running
water next ; and ponds the worst. Whatever place is
chosen, let the character of the bottom and the depths
be accurately learned by all. Stakes may be driven
to mark the line beyond which the depth is "over
head." For diving, care must be taken that there is
always sufficient depth, and that the bottom is free
from stones.
Dress.
Due regard to modesty, in the case of a teacher and
his class, requires that short drawers be worn by all.
A little ingenuity and effort will supply them. If the
bottom be stony or shelly, canvass slippers, no matter
how roughly made, are desirable. Leather shoes be-
come useless after a few exposures to saturation and
drying.
Each scholar should have a suit of old clothes ready
to be worn in the water, after sufficient progress has
been made in plain swimming.
First Lesson.
"Wet the head on entering the water. Avoid stand-
ing still long at a time, while naked, either in or out
of the water. Let the instructor, followed by his class,
116 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
wade cautiously all over the ground, in order that the
boys may see that it is nowhere over their shoulders.
Let all be convinced of this, so that no one shall fear
getting beyond his depth.
Let the teacher now show his class the buoyancy of
his body by floating ; or, if he cannot float, let him
illustrate the difficulty of keeping his body beneath the
surface of the water. Let him explain why the chest
is the lightest part of the body, the limbs next in den-
sity, and the head the heaviest. In salt water, one-
tenth of the weight of the body will remain above the
surface ; in fresh water one-eleventh. If, therefore,
the body can assume such a position as to leave above
the surface the nose and eyes, for the sake of seeing
and breathing, the swimmer may float at ease.
As an experiment in further illustration of the buoy-
ancy of the body, let the beginner, standing breast-
high in the water, attempt to bring up a handful of
sand from the bottom. He will find it difficult to sink
himself, although his head is under. Dr. Franklin
advises the boy to try to bring up an egg, left purposely
at the above depth. To accomplish this, he must go
down with his eyes open. There is no trouble in
doing this, if the experimenter will only think so. It
is important for all to learn to use their sight under
water, as, for instance, in cases where a drowning
person has sunk, and a diver plunges down to bring
up the body.
GYMNASTICS. 117
Require every boy to try to bring up the egg or
sand. Let all learn in this lesson, first, that it is im-
possible for the body to sink, as long as the lungs are
filled with air ; and, second, that the place chosen is
safe.
Aids.
In succeeding lessons, the first principles of swim-
ming may be taught.
The aid of the hand is much better than corks, blad-
ders, or any similar supports. Let the instructor offer
his hands, held firmly just beneath the surface, as a
support for the body of the pupil, one hand being
placed under the chest, and the other under the abdo-
men. Hold the boy thus, urging him, at the same
time, to trust himself fearlessly to your care. If he
doubts your ability, you may easily convince him that
he can hold you ; that the water helps to sustain the
weight. When he is quietly resting on your hands,
tell him to draw up his legs, and kick them backwards,
like a frog, but not violently. When he does this
properly, instruct him in the proper motions of the
arms and hands. Require all to take the same lesson.
For the next attempt, provide pieces of cork or light
wood, about a foot long, and six or seven inches broad,
fasten bands to these, so that they may be tied on the
back ; let one end, which may be rounded, lie between
the shoulder-blades. To this cork or float, other pieces
118 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
may be added, and be so arranged that, as the swim-
mer improves, they may be left off, one by one. If,
with these, a pupil seems to find difficulty in learn-
ing, take him upon your hands, and teach him. But
do not force them to learn ; convince them that there
is no danger, and they will not require force.
Eespiration.
Let the pupils be advised to breathe slowly and
regularly, and to draw in the breath at the moment
when the stroke has just been given with the hands,
and the head, therefore, is well above the water. If
the air is inhaled while the hands are thrust forward
and the stroke is given by the legs, the mouth will be
so near the surface as to make it likely that water will
be taken in and strangling ensue.
Coming Out.
As soon as the pupil feels weary, or becomes chilly
and numb, he should come out and dress himself. It
is strongly advised that friction be used before dress-
ing ; this restores the circulation of the blood, creates
an agreeable glow, and strengthens the joints and
muscles.
GYMNASTICS. 119
General Suggestions.
Directions for the various kinds of swimming are
contained in almost any " Boys' Own Book," and in
Dr. Franklin's works. It seems unnecessary to refer
to these here, because they are for amusement more
than utility. True, a person obliged to swim a great
distance has occasion to relieve himself by resorting
to the various methods of propulsion or rest ; but these
are easily acquired. But the teacher should encourage,
and indeed require, practice in swimming with the
clothes on ; in leaping into the water, in full dress,
from a height as great as that from the deck of a ship ;
in swimming with a weight on one arm ; in supporting
the body of a comrade, or carrying him to the shore ;
in avoiding the clutches of one of their number who
may act as a drowning person would ;* to dive and
bring up a weight equal to that of a drowned person ;
to swim for a long time ; to swim long under water ;
and all such practice as can be thought of, which will
be likely to be of practical use. Let the boys be ani-
mated to excel in these respects with the hope of being
better able to save their own and others' lives.
Cramp may be cured or relieved by thrusting the
leg violently downwards, at the same time drawing up
the toes. If this does not succeed, let the swimmer
* The method to be adopted in such a case is to avoid the fatal grasp
by approaching the drowning person from behind.
120 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
turn upon his back and kick the limb out into the air,
in which element he can make a more vigorous stroke.
If this fails, let him support himself in an erect posi-
tion, by the motions of the hands, until help comes.
Persons liable to the cramp should never go beyond
their depth.
Some bathers are much annoyed, and indeed, perma-
nently injured, from water getting into their ears.
This may be prevented by stopping the ears with cot-
ton saturated with oil.
I cannot leave this subject without urging on the
attention of parents and teachers the importance of
accustoming the girls, as well as the boys, to the water.
They are of the sex which is to receive aid, and they
should be taught at least to become so familiar with
the water as to retain their presence of mind in case
of accident on the water, to sustain themselves, and to
swim also if possible.
MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES.
If the teacher will bear in mind that one great ob-
ject which he has in view, in engaging in and superin-
tending the sports of his boys, is to afford them inno-
cent and profitable occupation for hours which are too
often worse than misspent, he will not think it unim-
portant to attend, briefly, to
GYMNASTICS. 121
ARCHERY.
If he will assist his young friends, by his advice, in
preparing bows and arrows, and targets, in making
rules for practice, and, generally, in giving an impor-
tance to this exercise by starting and regulating it
himself, he may easily succeed in making this one of
the most interesting of the sports of the play-ground.
The following hints may be of use :
Bows are best which are made from seasoned hick
ory, cedar, ash or elm. Their lengths should be equal
to the heights of their owners. The string should be
of linen, whipped with silk at the part where the end
of the arrow is to be fixed. When strung, the cord of
a bow five feet long should be five inches from the
bow, at the silk.
Arrows are generally made from ash, birch or pine.
For long ranges they should be about two feet three
inches in length, for the largest bows. For target prac-
tice, the arrow should be longer and stouter. Plumed
arrows are best. It is not difficult to plume an arrow.
The feathers may be chosen from the smallest goose-
quills, from the wing-feathers of hens, or from dove-
feathers. If these are carefully and neatly fastened
in the end of the arrow, the increased directness of its
flight will pay for the trouble.
Targets may be made without instructions. It is
6
122 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
best to have two, and to fire from No. 1 at No. 2 till
the ammunition of all is exhausted ; then seek them
and fire from No. 2 at No. 1. In this way no one need
expose himself to being hit, and time is saved in going
after arrows and returning.
There are two ways of registering shots : as " best
shots" and " best average shots." Let
a shot within the " bull's eye" count ten ;
" " " 1st circle " seven ;
" " " 2d " " five;
" " without " " " three ;
" " striking on the edge " one.
Thus, if two boys make a match, and one hits the
" bull's eye" (ten) and the edge (one) while the other
hits within the first circle (seven) and within the
second circle (five) ; the first makes eleven, and the
second twelve. This seems the fairest way of judging
of the relative skill of the two marksmen ; for two
fair shots are better than one very good one and one
very poor one.
The distance from target to target may vary from
thirty to fifty yards, for the larger boys ; from twenty
to thirty, for the smaller.
. Shoot always with or against the wind ; a side wind
interferes with the course of the arrow.
It is suggested that a very pleasing public exhi-
bition may be made of the proficiency of the boys of a
school in pedestrianism and archery. Sensible parents
GYMNASTICS. 123
will be pleased to see their sons engaged in such
amusements, rather than herding together for mischief
and profligacy.
ROWING.
Where boating is practicable, the teacher may find
it desirable to have a boat club. Familiarity with
boats, skill in rowing and steering them, and confi-
dence and fearlessness on the water, are attainments
which it would be well for every boy to make. The
exercise of rowing is most healthful, especially since it
is pursued in the fresh, open air.
The best boats, for six and eight oars, cost, in New
York, from $150 to $300. A good four-oared wherry
may be procured for from $75 to $100. But a large,
flat-bottomed boat, may be procured for fifty dollars ;
if ornaments and paint are dispensed with, for less.
These different sums, divided among a club of ten or
fifteen boys, will not amount to very much for each.
Instructions in rowing cannot be easily given on
paper. A few hours' practical teaching from a boat-
man or sailor will be worth more than pages of theo-
retical information.
124 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
CRICKET.
This English game, as yet not much played in this
country, is worthy the attention of the teacher who
seeks to add to the variety of play-ground exercises.
It is the most popular of the athletic sports of Eng-
land, and whether played by experienced hands accord-
ing to scientific rules, or by a few lads, in a compara-
tively irregular manner, it is an admirable pastime.
The best rules for conducting the game, with both
single and double wicket, with which the writer is
familiar, are contained in the "Boys' Treasury of
Sports," an English work, but which is republished in
this country.
FOOT-BALL.
Strange to say, this excellent game is but little prac-
tised out of New England, but wherever it is known,
it is a favorite sport.
Balls made from India-rubber are cheaper and better
than the old-fashioned blown bladder, with leather
case, but the latter is often procurable where the former
is not.
In choosing sides, care should be taken that the
larger boys be equally divided ; upon them depends
the impetus of strength and weight which frequently
GYMNASTICS. 125
"crowds" or "rushes" the ball "to bounds." The
smaller boys should act as skirmishers, leaving the
brunt of the game to fall upon the heavy infantry.
Finally, the teacher may well interest himself in dis-
covering and reviving old games, and in inventing new
ones. "Strutt's Ancient Pastimes" contains many
most amusing and interesting games, some of which
are deserving of revival.
We now come to speak of Gymnastics, as exercises
conducted with the aid of apparatus are commonly
called.
GYMNASTICS.
We will first speak of the simplest forms of appara-
tus, such as are within the reach of the teacher of
every village school.
The Vaulting Bar is the simplest, but one of the
most useful, of the instruments ordinarily used by
gymnasts. Upon it a greater variety of exercises may
be practised than, perhaps, upon any other single
" contrivance." It is easily constructed ; the teacher
who has any acquaintance with the use of carpenters'
tools can make and put one up, with a few hours'
labor.
In Plate I., on the left, are seen two of these bars ;
the details of their construction, together with instruc-
tions for their use, will be given hereafter.
On the right of the same plate is seen the Jump-
126 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
ing Cord. It consists simply of two upright posts,
firmly planted in the ground, with pegs of iron jutting
from them at regular intervals, which sustain a cord ;
this is kept " taut" by the weight of bags of sand,
fastened to either end. By this contrivance, the
jumper, if he happens to hit his feet, will not trip, and
the bags of sand can hurt no one, if the cord is carried
forward violently by the unlucky or unskillful trip of
the jumper. It will be seen at a glance that this piece
of apparatus will cost less even than the Vaulting
Bar.
With these two alone very many interesting and
profitable exercises may be practised ; and the scholars
will thank their teacher for providing for them these
simple and inexpensive means of enjoyment.
If the teacher wishes, he can add the Parallel
Bars, seen on the right and in front of the plate, at
but little expense. The upper bars need to be of hard
pine, and planing is necessary ; but a few dollars will
cover the cost of them. For details of construction
and use, see below.
Now there is not a teacher in the land who cannot
erect one or all of these three aids to gymnastic exer-
cises in his yard or play-ground. I wish I could in-
duce all of them to try the experiment of introducing
these exercises to their scholars. They would find, I
am sure, that both their scholars and themselves would
be profited by them.
GYMNASTICS. 127
Description of Plate I.
The apparatus here illustrated has been planned
after considerable experience in various gymnasiums
experience in erection and practice. The whole is
designed to be put up out of doors, compactly and
strongly, and at the least possible expense. But little
ingenuity is required to adapt the various parts to an
indoor arrangement, if a suitable room is at the com-
mand of the teacher.
There are ten different kinds of apparatus, namely :
Two Vaulting Bars, Swing,
Upright Bars, Inclined Board,
Single Rope, Jumping Cord,
Ladder, Parallel Bars,
Rope Rings, Horse.
These include the principal contrivances of our best
gymnasiums. Others might be added, but at an ex-
pense increased beyond the advantages to be gained
from them.
The whole expense should come within fifty dollars,
and if the teacher is mechanically inclined, and will,
with the assistance of some of his older boys, do most
of the work himself, it may be made to cost much less.
128 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
Construction.
The main frame-work, which is represented in the
plate as being put together with hardly enough solid-
ity and firmness, should consist of two stout posts, with
a cross-bar. The posts should be deeply set in the
ground, and may be rendered more firm by stanchions
in various places. The uprights should be from fifteen
to eighteen feet in height, and should stand at a dis-
tance of about twenty-five feet apart. The ladder, by
being made fast to buried posts at the bottom, and
screwed by iron clamps to the cross-bar, may be made
to steady the whole frame-work, and prevent its sway-
ing toward either side.
The perpendicular Parallel Bars, (on the left, within,)
should be made of clear stuff, two inches in diameter,
round and perfectly smooth, and twenty inches apart ;
they should be morticed squarely into the cross-bar, to
prevent turning, and should be secured, in position,
below, by being made to enter a stout piece of scant-
ling, buried beneath the surface of the ground.
The Single Rope, which hangs next to these bars,
needs hardly any explanation. It should be of a size
just large enough for convenient grasping. It, as well
as the other ropes, should be made to work on a hook,
firmly inserted in the cross-bar, and connecting with it
by an iron " eye ;" by constant use, a rope, without
iron gearing, will soon become so much worn as to be
GYMNASTICS. 129
dangerous. The hooks ought to pass through the
cross-bar, and be secured by " nuts" above.
The Ladder should be made of hard smooth pine,
and be most solidly put together. It is the most ex-
pensive part of the apparatus, and may be dispensed
with ; and if given up, its place as a support of the
frame-work may be supplied by a stout, smooth pole.
There might be two of these poles, one on each side
of the frame. The ladder should be inclined to the
frame at an angle of 35 or 40. It should be two feet
wide ; rounds should be small and smooth, and placed
at a distance of fourteen inches apart. All angles and
corners must be avoided in this and all the other parts
of the apparatus.
The Rings of the next contrivance should be made
of iron, six indies in diameter, and should hang about
six feet from the ground. They may be covered with
leather or by a waxed cord, wound evenly around
them, or may be left, smoothly filed, of plain iron.
The Bar of the Swing, which comes next, should be
of hickory, an inch and a quarter in diameter, and two
feet in length. It should hang on a level with the
rings. It is intended for the grasp of the hands, from
beneath, and not as a seat. The ropes of both these
swings may be shortened by means of knots, made fast
by pegs.
On the inside of the right-hand upright, holes an
inch in diameter may be bored, six inches apart, deep
6*
130 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
enough to admit stout pegs ; these pegs should project
far enough to serve as grasps for the hands, and should
work easily in their holes. Two pegs are required,
by means of which a strong-armed boy may hoist him-
self up, peg by peg, to the top, and come down again.
The Inclined- Board should be made of two-inch
stuff, about eighteen inches wide, and twelve or four-
teen feet long. It should be planed perfectly smooth
on the upper side. It is here represented as acting as
a support to its end of the frame, inclining at an angle
of 45 ; but, if the frame can be made firm without it,
it will be well to contrive means by which a less incli-
nation niay be secured. The use of this board is shown
by the drawing in Plate IV. ; from which it may be
judged that the less the inclination, the greater will be
the difficulty of climbing it. The ascent of a smooth
board, standing perpendicularly, is not impossible.
The Jumping Cord has been already mentioned. In
regard to the height and distance apart of the up-
rights, the teacher may exercise his own judgment.
At distances of one inch, along the front face of both
posts, short, smooth iron pegs should be inserted, pro-
jecting just far enough to sustain the cord, and not to
interfere with its removal. Of course, the correspond-
ing pegs of each post should be of the same height ;
and the distance in inches should be marked on both
sides. Bags of sand are much better than any other
weights to keep the cord taut, for, as has been inti-
GYMNASTICS. 131
mated, the jumper may catch his toes against the cord,
dragging it violently along with him, and bystanders
are in danger of being struck by the flying weights.
The Parallel Bars (on tne right and front) should
be made of two-inch stuff, of the best clear, hard pine :
the supports should be well planted, about four feet
apart (in the length) ; the height of the bars from the
ground should be about four feet ; they may be ten
or fifteen feet long, and seventeen inches wide, inside ;
the hand-rails should be rounded at the top, and be
made so wide that the fingers cannot grasp or touch
beneath.
The Vaulting Bars (on the left) should be supported
by well planted uprights ; the bars may be of ash or
hickory, of two-inch stuff, worked perfectly round and
smooth ; one end at least should be morticed squarely
into its upright. The bar nearest the main frame-
work should be six or six-and-a-half feet high, and six
feet long ; the lower one may be a foot less in height
and length. A third bar may be added, if a large
proportion of the gymnasts are quite small. There
are ways of arranging the bar so that it may be raised
and lowered, for persons of different heights ; but
greater expense would be incurred if such plans were
adopted, and that at a sacrifice of convenience. Where
room must be economized, the movable bar is de-
sirable.
The Horse which is not a necessary animal in the
132 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
play-ground should be made of a solid beam of well-
seasoned wood, rounded at the sides, top and ends ; it
should be five-and-a-half feet long two-and-a-half
feet in diameter, and the* top four feet at least from
the ground. The legs may be planted in the ground ;
but if they be made to spread, they need not enter the
earth, for it will not be easy to overturn it. The
handles, which represent the front and back of the
saddle, should be very firmly fastened on ; their shape
and position are shown in the diagram in Plate IV. ;
they should be about sixteen inches apart. The seat
may be padded with leather.
In the whole construction, the greatest care should
be taken to have everything made as thoroughly as is
possible. If accidents ever occur, let the teacher
never have to blame himself for having been in any
degree the cause.
Exercises.
It seems unnecessary to enter into details of instruc-
tion on the uses of these ropes and bars. If the more
important feats of strength and agility are pointed
out, and the modus operand* explained, the instinct
which boys have for leaping and climbing will teach
them all the variety which will be necessary.
It will be important that the teacher become able to
take the lead in everything. Precept and example
must go hand in hand, but example, in gymnastics.
GYMNASTICS. 133
must be a little in advance. It will not be difficult, it
is hoped, for a teacher to learn these exercises from
the following instructions. Let him endeavor to show
just how to do a particular feat ; his pupils can imi-
tate an action more easily than they can understand a
description of it.
These exercises are designed to give strength to all
the muscles of the body. It is true that more labor is
furnished for the arms than the legs, but this is because
the arms are more important than the legs, at least in
many respects ; and because, in exercising the arms,
the chest, which contains the vital organs, is strength-
ened and expanded. To prove this, it will be inter-
esting to take the measurement of the circumference of
the chests of all of the pupils, passing the cord around
just at the arm-pits, and to notice the gradual expan-
sion which will be consequent on regular and vigor-
ous exercises.
It will be appropriate for the teacher to give his
class a lecture on the muscular system, and the physical
necessity of exercise.
The first thing to be acquired is a good, firm grasp
of the hand. This will .be wanted in every variety of
exercise. Let us begin, then, by attempting to
strengthen the muscles of the fingers and hand. The
parallel bars will give strength to the wrist and fore-
arm.
1. Stand within the bars ; grasp them with the thumbs
134 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
inside, and, with a slight spring, raise yourself so that
the arms shall support the body. Try to do this with-
out a spring, that is, by the mere stiffening of the
arms. Your arms are not as strong a& you thought.
Now, keep the legs together and stiff at the knees, so
that the body shall not sway about, and with the arms
stiff, walk along the bars, stepping slowly, hand after
hand.
N. B. The teacher should allow only one thing at
a time ; he should forbid fanciful gyrations, and re-
quire each, in his turn, to perform the particular exer-
cise which is the subject of the lesson ; after the lesson
they may do whatever they like.
As soon as walking forward is learned so well that
all can walk easily and rapidly, try walking back-
ward, standing on one hand, changing hands, i. e.,
turning suddenly between the bars, and, before the
body can fall, so that the feet touch the ground, face
the other way. It is difficult but not impossible.
Try now the figures illustrated in Plate II. In
The Grasshopper, lower the body slowly, drawing
up the feet if necessary, until the elbows are on a
level with the ears ; now raise yourself entirely by
the muscles of the arms. Do this as many times in
succession as you can.
In making The L, let your feet be on the ground,
stoop so that your arms can come outside the bars,
take a firm grasp, draw up the legs to the position
GYMNASTICS. 135
shown in the engraving, and remain so while some
one counts ten, in seconds, and as much longer as you
can.
The first position in Skinning the Cat is the same
as for The L. The figure on the left illustrates the
going over ; the one on the right, the coming down.
At this point do not let go, but, by a backward move-
ment, turn over again without losing the hold. With
practice, this may be repeated a dozen times or more.
While standing on the bars, swing your feet for-
ward and backward. There is no occasion for fear.
Swing far enough to turn a somerset, either forward
or backward, but do not make the somerset ; the
feet, in coming down, might hit the bars too violently.
This swinging prepares you for jumping. As the feet
come forward, from a backward swing, let go with the
hands, and allow the body to go forward. You may
thus jump a foot at a time, and, with practice, a yard
and a-half. Try jumping backward. Practise walk-
ing, swinging and jumping, while in the grasshopper
position.
The upright parallel bars are for frequent use, from
the first. Exercise in them tends to strengthen and
expand the chest.
Stand with the toes just within the bars ; grasp the
bars in such a manner that the thumbs and fingers
shall meet on the side opposite the body, and, in all
the movements, retain this grasp and position of the
136 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
hand, if possible. Now lean forward and pass the
body through the opening, without moving the feet or
letting the hands slip on the bars. Pass through, if
you can ; never mind if it almost breaks your shoulder-
blades. Now come back and repeat the movement.
Go through and back with a jerk. This is capital
exercise.
These bars, the single rope and the ladder, will give
various exercises in grasping and in using the muscles
of the arms. When working on either of these three,
take care not to use the legs ; keep them stiff and
straight. Ascend the bars with a grasp on each one,
leaping up from reach to reach ; or climb one of them,
without using the knees. It is a difficult, but by no
means impossible feat, to ascend these bars with the
head downward.
The teacher should encourage the invention of all
kinds of difficulties. He should himself often offer the
banter, " Do this, if you can !"
After the class has attained proficiency on the par-
allel bars, they may be taken to the vaulting bars. I
will give, briefly, a course of lessons on these.
1. Grasp the bar with both hands, the thumbs on
the same side with the fingers, and the back of the
hand turned from you. Raise the feet, one at a time,
by bending the knees and hang in that position, as
long as you can. Try to sustain your weight, in this
position, with one hand.
GYMNASTICS. 137
2. "While hanging, move along the bar, backward
and forward, by passing one hand over the other.
3. Hang by the hands, with knees straight and stiff,
and draw up the body, by contracting the muscles
of the arm, until you can hook the chin over the bar.
Do this slowly, and repeat it as many times as possible.
Bare the arms, and notice the effect of this exercise on
the upper muscle of the arm. Improve on this by
raising the body so high that the head and shoulders
shall rise above the bar.
4. While hanging, draw up the feet slowly, and
place them against the bar, between the hands ; return
to the first position, without losing the grasp. Do
this again, but, this time, let the feet pass through the
hands, under the bar, and without touching it, and
come down on the other side, without losing grip.
After practice and proficiency, pass the feet and legs
through, but do not let the feet come to the ground ;
pause a moment, reverse the process and come back to
the first position. This is called " skinning the cat,"
and is similar to the trick of the same name performed
on the parallel bars.
5. Swing on the bar, so high that the feet shall rise
above the level of the bar, both before and behind.
Do this fearlessly, for your grip, by this time, will be
strong enough to keep you from falling. Practice this
frequently, since it gives confidence. As you swing
138 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
backward, let go of the bar, and catch it again as yoi*
come down.
6. Circling the Bar, is illustrated in Plate III. To
accomplish it, draw up the body by the muscles ojf the
arms, and while doing so, curl the feet over the bar, as
seen on the figure. Do this by muscle alone, without
a swing, if possible. When in this position, try to
bring the feet so far beyond the centre of gravity on
the other side, as to swing the body over and on the
bar. Strength, and a certain " knack," are necessary
to accomplish this feat gracefully and easily.
7. With a leap, throw one foot over the bar, and
raise the body by the hands up on the bar. This
is the " lazy way" of mounting the bar ; the gymnast,
who takes pride in his strength and skill, will always
get on by " circling."
8. The Grasshopper (on this bar) is illustrated in
Plate III. After mounting the bar, by either of the
above methods, take a seat on it. Grasp the bar
firmly, with the thumbs behind, and slowly slide from
the seat as far as you can without losing the grasp.
Return to the seat, raising the body by sheer muscle.
At first, you may not be able to slip down more than
a few inches, but, by degrees, you may gain strength
and skill enough to assume the position of the figure in
the plate.
9. As the body comes down in doing The Grasshop-
GYMNASTICS. 139
per, sustain it by hooking the elbows over the bar ;
grasp the dress at the thighs, firmly, and swing the
body to and fro. After a time, you may succeed in
swinging so well as to revolve around the bar a dozen
times, or more, in succession.
10. Vault over the lower or lowest bar, at first with
two hands, then with one. Go on to the high bar.
Note. A " spring-board" is of use in vaulting. It
consists of a stout hickory or oak plank, an inch and
a-half thick, firmly secured to, and resting on, two
pieces of scantling, two or three inches thick. By the
aid of this, the " knack" in vaulting may be easily ac-
quired, but it should not be used much by those who
aspire to become great vaulters. With the spring-
board, a good vaulter should clear a bar as high as his
extended arms can grasp : without it, to clear a bar
of the height of the vaulter's head, is good work.
Much attention should be given to vaulting, as it is
one of the few exercises there are for strengthening
the muscles of the legs.
The Swing, (on the right of the frame) is a vault-
ing bar, which is moveable. It is to be grasped from
below. To obtain momentum, run at it, swiftly, and
grasp the bar as you pass under. Of course this bar
should be so high that one may swing from it without
being liable to drag the feet against the ground. The
knees should be bent up to prevent this. Continue
to swing by a peculiar and almost indescribable exer-
140 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
tion of the muscles ; the feet must never assist by
touching the ground.
While swinging and keeping up the motion, draw-
up the body to " chin the bar," as was done on the
vaulting bar. Circle this bar in the same way. Let
the swing be stationary, circle into a seat, come down
as in " the grasshopper," and swing while hanging by
the elbows.
While swinging, reach up and grasp the ropes ;
ascend and descend these, keeping the swing going all
the time.
The Rings are a most important part of the ap-
paratus. Strength of arm is necessary to use them.
See that the rings hang on, or a little below the
level of your upstretched hands ; place them so that
their diameters shall be opposite to you ; with a run,
grasp them, and swing as high as possible, without
ever allowing the feet to touch the ground. The trick
of swinging by the hands consists, as nearly as can
be described, in drawing up the body during the
backward sweep, and, just at the point of turning to
sweep forward, dropping the body so as to lengthen
the radius which is describing the arc of a circle. An
increased force is thus given to the pendulum, and at
each such lengthening, the length of the arc is increas-
ed. The demand for strength is great, because, al-
though one may have muscle enough to draw himself
up, as described above, for a few times, yet to repeat
GYMNASTICS. 141
this long enough to attain the maximum, to describe
an arc of 160 to 180, calls for endurance of " mind"
and muscle, which only the practised gymnast pos-
sesses.
Standing in the Rings, as illustrated in Plate III.,
may be learned while the rings are at rest, to be prac-
tised afterwards, while the swing is in motion. It is
done with a slight leap upward, and, at the same mo-
ment, a stiffening of the arms ; but regular gymnasts
" get in" without a leap, by drawing up the body, and
then, as it were with a kick against nothing, springing
up and stiffening the arms.
The Grasshopper in the rings is shown in the
plate, and needs no explanation. The gymnast should
become dexterous enough to " get in," or " do the
Grasshopper," while in full swing, and to change from
plain to " fancy swinging," frequently and gracefully.
The Inclined Board, which should be as smooth
as possible, should not be used with dirty shoes. With
a wisp of grass, or a rag, rub off all gravel or sand
from the soles of your shoes, before ascending. The
illustration explains, perfectly, the method of ascent,
which is by no means easy. The greater the inclina-
tion, the greater the difficulty of getting up. The
writer has seen a perpendicular board ascended and
descended in this way, but it is hard work.
There will be no need of giving instructions in the
use of The Ladder. It may be remarked, however,
142 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
that its object is mainly to test endurance. The going
up and down once or twice, and by a round at a time,
amounts to nothing, but the ascent by two, three, and
four rounds, and the descent by six or seven, and this
over and over again these will try the muscles of the
strongest.
At the Jumping Cord there may be leaping " with
a run," from a spring-board and from the ground.
The highest leaps may be* made with the board, but
real agility is best displayed by jumping from the
ground. Begin with the cord at a height which you
are sure of being able to clear, and advance by a peg
at a time.
The Pegs afford a test of strength by no means
to be despised, even by an experienced gymnast.
Start with a peg in each hand ; reach up with the
right and place it in the highest hole you can reach ;
draw up the body by the right arm and enter the left-
hand peg ; continue this^ to the top ; and descend in
the same way. Ascend by every other hole, or every
third hole, if you can.
The Horse is an expensive and not very necessary
adjunct of our gymnastic apparatus. The illustration
in Plate IY. shows one feat to be performed with this
animal. It consists in jumping through one's hands.
A firm hold is taken of the handles, and the gymnast
jumps through and back again, without letting go.
Other methods of performing on this quiet beast are,
GYMNASTICS. 143
vaulting into the saddle over his head or tail, or from
either side ; taking so firm a hold on the handles, as
to be able to sustain the body at a right angle with
the arms and parallel with the horizon.
There are very many other exercises for these various
ropes and bars which cannot be well described here.
The teacher will find that his scholars will invent
novelties every day. On his part he must adopt
measures to excite and keep up an interest in the ex-
ercises. A good plan to accomplish this may be to
recognize the "champions" in each variety of exer-
cise, and to distinguish them by the insignia of say,
a red belt for the best leaper, a black one for the best
vaulter, and so on. Let these belts, or other distin-
guishing articles of dress, be worn until some rival
surpasses the champion and gains it for himself. Take
care that the smaller boys be not shut out from com-
petition ; they should be allowed to gain champion-
ships in exercises which are within their powers.
PLATE II
The Grasshopper.
The L.
Skinning* tin* Cat
PLATE III.
Circling 1 the Bar. The Gras shopper Jl%
Standing in the Rings.
SCHOOL MANAGEMENT.
We have thus far considered some of the ways and
means for making the play-ground attractive and pro-
fitable ; let us now come within the school-house.
Much may be done here to carry out our design of
" making school interesting" ; and the teacher who un-
dertakes and carries into effect the following or
other plans for making his rooms cheerful and comfort-
able, and his daily exercise interesting, even sometimes
amusing as well as instructive, will find his reward in
his increased pleasure in teaching those whom he has
caused to love as well as respect him, and in his suc-
cess in accomplishing good to say nothing of his
growing popularity and more remunerative gains.
I have headed this section of my book " School
management," and for a reason. I may illustrate the
appreciation which is prevailing among latter-day
teachers, of the idea contained in the italicized word,
by telling a story, one whi6h may be already well
known, but which will bear repetition for its illustra-
tive properties.
7 nj
146 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
A farmer's boy was required, one pleasant spring
day, to gather the stones which lay in a meadow and
heap them together in the corner of a lot. They would
be troublesome to the mowers, the farmer thought,
and they disfigured his otherwise smooth " medder."
The stones were quite numerous, and the task was
no small one, but the boy began his labor cheerfully ;
he knew there was reason for the clearing, and, for
awhile, he worked vigorously. But his back began to
ache before long, and the merry shouts of some mates
of his, who were playing not far off, on " the village
green," began to annoy him. He was a Yankee boy,
we may be sure, for his inventive brain soon devised
a plan for saving labor and gaining time. He raised
an old post in the corner in which his stone-heap was
to be, and then left work and joined his friends. At
a convenient moment, he threw a stone at a neighbor-
ing tree. " Who can beat that ?" said he, as Fortune
favored 1dm, and his stone struck the mark. Imme-
diately the others were aiming and hurling stones at
the tree. But stones were not plentiful. " Come,"
said the young Yankee, " there are lots of stones over
in our meadow ; let's go over there and fire at a
mark."
They were soon there ; ammunition was abundant ;
the post in the corner was an inviting " mark," and
by the time the boys had become wearied of this kind
of sport, a large part of the work was done. The in-
MANAGEMENT. 147
ventor then confessed his trick, and there needed but
little urging to induce his friends to finish the " stent,"
and then all went off together to play at something
else.
There are many points in this illustration which are
worthy of study, and, making it a kind of text, we may
notice that : 1st. There is work to be done in a school-
room. The mental muscles are to be strengthened,
and mental dexterity gained. The teacher's object is
to educate and instruct his pupils, and to accomplish
this he must make them work. To clear the meadow,
a certain amount of actual hard work, and, in itself
considered, of tiresome and unpleasant work, was
necessary. Now, shall the teacher require of his
scholars that they labor at the dull task of removing
the stones to the pile, or shall he contrive some way
whereby the labor shall be performed, yet be disguised
as play? While the boy toiled slowly at his task
alone, each stone grew heavier than the last, his back
ached, and he thought more of that and of the distant
shouts of his play-mates, and of how to " shirk" the
work, than of the improvement which he knew he was
making and the pleasure he was giving to his father.
But when his comrades were around him, and the
stones were flying, he forgot the task in the sport, he
worked harder than he would have done and accom-
plished more in a given time than he would have done
alone, and there was pleasure in the business.
148 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
2d. The boys who came to "-fire at a mark" could
not have been persuaded, probably, to come to help
their friend gather stones into a heap. They were
deceived ; they went cheerfully to work without sus-
pecting it to be work, and all worked harder than they
could have been induced to work if they had entered
on it as a task.
3d. Similar deception is not only justifiable but
expedient on the part of a teacher in his school. He
clan and he ought to remove from school-duties their
character of dreary drudgery, to make study pleasant
and attractive. He need not make the labor less ; in
fact he will find, most surely, that his scholars will do
more and work longer when work is made play, than
when work is left mere work ; and he may so lighten
the hours that they shall fly by pleasantly and profit-
ably, both to himself and to them.
4th. When the farmer's boy threw stones at a mark,
" for fun," he worked harder than he did before. Boys
always run farther and faster when playing than they
can be easily induced to run on an errand. The mo-
tive makes the difference. And, in another view, labor
is lightened when amusement takes off the attention
from the task, as such. Sailors work better at the
capstan with a " Cheerily 1" the heavy anchor comes
up more easily and sooner, and the men the sooner get
at some other duties. Soldiers march better, and fight
better, when they hear the music of their band. And
MANAGEMENT. 149
it is so with the boys in school. If a certain lesson,
which, under one system of teaching, would be yawned
over, and would require an hour's dull work to be
learned, can be made an interesting, pleasing occupa-
tion, entered upon cheerfully and accomplished ener-
getically and in half an hour, time may be saved for
other duties, or for play ; and not only this, but the
manner of accomplishing the task will have been such
that the mind may have grown vigorous and healthy,
instead of idle and morbidly languid.
5th. This is " School management"
THE SCHOOL BOOM.
It is very pleasant to go through many of our mo-
dern school-rooms and notice the care which has been
taken to make everything comfortable and cheerful.
The light has been so arranged that the eye is neither
dazzled by glare or wearied by gloom : ventilation
has been secured in proper kind and degree, so that
headache cannot often be complained of there : the
desks are adapted in height to the size of the sitter,
and the chairs have comfortable backs ; pictures are
on the walls, an attractive library is accessible, and the
polished brass and glass, in the case of apparatus, add
to the general effect. Would that all school-rooms
were comfortable and cheerful ! Yet where they are
not, much can be done to improve them, and this with
SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
but little expense. Even if hard benches and incon-
venient desks are the furniture of four bare walls,
there may be something done to make the place seem
comfortable and cheerful, if actual improvement is
impossible.
Let us suppose the worst case possible possible, I
mean, now-a-days, and try to improve it.
1st. Arrange the desks and seats in some way, so
that each pupil can find support for his back and rest
for his feet. It need hardly be supposed that this is
impossible.
2d. " Tinker" the window-frames, so as to be able to
lower the upper sash a few inches. Get calico curtains,
if there are no blinds ; they will cost about ten cents
each.
3d. Cover all holes and ink-spots in the wall with
white paper, neatly pasted on ; but cover up no dirt
which can be washed off. Let the floor be clean and
the windows clear.
4th. Tack engravings on the walls, the best you can
find ; wood-cuts, from newspapers, are better than noth-
ing. Inland boys like ships and steamers, and sea-
scenes generally, while boys who live near the coast
prefer hunting scenes, and rocks and woods. Maps of
the country, the state, the county, town, ward, and
block, are desirable.
5th. On the ceiling, draw neatly in charcoal, if you
can do no better the solar system. Make the sun in
MANAGEMENT. 151
red chalk ; give the planets their relative size and or-
bits ; let a bushy, red-tailed comet enliven the sketch.
On the side wall draw a long black line, five and a-half
yards long, to represent a rod ; divide the line into
yards, one of the yards into feet, and one of the feet
into inches. In various spaces, otherwise unoccupied,
draw, distinctly, a square yard, a square foot, a cubic
foot, an equilateral triangle, and other similar outlines.
Let the walls be covered with instruction and amuse-
ment for the eye. At first, these figures will attract
attention from studies ; but in a few days the novelty
will have worn off, and although they may attract, they
will not distract.
What a change comes over the dreary old room!
What a change over the scholars !
Taste, and a little painstaking, can beautify a log-
cabin ; and if the teacher will exercise these, and if
he can also afford money, or get it from the authorities,
he may make his rooms seem a second home to his
pupils, pleasanter than home, perhaps, to a few. What
then ? His monthly pay or quarterly income may not
be at once increased ; but he is adding to his capital,
which is reputation and popularity ; and if he gains
nothing in this respect which is not justly supposable
he at least gains self-satisfaction and the affection
of his scholars, without which there is no pleasure in
teaching.
There are many little matters which affect the success
152 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
of a teacher's daily duties. Is the black-board warped,
and cracked and scratched ? Take it down, screw a
" cleet" on the back, putty up the crack, and paint it
black again. There is no expenditure here of anything
but a little labor, except for the paint, and that may
be made trifling if a few cents' worth of lampblack, a
little camphine, a flannel rag and ingenuity are used.
Perhaps the chalk is " scratchy." Buy some crayons,
if you can ; if not, make them. Your boys will help
you ; and, in a few hours, at an expense of half-a-dollar,
you can make enough to last for a whole term, and the
improvement will pay you for your trouble.* Have a
ledge on the bottom of the black-board, to catch the
falling chalk-dust, and to hold " the cleaner." The
cleaner may be a stick, two inches square and six or
eight long, wrapped around with canton flannel, or
plain cotton.
But there is no need of spending more time and space
on these things. These improvements on the black-
board and its concomitants, may serve as examples of
many things in which a little pains may effect much.
The teacher must oil the little wheels of his machinery,
if he would have it all move smoothly.
* Recipe : Knead some plaster of Paris with just enough water to
make it a stiff paste ; roll this on a table ; cut it into long strips, four
inches wide ; with a table-knife divide these into sticks a little larger
than your finger ; leave them to dry, and keep them dry.
MANAGEMENT. 153
ORDER AND METHOD.
Few words are needed under this caption ; for order
and method are so necessary in a school-room, that
there can be but few teachers who have not learned
their necessity, and how to secure their good effects.
I will only give a few hints which may be of service to
some reader.
A clock seems to be an indispensability of a school-
room ; but if none can be had, the teacher's watch
should regulate every exercise. Let every class, or
single recitation, have its particular portion of time.
Let an order of exercises, or programme, be prepared,
a copy of which, written in conspicuous letters, should
hang where all can see it. Never let one recitation en-
croach on the time of another ; ask the first question
just as the long pointer indicates that the exact time
has arrived. Habits of punctuality and promptness are
of the utmost importance in school-teaching.
Unless a school is made up of very heterogeneous
materials, all, or very nearly all, may be united in some
one study. Select the recitation in which the greatest
number join, for your first morning recitation, and call
the class immediately after opening school. This will
require some study out of school, for most of the class,
and in this way you may secure such study, if you wish
to do so.
It is advised to make the morning session longer
7 *
154 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
than that of the afternoon, and to occupy it with all
the recitations of the mathematics, and with the smaller
classes in other studies, so that the afternoons may
afford time for the less serious labor, and for general
exercises in which all may engage. The last half-hour
of the day should be spent in such a way that the close
of school shall not seem a release from a prison, as is
too often the case. Send them away smiling, in good
humour with the school, the teacher, and themselves.
If nothing more profitable can be found to be done,
tell or read a story. Suggestions concerning various
" general exercises " will be given hereafter.
ADMINISTRATION.
I think I hear some teacher-reader say : " Now you
have reached a subject I am interested in. Arrange-
ments of classes and mending of black-boards are easily
enough cared for ; but tell me how to govern my school.
These unruly boys won't let me ' make school interest-
ing ;' they so try my patience and occupy my time,
that I have neither heart nor leisure to attend to minor
affairs."
The subject is, indeed, one of the most important
which can engage our attention as teachers. It is one
which calls for experience and judgment on the part
of those who discuss it, and had I only theories to offer,
or merely my oivn practice to recommend, I should not
MANAGEMENT. 155
venture to ask the attention of my fellow-teachers. I
am about to submit, in theory and practice, a scheme
of school-administration which has the sanction of some
of the most experienced and most successful teachers
of New England, and I may ask for it the serious at-
tention of my readers.
Principles.
1. Every boy or girl, in schools not " primary," has
a school-conscience, which decides on all actions contem-
plated or begun. Every misdemeanor is known as
such, and is denounced as such, by this conscience, and
no set of rules, however full and explicit, can be pre-
sumed to be of any real assistance to it.
Moreover, the child knows full well that the teacher's
conscience is the same with his own. The boy, about
to commit an action, concerning which there has even
the least warning been given by his inward monitor,
teeps one eye on the teacher, and when he discovers
that he is observed, he stops. Good boys rarely look
off from their books ; bad boys, usually watch the
teacher.
One rule only, then, need be made, viz. : "Do nothing
which your school-conscience tells you is wrong" This
covers the whole ground, and no other rule or furlong
of rules, can.
Of course, this conscience may be depraved, but it 13
156 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
never entirely seared. It may be educated, and made
to appreciate the law. The child's heart, too, may be
influenced to love the school and the teacher, and it
may help the conscience to become strict to warn
against actions which are likely to grieve the teacher,
or interfere with his wise and kind guidance of the
school.
With a belief in the truth of these premises, the
teacher must be convinced that it is better to make
this " school-conscience," rather than either mere fear
or mere love, the moving power of his machine of
government.
2. To govern as little, and teach as much, as is pos-
sible, should be the aim of every true teacher.
Is it not true that in many, too many schools, there
is more of government than of teaching ? The atten-
tion of the teacher is taken from the class, which may
be reciting to him, by a few bad scholars, who, taking
advantage of his occupation, are playing at their remote
desks; he stops to scold or punish them, and thus neglects
his class. Scolding John for making faces makes a de-
cided interference with the teacher's appreciation of
the process of a problem in arithmetic or demonstra-
tion in geometry. If he can contrive any way by
which he may deliver himself from this distraction, he
may save time and temper for teaching. In duty to
himself and his scholars, he ought to contrive or adopt
some plan to effect this.
MANAGEMENT. 157
It is claimed that the scheme of silently giving " a
mark" for misconduct, as explained, in process and
results, below, will enable the teacher to teach more
and govern less.
3. The maximum of marks, under this plan, results
in expulsion from school. We will suppose that this
maximum is ten ; that for ten acts of real misconduct
on the part of a scholar, as many " black marks" have
been publicly accumulating against his name ; that, of
course, he has known to what result the path of mis-
conduct was leading him ; that he has been privately
and kindly warned by the teacher ; that his parents
have been told of his position ; that, in spite of all, he
has deliberately gone on from the eighth to the ninth,
and lastly to the tenth mark, and then has been expel-
led. Is such expulsion just? Would it have been
better to have punished or suspended him ? Could he
have been reached by any influence ?
In answer to the last question, I claim that although
some way might have been contrived by which he
might have been reclaimed, yet the teacher, with
duties owed to every other scholar as much as to this
one, cannot be required or expected to sacrifice their
interests to his. All possible exterior influences we
have supposed exerted for his reformation ; and the
question becomes, simply, ought the teacher to take
time from the good boys and bestow it on this bad one.
Such expulsion would be just. The good of the
158 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
whole school demands the removal of a scholar who
will deliberately expose himself to such a result, in the
face of warnings.
The Committee appointed by Congress to attend the
recent examination at West Point, use language in
their report which bears directly on the subject we are
examining. They say that " they are satisfied that
' suspending' or ' turning back' a cadet for excessive
demerit, is a pernicious rule for the Academy. If a
cadet, with the full knowledge of the penalty attached
to excessive demerit, continues to neglect his duty until
he exceeds the prescribed limit, he is not only an un-
worthy subject for the Academy, but his example and
influence becomes injurious to others, and he should
be dismissed. Suspension and turning are half-way
places, into which many are tempted to retreat. The
interests of the institution demand summary dismissal."
I admit that it is neither necessary nor wise to make
a boys' school as strict in discipline as is the Academy
at West Point. There expulsion is not infrequent ; in
a school it may be very rare. But the principle is the
same in both, and that is, that there are in all societies
\)f men or boys, occasional instances of reckless, obsti-
nate persistence in ill-doing, the relief for which must
be the removal of the offender.
I am arguing for the right and justice of removal in
certain cases. In reality, however, these cases are of
most rare occurrence. In three large schools, conduct-
MANAGEMENT. 159
ed under this system, with whose history I have been
connected or acquainted for several years, I have
known of only three cases of expulsion. A boy who
finds himself on the road to disgrace, and approaching
the terminus, will strive to turn back, at least at the
last turning point*. And the system offers him aid
just at this point, as will be explained below. If he
will exert himself in study so much as to attain a high
standing for one week, his success may remove one of
his " marks ;" and, if it be not too late in the term, he
may go on and secure the erasure of all or most of
them. This is safe, for the reason that a boy who
studies hard, will have little time for play ; and it is
just, because thus, help is offered to one who wishes to
help himself.
4. It is right to take pleasure, and reasonable to take
pride in good standing, when it is the result of good
conduct.
The man who, by his own exertions, has raised his
standing in social life, by .labor, either of hands or
head, is respected by his fellows, and takes an honest
and reasonable pride in his success.
School is a small world. Boys and girls are only
little men and women. Some are influenced by a
noble regard for the right, and a dislike for the wrong;
but these are in minority. A large majority of schol*
ars will be found most easily influenced by appeals to
their pride.
160 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
Such appeals are made, under this system, by means
of " the roll," and the published schemes of relative
standing. The West Point plan is adopted of making
public a list of the scholars' names, arranged in order
of merit.
Such are the principles on which a teacher of emi-
nent success, whose memory is cherished by the hun-
dreds who were taught by him, founded this system of
school government.
In another chapter will be found some of the " re-
sults" of the workings of this plan.
Application of Principles.
At the beginning of establishing this plan I would
talk kindly with my pupils, giving them, with illustra-
tions, some of the main points of the foregoing princi-
ples. I would tell them that I intended to be a school-
teacher, not a school-master. I would make this illus-
tration :
" Suppose that I am hearing a recitation in arith-
metic, and one of the boys is solving and explaining a
problem on the black-board. I must watch the pro-
cess closely to know just what he is doing, to see if he
has well learned his lesson, or to help him by somt-
suggestions, if the case is a difficult one. Suppose,
now, that while I am thus thoroughly occupied, John
Smith, over there in the back seat, seeing that my atten-
MANAGEMENT. 161
tion is engaged, takes advantage of it to throw beans
at his neighbors. He stops studying himself and pre-
vents others studying. But I happen, just in the very
middle of the problem, to see him. Well : I stop the
boy at the black-board, make the whole class wait,
speak up loudly and crossly (for I am a little vexed)
and make the whole school look up from their books,
while I scold John, or perhaps call him to my desk
to ferule him. John goes back determined to shoot
beans as often as he can and dare ; we go on with
the arithmetic, and in the course of ten minutes, the
waters are calm again.
" Now there may be, very likely, some other John
Smiths in the school. Well ; in the course of the day,
my attention is taken off from teaching, which is my
business, and the whole school taken from studying,
which is your business, by some half-dozen such stop-
pings to scold or punish the John Smiths ; we will
suppose six times, and six times ten are sixty sixty
minutes lost to all of us by stopping to scold. But
besides this stopping, I must be continually on the
watch, to prevent mischievousness, and since neither
I nor anybody else can do two things well at a time,
I must either watch well, and teach poorly, or teach
well and let John Smith play as much as he likes.
Now there is a fine class in arithmetic, and they have
a hard but interesting lesson, and they wanted to
hear my explanations, so that those hard sums in
162 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
to-morrow's lesson might be made easier ; but John
Smith has cheated them out of them, for almost the
whole time of the recitation has been occupied in
scolding him, and, as other classes are waiting, they
have to go back to their seats uninstructed.
" Now it seems to me, boys, that it is unfair to the
arithmetic boys, and unfair to the whole school, that I
should devote so much time to scolding and so little
to teaching. Besides it makes me cross to scold ; I
don't like to scold and be cross. If I have to scold
and punish often and continually, just think what a
life I shall lead, and what an ill-natured old fellow
I shall become. I shall not do so. If that's what
teaching is, I'll give it up and be a blacksmith. No ;
I have a better plan. You see this roll I have in my
hand. I've got all your names written on it. in alpha-
betical order, and opposite the names are little blanks
which are to be filled up during the term. Now when
I see a boy doing what he and you and I all know to
be wrong, I shall not stop to scold, but I shall take
down this roll and place a little black mark opposite
his name. It will take only a minute, and then I shall
go on with my class. Some of the boys, they who are
bending over their books, won't know that anything
has been going on ; no disturbance will have been
made, and hardly any time lost. But that boy will
know it well ; he will see me put down a mark next
to somebody's name for I have noticed that boys in
MANAGEMENT. 163
mischief always keep one eye on the teacher ; this is so
universally true, that when I see a boy looking at me
instead of his books, I always suspect some mischief
going on and as he knows he has been doing wrong,
he is pretty sure the mark is for him. At recess, or
when school is out, he takes a sly look at the roll
and there he sees the mark. If I was mistaken and he
was innocent and this not infrequently happens he
comes to me to inquire about it ; he explains away his
mark, and J remove it. But if he is guilty, he takes
his sly look, passes on and says nothing ; he knows he
deserves it.
" Now when a boy gets five of these marks, I take
time some afternoon or evening, and call to see his
parents. I tell them how he got his marks, and that
he knew I would tell them if he received five, but that
in spite of my warnings, he went on. I tell them that
if he gets five more, I shall ask them to take him away
from the school, for I don't want any boys here who
will go on deliberately and do wrong ten times, when
they know the consequences ; and I add that I shall
not take him back again. It seems hard, and perhaps
the parents scold about it and say that their son is as
good a boy as others ; but I am firm, and refuse to
take him back.
" The result is, that the rest of the school sees that
' marks' mean something, and they are careful not to
SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
get them, careful not to do wrong ; and so our school
is orderly and you study and I teach.
" Most likely you will all learn the meaning of marks
without our having to lose some John Smith. I don't
expect to have to send any boy away ; I certainly
hope not to.
" What do you think of this plan, boys ? Which plan
do you like best ? the scolding plan, or the marking
plan, (I take a vote.) Be sure you mean to adopt it as
our plan. If. any boy thinks he can't come in under
such an arrangement, he had better talk about it to
his parents, and get them to send him to some other
school. I want to have you all tell them of the plan.
It is something new, and they ought to know all
about it. Every boy that comes to school to-morrow
morning, I shall consider as having made up his own
mind, and obtained his parent's consent, to remain
under this plan of governing by marks. You may be
sure that I have thought carefully of it, and am so
sure that it is the best plan, that I shall teach under
no other. If my school is small, I shall feel that I
had rather teach twenty in this way, than scold fifty
or a hundred.
" But there is a way of getting off these marks that
you must understand. I will explain it.
" Every boy will have at least three recitations every
day. At each of the classes I shall keep a book by me,
MANAGEMENT. 165
and if a boy recites well, really well, in fact perfectly,
I shall give him ' four ;' if not quite perfectly, ' three ;'
if only tolerably, ' two ;' if badly, ' one ;' and if not at
all, or absent without excuse, I shall give 'naught.'
Now if a boy gets ' four' at each of his three recita-
tions, that will make twelve for the day, and if he does
so all the week five days he will get five times
twelve, which is sixty. Understand ; a boy who re-
cites perfectly all the week will get sixty ; one who
doesn't do quite as well may get fifty or fifty-five, and
so the numbers will vary from sixty down to forty,
thirty, twenty, and perhaps down to ten.
" Every Saturday I shall add up each boy's numbers
for the week, and write the total out, in the blank for
that week, opposite his name ; so that on Monday
morning he may see just how well he stood for the last
week. Then at the end of the term I shall add up the
total of the weeks. If there are ten weeks, and a boy
gets ' four' at every lesson, that is sixty every week,
he will get six hundred for his grand total. Some
will get this, and the total will vary from the highest
number, all the way down to one or two hundred.
Then I shall print on a little sheet of paper a list of
your names, with the six hundreds at the top, the next
highest next, and so on, with the ' dunce ' or bad boy,
who could study but wouldn't, at the very fag end.
These sheets I shall send to your parents, and show
them all around town. Who wants to be at the little
166 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
end ! (It may be added to this that a yearly cata-
logue will be published, in which the names will be
arranged in the order of the totals for the terms.)
" Do you understand this system of marking for reci-
tations ? Well ; if a boy has a bad mark one week,
he may get it off by studying hard enough and reciting
well enough the next week to get sixty. I do this
because I know that if he studies hard enough to do
that, he won't have any time to be in mischief, and
because I shall see that he is trying to reform himself ;
and that I always want to encourage.
" Now, boys, you have heard my whole plan of school
government. Think of it and talk about it at home,
and come to school to-morrow prepared to go to work
under it."
Such, fellow-teachers, is the sum and substance of
this system. There are NO " rules ;" these are not even
alluded to ; but every scholar understands that he is
to obey his own " school-conscience." Of course the
teacher will do well to define his own ideas of the
behavior appropriate to the school-room, and he may
do this without ordaining any other rule than the one
given under the subject of "Principles." It has at
least the merit of being easily understood and easily
applied. It has many others, I think, which will be
more obvious when I have spoken of the results. It
is based on the principles above-mentioned ; if they
are just, this system must be.
MANAGEMENT. 157
Results.
1. At the inauguration of such a system, no little
trouble may be experienced. Boys who have been
accustomed to a scolding or punishment directly upon
detection in wrong conduct, as they find that the
teacher does nothing beyond making a mark against
their names, will be apt to think that " marks" are of
little consequence, and that they are at liberty to do
as they please.
But the teacher will need to say to his school (not
individuals) that he fears that on Saturday he shall
have quite a number of calls to make. This, in many
cases, will produce the desired effect ; but he will, for
the first two or three weeks, have occasion to see the
parents of many of his scholars. He will be glad of
these occasions ; there will be opportunities for him
to explain his system. Of course he will tell them
that no very serious misconduct has occurred, and
that if they will aid him with their influence, none
need be apprehended. In all probability, marks will
decrease after these visits. In some cases they may
run up to seven, eight, or nine, but he can control the
matter then by speaking very kindly but as firmly to
individuals, and perhaps to their parents again.
He will find that the appearance of the roll on the
first Monday morning will aid him essentially. The
idle and mischievous boys of course stand lowest ;
168 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
they see their positions ; and especially if a scheme is
prepared of their relative standing, and they find
themselves near the bottom of the list, they will be
prompted to study harder, and thus will be too much
occupied to be in mischief.
The teacher will do well also to bring in as many
" general exercises" as possible, to fill up time. He
will also commence his plans of out-door amusement,
and show himself in these, and in every way, disposed
to make school pleasant, so that all shall fear to be
sent away. If he has commenced the formation of a
company, he may say that only school-boys can belong ;
that if a boy is sent away from school, he cannot
remain in the company. By these means it will be
strange if he does not succeed in establishing the sys-
tem and when it is firmly established he will have
little trouble in carrying it on.
2. The teacher may meet with opposition from
parents. Let him have called on all who are likely to
feel the halter draw, and so have a poor opinion of the
law, before trouble comes on. He will find parents
willing listeners, and if he states the case fully and
fairly, he will undoubtedly convince them of the ex-
cellence of the plan. If any are opposed, talk over the
plan very carefully, compare the old and new systems,
quote authority, do everything possible to conyince,
and then if they oppose, advise them to remove their
children and keep them away until they can see the
MANAGEMENT. 169
effects of the plan. Removals will be very few, for the
boys themselves will wish to remain. The teacher
may lose a few scholars at first, and some may be sent
away, but, in the end, he will have no occasion to re-
gret the adoption of the plan. In recent experience I
have met opposition from influential sources, but I have
built up a school larger and more profitable than any
previous school in that city ; and I may challenge
comparisons in respect to orderly behaviour with any
school in the land. This result was the more gratify-
ing for the reason that I began with most unpromising
materials.
3. The scholars will certainly approve the plan.
Children weary of continual reproof. Besides this,
they see the workings of a plan, and influences can
easily be brought to bear to make them understand
that their individual cooperation is necessary ; and
they will be pleased to aid in making " our school" a
good one and a pleasant one. Throwing the govern-
ment of the school on their shoulders, making them
control themselves under the plan which applies to all,
and of which the teacher does little more than register
the* results this will interest them. I speak from
experience.
4. To sum up the results, the teacher will find that
he has more time to teach, better nature to teach with,
fewer cases of discipline, and more complete success, than
he could have under " the scolding plan."
8
170 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
Whispering.
A shoal over which I wish to place a buoy, to pre-
vent running a-ground while sailing under these orders,
is Communicating in studying hours. How much
trouble has this matter given teachers !
It may be set down as a truth that communication
cannot be entirely prevented. Even the best scholars
will occasionally whisper. They do not intend to
violate law, but they " can't help it."
It becomes a question, then. How can we prevent
it as much as possible ? I answer :
1. By convincing the scholars of the injurious efiects
of communication on themselves, individually, and on
the whole school. This may be done by frankly re-
viewing, with them, the results of allowing free com-
munication, and discussing plans for avoiding such re-
sults. They can be made to understand how that
whispering, by leading to talking, and that to playing,
is at the foundation of general disorder, by a story
like this :
" Holland, you know, is a very low and flat country.
Much of it is below the level of the sea. Were it not
for the extensive embankments which have been built
by that industrious people to keep out the sea, the
whole country would be only a vast salt marsh. In-
stead of roads they have canals. These are very
easily built, and are supplied with water from the sea,
MANAGEMENT. 171
which is let in through great wooden gates, built in
the embankments. In spite of all their care, inunda-
tions sometimes happen, which do immense damage.
When the tide is high, the water dashes against these
sand-banks ; and although at first only a little breach
is made, yet the loose sand gives way by degrees, un-
til, occasionally, it works a passage, and pours in with
resistless fury, washing everything before it houses,
cattle, people and all. They prevent such deplorable
accidents only by great care in watching for the first
appearance of a break, and immediately stopping
it up.
" One night, a little Hollander, about six years old,
was coming home very late.- He had been away for
the doctor, for his mother was sick. As he was pass-
ing along near one of the embankments, he heard the
trickling of water. It was so dark that he had to
hunt around for some time before he found it, but at
last he discovered that between the side of one of the
gates and the bank, there was a little hole worn,
through which the water was trickling in quite a
stream. He was a little fellow, but he was wise
enough to know that if the water was left to run
long, it might soon wear a larger hole, and very likely
burst through in a regular inundation before morning.
He tried to stop the hole with sand and little sticks,
but the water still trickled through ; he couldn't find
anything, in the dark, which would stop it ; so what
172 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
did he do? He thrust in his little fist, and that
stopped the water effectually.
"But after awhile he began to grow sleepy and
chilly. He wanted to take his hand out, for his arm
ached, and he thought of home and his warm bed.
But, like a little hero as he was, he stood to his post.
His head nodded, and he almost got to sleep ; but the
thought that he was saving so much danger and
trouble to his own family and the whole village, and
perhaps the whole country, gave him strength, and he
stood to his post !
" In the morning, very early, his friends and neigh-
bors, who had started out to look for him, found him
nodding and shivering at the gate, but still at his
post. You may well believe that they were delighted
with the prudence and bravery of the little fellow.
And it was not long before the whole country heard
of it, even the king himself, who ordered a monument
to be erected to his honor, and, on the top of it, a
marble statue of the little hero.
" Now, boys, let's find the moral of this good story.
The inundation of disorder in a school generally
trickles through a little whispering hole that each of
you have, just under your noses. And that boy who
really wishes to do his part in preventing the pouring
in of a whole sea of talking and laughing and playing,
will do his best to stop up the whispering hole. In
other schools that you have been at, haven't you ob-
MANAGEMENT. 173
served that if the boys were allowed to whisper as
much as they pleased, they generally went farther, and
became very disorderly? Now, I know that it is
rather hard not to whisper, if you have been in the
habit of it, but are you not willing to try to abstain ?
Very soon you will get used to being silent, and it
will be easy to do so ; you won't think of it at all.
" Boys, you know that I am something of a boy my-
self. I like play about as well as any of you, and I
believe in playing, and playing hard, and having real
' fun? but only in play-hours. Just think a moment.
You play until nine o'clock, and then for only an hour
and a-half only ninety little minutes, you are in
school ; then comes a recess, full of play ; then
another ninety minutes, and a noon-time, for play ;
and it's just so in the afternoon. Now am I not rea-
sonable in asking you to abstain from whispering
which leads to playing for only an hour and a-half
at a time ? Am I not reasonable ?"
A talk like that will convince a large majority.
For the remainder we must have
2. Some arrangement like that of short recesses of
five minutes, every half hour, for whispering, without
leaving seats, or, at least, forms. Get all to agree to
this, to promise on their honor, not to whisper during
study hours, if you will give them these recesses. But
you must control stubborn cases by
3. Marking for whispering, on the ground that al-
174 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
though whispering, in itself, is not a great offence, yet
because it leads to worse conduct, because almost all
wish to join with you in breaking up the habit, and
because the short recesses afford all necessary time for
it, it must be regarded as a markable offence.
I have in this way procured a state of things in my
school which was gratifying and a source of pride.
EEPUBLICANISM.
Under the system which has been advocated there
is, perhaps, as little of the form of government as is
possible ; but the spirit in which this little is to be
administered may be either monarchical or republican,
or, better, it may be a happy admixture of both.
The teacher may well be both king and president.
There are occasions when he must exercise his auto-
cratic powers, and there are others where it will be
wise for him to allow Republicanism to have power.
We will suppose a few instances, for illustration.
1. A boy has committed an offence for which he has
been marked. He comes to the teacher with the ex-
cuse, " I didn't know it was wrong ;" in other words,
he declares that his inward monitor did not tell him
that the act was wrong.
It is now for the teacher to decide on the probability
of the truth of this excuse. If he believes the boy to
be dishonest, he may use his authority, as king, and
MANAGEMENT. 175
refuse to remove the mark, explaining his course to
the boy, or not, as seems best. But if he is in doubt
in regard to the boy's honesty : if it is quite possible,
owing to the nature of the offence, that he did not
know that he was doing wrong ; then I would advise
an appeal to the school.
After stating the whole case clearly to them, let
them vote on the question, Shall the mark be re-
moved. Do not fail to urge on all the justice of clos-
ing the door of sympathy. Tell them that this a ques-
tion not of mercy but justice. Require a decided ma-
jority one way or the other.
Even if, through sympathy, the vote may be to re-
move the mark, you will lose nothing, for if you fear
to trust them, you may, hereafter, remain the king.
But you will gain, in either event, the confidence of
your scholars. They will see that you are to treat
them as beings capable of judging, to some extent,
between right and wrong ; you have entrusted to them
the power of deciding, and thus have given them the
privilege of self-government. If, as is most probable,
they have decided the case in accordance with your
" instructions to the jury," you have established a rule,
applicable to this and other similar cases.
2. Suppose that it is of little consequence at what
time your recesses come. Let them decide, by voting,
on the times, and, perhaps, on the length of recesses.
3. Suppose that it is a part of your plan to have
176 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
school officers, such as secretary, postmaster, banker,
editors, captains " in spelling matches," examiners of
writings (to detect errors), in short, occupants of any
post of honor. Let these be elected.
In these elections, balloting is generally the best
way.
There are other ways by which the Republican ele-
ment may enter into a system of school government,
and I advise its entrance to as great an extent as is
possible.
LECTUEES.
Lecturing seems to have become an established " in-
stitution" among us. We like to sit in a comfortable
room, surrounded by our friends and neighbors, and
have information poured into us by travellers and
essayists, politicians, poets and priests. It is a lazy
way of learning, however, and by no means to be re-
commended as the only method of acquiring knowledge;
but it has its advantages. If our lecturers would seek
to instruct rather than to entertain, we should learn
more, though we might laugh less.
Lectures for children may be made very profitable to
them. They are hungry for information, absorpent
of facts, and may be as much pleased with a talk on
zoology, or the making of cutlery, including jack-
knives, as with the exhibition of Signor Blitz, and his
learned canaries. -, *
LECTURES. 177
Last winter, the following course of lectures was
given in the school-room of the writer :
One of the clergymen of the city an accomplished
scholar lectured on Astronomy. In his lecture, he
endeavored to make plain, to youthful understandings,
the causes of night and day, of the seasons, of eclipses,
and of tlie tides. He talked learnedly, yet clearly, of
the moon, and exhibited the various theories concern-
ing aerolites. He did not overwhelm his audience
with the full grandeur of the subject, but picked out
the parts most likely to interest and profit children.
A physician talked, on another evening, on Physio-
logy. He made the subject practical, teaching his au-
dience the advantages of " sitting up straight" of eat-
ing slowly, of breathing pure air, of developing the
cJiest and lungs. His lecture was eminently instructive
and useful,
A railroad engineer came next, who lectured on
Railroads and Locomotives. He explained the princi-
ples and processes of road-making, including bridge-mak-
ing, in which part he narrated the wonderful construc-
tion of the Suspension Bridge at Niagara Falls. He
gave us the history of the locomotive, the improvements
of various inventors, and the construction and action of
locomotive engines. His lecture was illustrated by
drawings and black-board sketches, and was extremely
interesting.
A fourth lecture was upon Electricity, given by the
8*
178 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
writer, assisted by a brother-teacher of the city. Our
apparatus comprised (when united) almost everything
manufactured by Chamberlain, of Boston, and our ex-
periments were full and successful. One of us did the
talking, the other the experimenting, and the boys and
their friends were instructed and delighted.
A gentleman of remarkable mechanical abilities, the
inventor of several useful machines and applications,
consented to give the fifth lecture, on Machinery, espe-
cially the operations of all kinds of steam-engines. Ex-
periments were made illustrating the properties and
powers of steam ; the history of steam and its applica-
tion to machinery, were very thoroughly given, and the
lecture was a decided success. An attractive feature
of the entertainment was a working model of a steam-
boat-engine, and the high-pressure engine of a flouring-
mill.
The illness of a lawyer prevented his delivering a
lecture on Laws and their operations. He intended to
read and explain the Constitution of the United States,
and of our own State, our laws and penalties, the modus
operandi of elections, and the details of municipal govern-
ment. His inability to give this lecture was much re-
gretted.
These lectures, together with others given by the
writer, on various subjects, occupied nearly the whole
of the winter. They were attended by my boys, and
many of their parents, sisters, and other friends, and
LECTURES. 179
were listened to with the greatest interest. They gave
character to the school ; they evinced the endeavors of
the teacher to make his school the best he could.
Looking at the matter pecuniarily, it was a wise
" move." Two of these lecturers were paid, and paid
well, but the money was a profitable investment, as the
continued increase of the school testified.
Now, there are many teachers who can get up a
course of lectures similar to these, and it would seem
that they should need only a hint, to do it ; but there
are also many teachers who prefer to enjoy their even-
ings in their rooms, or in society. Let them. If they
have any business-wisdom, or any benevolent desire to
benefit their pupils, or any wish to be popular, they
will take this hint, and some of the others contained
in this book, and profit by them. If the writer has
had any success as a teacher, success both in imparting
knowledge and receiving a good income from the busi-
ness, it has been owing, in part, at least, to his con-
stant efforts to "make school interesting," by such
means as he describes in this volume.
A word and one which may seem almost unrfeces-
sary on the character of these lectures. Their aim
should be not to make children wonder, but to inform
and entertain them. Scientific words and technical
expressions should be avoided ; explanations should
be made most clearly, and questions encouraged and
patiently answered ; illustrations should be given, by
180 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
apparatus and models, as far as practicable, and by
drawings, freely and fully. A scientific lecture can be
made more interesting to children than a story. Who-
ever has read " The Chemistry of a Candle," or " The
Chemistry of a Tea-kettle," in Dickens's " Household
Words," will testify, I am sure, to the truth of this
assertion. Children are so fond of hearing about the
phenomena of nature, the wonders of science, the ad-
ventures of travellers, the biographies of eminent men,
and similar matters, and they receive so much profit
from hearing them, that, for one, the writer takes
pleasure in talking to them. The up-turned faces and
sparkling eyes of boys and girls inspire me, and I wish
to become better qualified to please and profit them.
I subjoin a list of subjects for lectures and talks :
Air. Glass.
Electricity. Printing and
Railroads and Book-making.
Locomotives. Gas.
Travels. Chemistry.
"Physiology. Photography.
Life at Sea. Geology.
Cotton. The Metals.
Laws. What we eat and drink.
The Indians. India-rubber.
Physical Geography. What we wear.
Pneumatics. Elections.
LECTURES.
181
The Steam-engine.
Machinery.
Architecture.
Philology.
Technology.
Gold and Silver.
Fire-arms.
Cutlery.
Heat.
London.
Paris.
New York.
Water.
The Telegraph.
Astronomy.
General History.
Biography.
Ships and Steamers.
Iron.
Painting and Sculpture.
Zoology.
Italy.
The Revolution.
Nineveh.
Artificial Teeth.
Japan.
Central America.
Arctic Explorations.
Islands.
The Bible.
Hunting and Fishing.
California.
Australia.
Engraving.
Volcanoes.
The Trades.
Underground.
Whaling.
Politics.
Boys.
There are many books which may be consulted, in pre-
paring for these lectures, a partial list of which will be
found at the end of the book. There is one, however,
a recent publication, which deserves mention particu-
larly, on account of its usefulness in its department. I
refer to Porter's Chemistry, a work just issued [1856]
by Messrs. A. S. Barnes & Co. One peculiarity and
182 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
excellence of this book consists in the simplicity of its
experiments. A teacher who has no experience in the
manipulations of experiments, may venture, with this
guide, and at the most trifling expense, to illustrate all
the facts and principles of chemistry. Its excellence,
also, for a class text-book is so great that there can be
no doubt of its very general adoption.
FACTS.
I was troubled, some time since, by the want of punc-
tuality in my scholars. I had just undertaken the
management of a school which had " run down," under
the control of a man who had governed, at times with
severity, at times with laxity of discipline, and I was
at a loss what course to pursue to create a reformation
in this particular. Acting, however, on the principle
of attracting rather than coercing, I determined on the
following plan : I was not sure of its success, and I
did not make known my motive, intending to try other
means if this failed. At ten minutes before nine, I
rang the " first bell ;" at two minutes before nine, I
tolled the " second bell," and at nine, precisely, I closed
and locked the door. After opening school with the
usual devotional exercises, I told the few who were at
their seats that I intended to spend a quarter of an
hour, every morning, in telling them something inter-
esting, something which they would be pleased and
FACTS. 183
profited to hear ; and I began at once to tell them
about what I saw when I was at Vesuvius and Pompeii.
I made the narration as interesting as I could, and, at
the end of the fifteen minutes, I opened the door and
admitted the outsiders. They had arrived, and had
been surprised to find the door locked ; a few of them
had made a little disturbance, and two or three had
gone away ; but I said nothing, and we went on with
the regular exercises. The process was repeated every
morning. I took pains to have something really in-
teresting, and I soon began to observe the effects.
They who had heard the " facts," as I called them, told
their tardy companions what pleasant information the
teacher had given them, and advised them to come in
time, if they wanted to hear something nice. I was
walking behind two of my boys, one morning, on my
way to school two of the quondam tardies and over-
heard one of them say, " Hurry up, or we shan't be in
time for the ' fact !' " In a few weeks I had induced
a good degree of punctuality, although there were
some who could only be persuaded to be punctual by
being deprived of their recesses.
In this way I was led to adopt the general plan of
giving a fact every morning, a plan which I have re-
tained, and shall continue. There are thousands of
facts to be met with, and if the teacher enters in his
memorandum-book such items as he cannot fail to meet
with in his readings of books and papers, he will
184 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
gather a large stock of the kind he will need. Some
of mine are as follows :
A telegraphic message, sent from New York to St.
Louis, will get there about an hour before it started.
Why?
If an ignorant boy were to dispute your assertion
that the earth is round, how could you prove it to him.
I give the proof, using the black-board as an assistant.
Personal adventures in the Mammoth Cave of Ken-
tucky.
How the English and French, with the Turks, got
to fighting with Russia.
About St. Peter's Cathedral, at Rome.
Dr. Franklin, as Postmaster-General.
About corks and sponges.
Mummies.
How they prepare tea in China.
It would be easy to extend the list, but here are
enough for a start.
Sometimes, instead of a fact, I read something from
Harper, or " Household Words," from the daily paper,
or a book.
Thus, in the course of a year, what a store of infor-
mation a boy may gain. If each one enters the fact
of the morning in a blank-book, he will make a volume
worth a great deal to himself and his friends.
MEETINGS. 185
ELECTIONS AND BUSINESS MEETINGS.
Many a young man, on entering the arena of public
life, finds himself obliged to take the position of a
looker-on, because he lacks confidence to stand up as
a contestant, and is ignorant of the rules and customs
of the strife. At political meetings, so many of which,
of various kinds, are constantly being held in every
city and village of the land, at debating clubs, at so-
cial discussions, before any audience, however small,
the young man who has enjoyed no advantages of train-
ing, must sit in a corner, must hide his light, if he has
one, under a bushel. He may have clear conceptions
of the subject under discussion ; he may, unconsciously,
possess no small degree of eloquence ; but timidity, and
ignorance of " parliamentary rules," restrain him, and
he is eclipsed by some shallow-brain who has learned
the art of letting out freely his watery flow of weak
ideas. The shallow-brain gets, ultimately, to Congress ;
while he of the corner, either afraid or unwilling to
"cope with so formidable an adversary," remains in
obscurity. It often happens that the civil affairs of a
town are managed entirely by a few talkative and am-
bitious men, who have the gift of gab, and no other
gift. To these the wiser men, the men who talk less
and think more, submit ; they are out-talked at town-
meeting, and because the rabble, who are influenced
186 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
more by speeches than reasons, vote with the speech-
makers, the wiser men are out-voted also.
In advocating early and thorough instruction in
debate, for our boys and young men. I may claim, I
think, that I advocate the public good, as well as their
own ; for although some boys may be encouraged and
aided to become mere speakers, and, perhaps, mere
demagogues, not a few will be prepared to meet and
combat successfully the errors of vapid fluency.
Boys are fond of imitating men in every respect.
They like to hold meetings, in the school-room, for
discussion ; and if decisions, of greater or less import-
ance, result from discussion, they yield to the majority
"like men." The teacher will find no difficulty in
initiating and continuing business meetings and debates.
There will be, or may be, frequent elections in school.
The officers of the company, if there is one, are mostly
elective ; the officers of the debating club, the post-
master, and banker, may be elected ; a school secretary,
monitors, if any are employed, leaders in spelling-
matches, superintendents of various departments, and
other office-holders, may wisely be chosen by the school.
There are also frequent questions arising, in which the
boys should have a voice. The uniform of the company
may be left, partly, at least, to their decision ; the ar-
rangement of recesses, perhaps even of the hours of
study and recitation, the times and places of parade or
of public exhibitions, and other matters of not really
MEETINGS. 187
vital importance, may safely be entrusted to them for
decision. The teacher should seek occasions for call-
ing school-meetings, for the sake of teaching the boys
how to discuss and decide.
It becomes a delicate question, how far a teacner
may safely leave decisions on school matters in the
hands of his scholars. If he is sure of a correct public
sentiment among them, and if he is sure of possessing
the proper amount and kind of influence over them, he
may leave much in their hands. A school cannot be a
pure republic ; the teacher must be in some, if not
most respects, an absolute monarch ; and his subjects
should be well aware of this power, and of the reasons
which they can easily be made to understand for
maintaining it ; but he may yet be partly a President,
and with tact, and an uncontrolled veto power, he may
govern with safety and success. In my own exper-
ience, I have found that the more republican I allowed
my school to become, the more pleasantly and easily I
could govern it. The very fact that a decision is in
their hands, leads them to think seriously on the mat-
ter ; and it may be safely said that more honest, if not
wiser votes will be given by boys, on any given ques-
tion, than by the same number of men.
We may illustrate this, and, in doing so, I shall draw
on actual experience.
In the scheme of administration, in a preceding chap-
ter, it will be remembered that rules, applying to all
188 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
cases of misconduct possibly to be anticipated, were
argued against ; the single rule Do right, and avoid
wrong, being the only one considered necessary.
Under this rule, James and John failed to come in at
the close of recess ; they stayed out several minutes
after the others came in ; and to punish them, and se-
cure greater promptness in them and others in the fu-
ture, I deprived them of recess for two days. They
protested against this, not by words, but by sullen looks
and careless actions. On asking them why they were
angry at their punishment, they replied that they did
not know that I was particular about coming in
promptly ; that I " had not said anything about it ;"
that they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.
I thought this a good occasion for discussing this and
similar cases which might occur ; so I said nothing in
reply to them, but, at the close of school, summoned a
school meeting. After laying the case fully before the
boys, and giving the reasons of my punishment, I
claimed the right to settle the matter according to my
own opinions of right and wrong ; I appealed to them
to decide whether I did not always act fairly, whether
I ever showed partiality ; " but," said I, " I am willing
to leave this case in your hands. The question to be
discussed and decided is : Was the punishment just ?"
My boys had not at that time become accustomed to
express their opinions, and no one said anything ; so,
to start them, I said : " Does no one think that the
MEETINGS. 189
boys' excuse is a good one, or that cases may not some-
times occiii- in which there may be doubt whether an
action is right or wrong ?" This gave material to one
of the older boys, who was naturally fond of opposing'
and he rose and gave expression to doubts whether a
boy could always do right without the guidance of
rules. Another boy, a bright little fellow, followed
him, who remarked that the question was whether, in
this particular case, the punishment was just, and, for
his part, he thought it was. At . this juncture I urged
on them free expression of sentiment, but took no notice
of what had been said. A third speaker suggested that
the boys were afraid to speak out, lest they might make
enemies. I argued against such fear, and obtained a
unanimous vote that no one should receive expressions
of ill-will for opinions, on account of words uttered in
debate ; and I succeeded in creating a very general
sentiment against gagging free speech. The debate
proceeded, and nearly all thought the punishment just.
On a vote to sustain my decision, there were but two
" noes."
But suppose the case had gone against me ; admit
that to a certain extent I should lose prestige and
power ; admit that there would be danger, that occa-
sions would be sought to overthrow my authority, and
admit that I have not strength and tact enough to
weather the storm of rebellion which might arise ;
this at least must be confessed, that the discussion, as
190 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
such, was of great benefit to the boys. The teacher
must judge of the safety to his throne of allowing such
disputes ; but I am of the opinion that if he fortifies
his position by acts of kindness, by thoughts, rather,
and looks, and smiles of kindness, by fairness always,
and firmness when necessary, he may trust his boys
with considerable power.
The discussion above mentioned led to another,
namely : Is it best to adopt a code of laws ? This de-
bate was held one evening, and some of the parents
attended. To ensure speaking, I privately instructed
one of my older boys, one whom I knew I could trust,
with arguments in the affirmative : he knew my mo-
tives, and was willing to assist me. He was of service
in keeping up the debate, which might otherwise have
flagged. At the commencement of the discussion I
announced my monarchical properties, my possession
of the veto, but said that I would yield to a two-thirds
vote against me ; that if as many as that desired rules,
I would yield. I also claimed the right to participate
in the debate.
Not to make too long a story, I will say only that
we had a most interesting debate, and that, by rather
more than a two-thirds vote, it was decided to have
rules. A committee was chosen to draw up rules for
my approval, and I retained, of course, the right of
adding any rules of my own. The result was, that at
a second meeting to hear the report of the committee,
MEETINGS. 191
some fifty rules were proposed. " Oh 1" said one little
fellow, "I never can remember all those." Others
shared his feelings ; a vote to reconsider was passed,
and after a renewed discussion and another advocacy
of my opinions, the decision of the previous meeting
was reversed, and we returned to our old and single
rule.
There happened not a few occasions where I allowed
power to pass from me to them ; but they never abused
my confidence, nor was my authority weakened.
Now, I submit, there can be no question that these
debates were of very great service to the boys. They
learned how to rise without confusion, " to think on
their legs," and to speak without stammering. They
learned, also, " Parliamentary rules," and appreciated
the courtesies of debate. A debating club was pro-
posed, organized, and carried into very successful
operation. Thus, public speaking became popular,
and my boys astonished their friends, who came to
hear them. If any of them shall attain to eminence in
affairs of state, I shall congratulate myself on having
been instrumental in preparing them for success, and
they may thank me for my efforts in their behalf.
Thore was no need, in the school of which I have
been speaking, of exercises in " declamation." I must
admit that I dislike the plan of forcing lads to de-
claim. I never could see any good results coming, or
likely to come, from it. Certainly if boys can be in-
192 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
duced to rise and speak ex tempore, this is better than
the declamation of borrowed language. In the latter
case, the boy knows that he is acting a farce ; he does
not understand the eloquence of Webster ; he knows
that he is on stilts ; but, in the former, he speaks his
own thoughts, on a subject in which he is interested,
and he speaks freely, naturally, well.
Let me, then, urge on teachers the advantages of
encouraging public meetings for discussion or election.
On frequent, and even on slight occasions, call busi-
ness meetings ; or let a written request, signed by a
certain number of the boys themselves, be understood
as authority for a call.
At these meetings take great care that everything
shall be done in accordance with the rules and customs
of men.
Let there be a " School Secretary," whose business
it shall be to keep accurate records of all votes and
resolutions, and to commit to writing a history, of all
the prominent events of school life. This office should
be one of great honor.
At first the boys will be " backward about coming
forward ;" this must be met adroitly by the teacher.
Let him not refer to the difficulty of standing before
an audience to speak, but let him rather urge them to
express their opinions as a thing of course, as a neces-
sary step towards a full understanding of the matter
in hand. Conceal the fact from them that they are
MEETINGS. 193
actually " speaking, " and they will become speakers
without being aware of it.
The teacher must not expect that his business meet-
ings will be as orderly, at first, as those of men ; but he
should expect to secure good order ultimately. It
may be long before they learn Parliamentary rules,
and acquire the self-control necessary during the excite-
ment of debate. There will be, at first, much talking
and playing among the smaller boys and those not
particularly interested : they who are engaged in the
contest will be claiming " the floor" often, and several
at once ; they will be inclined to indulge in person-
alities, will speak too loud, make assertions instead of
arguments, " beg the question," and be variously and
frequently " out of order." All this must be patiently
and skilfully met and controlled by the teacher ; they
will improve ; boys are plastic in the hands of a
man who has their affection, confidence and respect.
A simple plan of quieting disorder and repressing
excitement, is to stop all procedings and keep the
room still for two or three minutes. A few remarks
like these will accomplish much : " Boys ! I suppose
you are anxious to have this question settled. Some
of you, also, wish the meeting over, that you may get
out to play. Well ; to effect both of these objects, I
shall suspend operations until the room is quiet, and
as soon as you are all still, we will go on and finish
our business, come to a decision and close the meeting.
9
194 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
But as soon as you begin to be noisy again, I shall
stop the debate again."
The teacher ought generally to preside at all meet-
ings ; he alone can control and guide them best ; but
to give the boys opportunity to learn to act as mode-
rators or chairmen, he should occasionally call on
them to preside. If he stands by and supports the
officer by his authority, in case of necessity, no trouble
can ensue. In a debating club, the boys should have
their own officers ; but it will be well for the teacher
to be present at the meetings as often as he can. He
should also take care that they do not select improper
or unprofitable subjects for debate.
In concluding this subject, I must express the hope
that it will attract the attention of teachers, and that
it may lead them to adopt some of its suggestions. I
have seen the good effects of the carrying out of these
and similar plans for educing colloquial powers, and
am satisfied that much good can be done in this de-
partment of teaching.
MOOT COURTS.
Moot Courts afford profitable employment for boys'
evenings. Information is acquired concerning the
forms and technicalities of that mystery, " the law," of
which most men are ignorant. There is no reason why
boys may not be taught to understand, perfectly, the
MOOT COURTS. 195
whole process of a suit at law, whether criminal or
civil. In addition to this, opportunities are offered for
practice in this kind of public speaking. As has been
remarked in the preceding chapter, boys will learn to
speak fluently on subjects in which they are interested,
when they will continue mere awkward declaimers of
the eloquence of Webster or Burke. If the case to be
tried is one which will amuse, excite, or in any way
interest the school, the counsel on either side will enter
into the trial most heartily, and the kind of practice
they will have will be of service to them.
To accomplish anything by Moot Courts, the teacher
must be sure to lay his plans in such a way that the
first one shall be a success. The case must be one of
no great difficulty ; and it is suggested that a criminal
would be better than a civil case ; but it must present
such features that the counsels for plaintiff and defend-
ant, or State and prisoner, may each have grounds for
argument. It is advised that the teacher examine the
records of remarkable trials, and, from two or three of
the best of them, select materials to make up a case
of the right kind. Or, one of the school-boys may be
arraigned on a charge of arson, or theft, or assault, or
trespass.
Take care that the counsel make thorough prepara-
tion, that the witnesses understand just what testimony
to render, that the sheriff knows his duties, and that
all the details of the trial are properly prepared. If a
196 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
lawyer can be induced to act as judge and guide the
trial in proper channels, the success may be made more
certain.
After a while, the boys will have learned how to
conduct a court, and they may be trusted to carry
through the whole business, from a grand jury presen-
tation to a verdict. It will be well to give them the
entire management ; the teacher, of course, advising,
and in reality controlling. ...
Instances have been known in which a teacher has
effected, by means of Moot Courts, the detection and
punishment of offenders whom he had been unable to
reach by the ordinary forms of school government.
In a certain school, a long series of petty thefts had
annoyed the scholars and troubled the teacher. Articles
of inconsiderable value had been stolen from desks,
such as knives and pencils, books, drawings, &c. The
teacher's desk, also, had been more than once pillaged
or ransacked. At last the matter became important,
by the theft of gold pens from three desks in one week,
and the scholars grew clamorous for an investigation.
Strange to say, suspicions could be fastened on no one
in particular, and the two or three who had been hastily
charged with the offence, were most anxious for an. op-
portunity of clearing themselves. The teacher was at
a loss what course to pursue, but at length hit upon the
expedient of a legal investigation. A grand jury was
elected, instructed in their duties, and the case was left
MOOT COURTS. 197
in their hands. They acted with the utmost secresy.
It was unknown that any steps had been taken. Police-
boys were appointed, and the building was watched for
several nights, and at last the offender was caught.
He had entered the school-room by means of a false
key, and was apprehended in the very act of opening
a desk.
It is unnecessary to detail the events which followed.
Suffice it to say that the offender was tried, most skil-
fully defended, found guilty, and sentenced to expul-
sion ; with a recommendation to the mercy of the exe-
cutive, the teacher.
The defence rested mainly on the good character of
the prisoner, who was one of the best scholars and the
mildest and most inoffensive boy in school, and on the
fact that he was not caught in the act of stealing. But
by an incautious admission on the part of the prisoner's
counsel, the prosecuting attorney turned the case
against the prisoner, and the jury brought in their ver-
dict of guilty. Restitution, however, had been made in
full ; and it became evident, before the verdict, that
the offender was possessed of a mania for appropriat-
ing ; that he had stolen for the love of the adventure
of stealing, had hoarded the articles stolen, and had
acted from no malicious or wicked notions whatever.
On this account, and because the jury and the sentiment
of the whole school was in his favor, pityingly, the re-
commendation to mercy was added to the verdict.
198 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
The prisoner would have confessed to the teacher, on
apprehension, but was persuaded to allow the case to
come to trial, for the sake of affording the advantages
of a thorough trial to the school. Whether this was
best or not, may be left to the decision of the reader.
The results of this case were most fortunate. The
offender was thoroughly cured of his propensity, and,
owing to his evident reformation and his otherwise
excellent character, he was allowed to remain in school,
and did not suffer from any serious display of ill-feeling
from his companions. The benefits derived from the
trial were very considerable. Several napkinned tal-
ents for public speaking were brought to light and put
at interest ; and all were profited by becoming tho-
roughly acquainted with the forms of law.
I have given this trial in detail, partly because the
teacher may learn from it one way with which to deal
with anomalous- cases of discipline, and partly to serve
as a model of a " case" for trial. It happened to be
one in which school-boys would be interested, and one
which offers good material both for the prosecution
and the defence. There are two or three strong points
to be made on either side, and it cannot be for the lack
of material that the trial may not be interesting.
If it shall add to the motives of a teacher for trying
the experiment of organizing a Moot Court, I may say
that all teachers who have tried, with whom the writer
has conversed on the subject, have expressed unquali-
POST-OFFICE. 199
fied approval of the plan, and satisfaction with its
results.
SCHOOL POST-OFFICE.
Facility in expressing one's thoughts is the next best
thing to having thoughts worthy of expression. "I
know, but I cannot explain it," is very often the honest
excuse of good scholars in the recitation-rooin. In
writing compositions, in the analysis of problems, even
in common conversation, many, if not most children,
find it difficult to express their thoughts. This diffi-
culty must be met early by the teacher who remembers
his duties as an educator, as well as an instructor, and
he will adopt various methods to assist his scholars in
clothing their thoughts in appropriate language. In
his classes, he will encourage clearness in explanation :
in arithmetic, for instance, will be better pleased to
hear one problem thoroughly analyzed and clearly ex-
plained, than to see six of them done on slate or black
boacd.
In my own experience, I have found that general
exercises, having for their purpose the educing of
thought, are very useful. In various ways I require
the frequent use of pen and pencil, and always with
good results. I give now one plan, and shall mention
others hereafter.
I should say here that the main features of this plan
200 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
have been borrowed from an eminent teacher, whose
success with it has been greater even than mine. I
am also indebted to him for many valuable sugges-
tions.
Preparations.
1. Some contrivance to represent a Post-Office. My
own is an oblong, narrow box, resting on its narrower
side, on a high table which stands out three feet or
more from the wall ; its front is a window-sash, its
back, two doors, opening at the middle ; there are
thirty-six " boxes," and the lower middle pane of glass
is removed, and replaced by a little door, hinging at
the top and fastenable within. The post-master, at
office-hours, stands behind the table ; the two doors are
opened, and shut him off, on the sides, from interfer-
ence ; he opens the front trap-door, and receives and
delivers letters. The expense of this, nicely grained
and varnished, and provided with lock and key, was
ten dollars. No doubt something might be contrived
for less ; and if expense must be avoided, the post-
master may use a table-drawer. Yet the " boxes" and
trap-door give character to and add to the success of
the plan.
2. Some cards, about half the size of a common vis-
iting card, printed, or, almost as well, written upon
POST-OFFICE. 201
with the numerals expressing the values of all our sil-
ver coins, of the regular decimal coinage. The " three-
cent-pieces," needed especially at the office, must be
more numerous than the other coins, and the teacher
will judge from the size of his school, how much money
to issue. To prevent counterfeiting (although I have
found no need of prevention) the teacher's name may
be signed on the back of each card.
Operation.
In announcing the plan to the school, enlarge on
the advantages of learning to write letters well ; speak
of clerks, who, on applying for a situation, are requested
to address in their own handwriting ; and remark that
of two applicants, the one sending in a neatly written
and properly spelled and punctuated letter, and the
other sending one just the reverse of this, he who
writes the better letter will stand the better chance
of getting the situation. There are many other things
which may be appropriately said, which I need not
mention. The teacher then explains the working of
the plan from the following :
Harry writes a letter to Charles ; it must be a regu-
lar letter, on at least a half-sheet of common writing
paper, inclosed in an envelope, neatly sealed and di-
rected ; it must contain at least one page of matter,
written on some sensible theme. Harry takes this to
9*
202 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
the post-office, hands it to the postmaster through the
door, and pays a three-cent card for it, as postage, in
advance. The postmaster will not receive it if it is
badly sealed or improperly addressed, but if it is prop-
erly prepared, he places it in Charley's box, and when
he applies for it, the postmaster gives it to him. He
(Charles) then looks over his letter carefully, and
charges Harry one cent (card money) for every mis-
take, either of spelling or punctuation ; and if it is
carelessly written, or contains vulgar language, he
brings it to the teacher, and he allows a fine of from
three to twenty-five cents. Now Charles must write
a reply to Harry, within two days, (school days,) and
Harry has a chance to charge Charley for his mis-
takes. Neither will write carelessly, it is to be pre-
sumed, for the letter costs three cents to begin with,
at the post-office, and if written without care, will cost
still more for its errors. If these two boys are equally
correct at writing, they will each receive about as
much as they pay out, but if one writes worse than the
other, he will lose and the other will gain. So it be-
hooves each one to write as carefully as possible, using
his Dictionary often, and consulting the teacher if
necessary, and to look very closely for mistakes in his
replies, so as to lose as little, and gain as much as
possible.
Boys have been known to make as much as six,
eight, and sometimes ten dollars in a quarter. The
POST-OFFICE. 203
writing is to be done out of school, although I some-
times allow good scholars to write in school, but these
only when I am quite sure that they have learned all
their lessons.
I now lend each one a dollar. This they may pay
back at the bank as soon as they please, but it must
be paid at the end of the term. Every dollar above
the amount loaned, given in at the end of the term, I
redeem by paying (say ten or fifteen) cents in
silver ; but if the boy has lost everything, he must pay
me the same on every dollar he has borrowed. He
may borrow more at the bank by giving his note, en-
dorsed, for thirty or sixty days, and paying regular
bank discount. In some cases I allow the banker to
" renew" notes, giving " extension" to some time in
next term. I have a set of Rules in accordance with
these general principles.
There needs to be a Postmaster. He is to be paid
by the rent of his boxes, for which he may charge
whatever prices he may think best. If he asks too
much, he will not rent many ; and if he charges too
little, he will not make much money. He will have to
open his office twice a day, at the close of school in
the morning and afternoon. He had better hire an
assistant, for if he is away, and the office is not open
at the time, he must pay a fine. It is well to elect the
postmaster to serve for one term : elect by ballot.
I appoint a Banker. He must be one who knows
204 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
something about book-keeping, for I require accurai .5
accounts of all money passing through his hands. He
must get two boys to be his security for honesty (as
the banks all do), and I pay him as salary per
cent, on the amount of money passing through the
bank. Bank must be open once a day, at close of
school in the afternoon. Every boy keeps a bank-
book, as well as Dr. and Cr. accounts with all his cor-
respondents.
The teacher will take care that all business, either
with the post-office or bank, shall be done in accord-
ance with regular business forms. He will reserve to
himself the right to decide all disputes concerning er-
rors. He will so arrange the Rules and penalties that
charges shall be promptly paid, either in cash, (card-
money,) or negotiable paper. If there are no " boxes,"
he will pay the postmaster a salary, perhaps a per
centage on his cash received, and by giving him the
franking privilege. The " Rules" must be posted,
somewhere, conspicuously.
A better plan, perhaps, than redeeming the money
with silver, is one that I have tried : it is to have an
auction at the end of the term, at which such things as
boys like to possess are purchasable with card-money,
and with this only. I sometimes buy articles for the
auction from the boys themselves ; as, a knife, or a
sail-boat, (model) or a book, with the parent's written
consent ; paying them in card-money. I buy these
POST-OFFICE.
things, and others, during the term, and when I have
acquired anything attractive, I announce it, and per-
haps display it, as an incentive to them to try to make
money for the auction. The bank may be a bank of
deposit, with or without interest to be allowed. The
banker should prepare a balance for every week ; and
auditors may be appointed.
I give prizes in my school, and have sometimes, at
the scholars' request, paid them in card-money. Thus,
at the auction, the boy may buy what he chooses ; if a
book, I write his name and honor on the fly-leaf. The
objection to this plan is, that a boy who has worked
hard and successfully in the post-office, may be out-bid
by one who has been his inferior in the post-office, but
has taken one or more prizes. The objection may be
removed by some ingenuity in receiving bids, or by
putting up certain articles to be bid for with post-office
money, and certain others, as perhaps books, to be
bought with prize-money.
He may, wisely, make a rule that letters containing
three closely written pages shall be exempt from post-
age. Replies must be as long as letters received,
under penalties for every ten words less.
Results.
1. I have known forty letters to pass through the
office in a day, in a school of fifty -five scholars. I have
206 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
seen very decided improvement in every respect ; in-
deed, I may say that in many instances I have been
unable to detect the least error in long letters. I have
received the eulogiums of parents on the plan. I know
that it adds to the general interest of my school.
2. The boys learn, practically, the forms of bank-
ing and of making notes, for they may be allowed to
borrow from each other. The importance of this is
unquestionable. If the teacher has a class in book-
keeping, he may require the members of it to act as
bankers, each a week in turn.
3. But as a grand result, the boys learn how to ex-
press their thoughts ; they become accustomed not
only to clothe their thoughts with words, but also to
clothe them well, and even elegantly.
To sum up all, the beneficial results of this post-
office plan are so great that I earnestly advise every
teacher who values either the improvement of his
scholars, or the advancement of his own reputation as a
teacher, to adopt it in this form, or in some other and
better one. The money spent will be an addition to
his capital, both in his present school and in his general
reputation.
THE NEWS.
In a school of the writer's acquaintance, there is a
class which is worthy of mention. The elder boys, of
whom there are fifteen or twenty, prepare, on Saturday,
THE NEWS. 207
a digest of the news of the week, which they report on
the following Monday. One boy is called upon for
the foreign news, another for domestic, a third for
political, a fourth for literary, a fifth for local. When
any event of unusual importance has taken place, either
abroad or at home, this is made the theme of particular
examination. This is one of the regular classes of the
school ; its recitations are " marked" by the same stand-
ard with the others. The teacher takes care to create
and maintain interest among the members ; he makes
himself thoroughly acquainted with the news of the
day, and, by a few words of geographical, political, or
literary explanation, gives significance to facts and
rumors, which might otherwise be devoid of attraction,
and difficult to be retained in memory.
For the younger members of a school, a plan, carried
into successful operation by another teacher, may please
the reader. A large scrap-book is prepared, a com-
mittee of selection is chosen, a paste-pot made ready,
a*nd contributions are invited. Every day there are
brought in the clippings and cuttings, of all the boys,
from home papers. One brings an anecdote, another
an interesting item of news, a third an arithmetical
puzzle, a fourth a beautiful or an amusing wood-cut.
These are handed to the committee, who decide, by a
majority, on their insertion ; and they paste accepted
articles into the scrap-book. Pictures are almost
always acceptable ; short stories and interesting facts
208 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
are plentiful ; all are gratified at the growth of the
book ; and, in a short time, a grand collection is made,
and a fund of entertainment and instruction provided.
The book is kept on a shelf, similar to those used in
reading-rooms, and all enjoy the reading of it. The
teacher has now several huge volumes of this kind.
One of them was sold at auction, for "post -office
money," last term, and brought a high price. I envy
the purchaser his possession.
LIBRA EY.
A good Library is a very desirable addition to any
school. The expense of purchasing books deters
teachers from providing them. Let me tell how li-
braries have been procured, of excellence in size and
character, at very little expense to any one, and none
at all, to the teacher. After talking up the subject
in such a way that interest in the subject is secured,
the teacher may invite his boys to lend some of their
own books to the school, such books as they would be
willing to lend to their companions. These they are
to cover firmly, and their names are to be distinctly
written within. In a school of fifty, one hundred
volumes may easily be collected, perhaps more. These
are to be loaned out under strict regulations. Fines
are to be collected for neglect to return within speci-
fied times, for losses, injuries or defacements, and these
LIBRARY. 209
fines may be easily collected, if there is the understand-
ing that the money is to be applied to the purchase of
new books. Let those who have no books, or are un-
willing to expose their treasure to miscellaneous hand-
ling, be allowed to become members by the contribution
of a certain sum of money. When this original col-
lection becomes stale, invite contributions of money
for its increase. Let the teacher head the list of con-
tributions with as liberal an offering as he can afford ;
let him ask aid from some of his wealthy patrons ; his
boys will, themselves, contribute dimes and quarters
freely ; the library may, by these means, be made all
that a school can need.
Every teacher should possess encyclopedias or
books of reference ; these he should leave for access
to his school, not to be taken from the rooms, but to
be examined and returned to their places.
When a boy leaves school, he may of course, take
with him the books he has loaned, and he may also be
entitled to select a volume of a value nearly equal to
any money he may have contributed. If this is under-
stood by all, contributions may be more liberally made.
It will be well to entrust the care of the library to
a librarian chosen from among the scholars. Such
posts of trust and honor should be made numerous in
a school ; boys should early learn to fulfill duties of
various kinds, the more the better.
210 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
READING ALOUD.
The young gentleman or young lady who can read
aloud correctly and gracefully, possesses an accom-
plishment which will enable him, or her, to give much
pleasure to others. How pleasant is that family circle,
which, in a winter evening, is gathered around the
fire, beneath the mellow light of a shaded lamp or
" burner." The father, wearied by the labors of the
day, enjoys the embracing arms of an easy-chair, and
desires no more vigorous occupation than that of a
listener. The good mother, ever busy in the service
of her children or husband, sits knitting on the oppo-
site side of the hearth. The elder daughters are sew-
ing or crocheting, the children are half-busied with
paints or quiet toys, and all are listening to an elder
son or brother, who is reading aloud some interesting
book of travels, or one of Dickens's stories. He reads
in no drawling, sing-song tone, but throws life and char-
acter into the language of the author. He delivers
the remarks of " Cap'n Cuttle" in a rough, solemn,
and oracular voice, or imitates the hopeful tones of
" WalVs" voice, or the " no-consequence" air of " Mr.
Toots." If Stephen's Travels, or Layard's Nineveh,
is the book of the evening, he narrates their adventures
and discoveries in a manner which would become him
were he himself the traveller, telling the story of his
own adventures and discoveries. The time passes unob-
READING ALOUD. 211
servably, and when nine o'clock comes the bed-time
of the little folks they beg to sit up a little longer,
and are only persuaded to go willingly with the pro-
mise that " brother shall read again to-morrow even-
ing."
It is this accomplishment which many desire to see
taught in schools. Almost all children can be taught
to read well. What child is there who cannot tell a
story well. The boy has met with some tragic or
amusing adventure, and he runs in and gives his
mother a most glowing description of it ; he imitates,
unconsciously and naturally, the voices of his playmates
who were engaged with him in the affair ; he makes
present the past event. Now, can it be denied that he
may be able to read the same, or a similar adventure,
with the same tones and emphasis of voice with which
he told it ? But for so long a time children have been
taught to read at school from books which they do not
understand, or in which they take no interest, that
they have acquired a drawling way, a lifeless, mechan-
ical style, in which to " speak up loudly and distioctly"
is excellence enough. I am glad to admit that a re-
formation has begun in this department of instruction,
but there will need a generation or so of school-chil-
dren, and the constant and varied efforts of teachers
and parents, to recover from the effects of the old-
fashioned way.
A plan to accomplish something in the way of im-
SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
provement m school-reading, which has the recommen-
dation of success, and is, at the same time, an interest-
ing exercise for the school, is as follows :
Let the teacher select a story from some book or
magazine, which he will be sure shall interest his boys.
Let him give the book containing it to some boy, ask-
ing him to read the story over to himself a few times,
to become familiar with it ; and at or near the close
of school, let the boy read it aloud to his schoolmates.
Before commencing, however, let the teacher recall
some amusing event which has recently taken place,
or select some anecdote from the scrap-book, and let
him repeat this to the school in a slow, drawling way,
in a forced, unnatural voice. They will all laugh at
such a rendering, and will appreciate the meaning
of the teacher when he changes his tone and style, and
gives them the event or anecdote in a natural, unaf-
fected way. Turning now, to the reader, let him re-
mark to him, " You can take your choice of these two
ways of reading." As he reads, do not discourage
him by too frequent interruptions, but, occasionally,
when he relapses into the drawl, repeat the passage,
kindly, in the better way, and ask him to notice and
imitate your manner. When he has ended, read to
them yourself, some other good story, and let your
style be worthy of imitation. Have these readings
often. Be sure that the story is naturally written, is
lively or exciting, in short, make the exercise one that
COMPOSITIONS. 213
all shall be glad to engage in. A good time for the
reading may be on Friday afternoon, at the close of
school. Hawthorne's "Wonder Book" and "Twice
Told Tales," Dana's " Two Years before the' Mast,"
" Chambers' Series," and " Household Words," are
books from which good stories may be selected ; but,
in these days of books, the teacher need seldom be at
a loss for a story.
COMPOSITIONS.
One method of making that bugbear of "compo-
sition" less frightful, may be grafted upon the above-
mentioned reading-exercises. Let the story which has
been heard from the teacher or the reader, be the
theme for a composition. Require the scholars to
write out the story from memory, and say to them, by
way of encouragement, "When you get home, and
your mother or father asks you what you have done
to-day, you will be very apt to speak of having heard
this story. They will want to know what the story
was, and you will tell them ; you won't have any
difficulty in telling them the whole story clearly. You
will not remember the words of the book ; you will
tell it in your own words. Now this is just the way
in which I want to have you write the story. Write
it just as if you were telling it at home."
They should write it at first on their slates ; then
214 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
they should look over the work, to correct mistakes,
and then copy it into their blank-books.
In this way thoughts are furnished them, and they
practice themselves in giving expression to these
thoughts. This, as I think, is at the foundation of suc-
cess in composing, namely : expressing thoughts, no
matter whence they are derived. After the student
has learned to write out his ideas, and to write them
grammatically, and with correctness in punctuation and
the other details, he may enter on a course of inventing
ideas for himself. If this course is adopted, the writer,
when he has learned to express himself freely and cor-
rectly, will be no longer impeded, clogged, confused
with how to write, and the what to write will arrange
itself clearly and easily in his mind.
Another advantage of this method is, that children
are fond of writing stories, while they dread " compo-
sitions," and they can thus be induced to get into a
habit of writing, so that they themselves, unconsciously,
strip the object of their fears of its disagreable dis-
guise.
The plan of the writer in teaching this subject has
long been founded on these principles, and the successes
of the plan have determined its excellence.
In detail, it is as follows :
On Wednesday afternoon a story is read ; one-half
of the school say the younger, write this off upon
their slates, as roughly as they please, taking care only
COMPOSITIONS. 215
to get in the whole story, without omissions or altera-
tions ; they then write it out fully, and as correctly as
they can, on half foolscap sheets of paper, and hand
them in to me, at the close of school. I take these
exercises, and at my leisure I examine them, and cor-
rect them with red ink. A mistake which I think they
can correct themselves, I merely underline : an error
which is correctible in the narrow space between the
lines, I correct in writing, but more important errors
I leave for verbal explanation ; I mark the place with
a large interrogation-point, and require them to come
to me at my desk to talk about it. On the following
Wednesday, these corrected exercises are distributed
to them, and they are required to copy them, noting
carefully the corrections, into their blank-books. At
the same time, I read another story for the other, or
elder, half of the school. I give them a longer and
more intricate story than I gave to the first division,
but the process of writing, correcting and copying is
the same.
In " marking" these writings I give a high grade for
comprehensiveness, clearness and accuracy, in the ex-
ercise ; for absolute correctness and good penmanship
in the copy.
Occasionally, instead of reading a story, I give to
my older division the skeleton of a story, or merely
the theme for a narration or description. From their
number I select the best to form an advanced class,
216 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
which I instruct particularly in the art of composing.
For this class I would recommend " Brookfield's First
Book in Composition" as a valuable text book upon
this subject ; also, " Parker's Exercises in English
Composition," and " Quackenboss' Second Book," on
the same subject. Additions are made to this class,
frequently, by promotion.
In concluding the subject, I am pleased to be able
to say that I rarely fail to make "composition" a
pleasant and easy study, and that my scholars succeed
in becoming good composers.
SCHOOL PERIODICAL.
To encourage writing and to afford profitable enter-
tainment to his school, the teacher may think it best to
establish some kind of periodical. If no better plan
occurs to him, he may adopt the following :
Fold a large sheet of printing-paper in newspaper
shape ; let it be ruled in columns ; let editors, chosen
by vote of the school, paste into the spaces articles
selected from the journals of the week, together with
original matter, written on paper which has been cut
to fit the spaces ; encourage offerings (original) from
the scholars by announcing a prize (in post-office
money) for the best story, in three chapters, or for the
best piece of poetry. With original matter and selec-
tions, the editors need never be at a loss to fill their
columns. Let the ornamental heading of the first page
GEOGRAPHICAL GAME. 217
be an original design and drawing. Advertise for
these, offering rewards for the one accepted ; and have
a new one for each issue. Let the teacher encourage
the enterprise by contributions in the shape of good
selections, and of stories written to praise or ridicule
some boy's habits. Let the paper remain during the
week on a reading-desk, similar to that proposed for
the scrap-book, and at the end of that time, be pre-
served for comparison and future readings.
From this, as a beginning, there may grow a period-
ical worth printing, but the writer's experience has led
him to think that the publication of school periodicals,
in printed form, " costs more than it comes to."
GEOGRAPHICAL GAME.
About ten years ago the writer attended a Teachers'
Institute in Massachusetts, under the direction of
Horace Mann. Among the exercises was the follow-
ing :
The teachers, ladies and gentlemen, arranged them-
selves on opposite sides of the room, forming, however,
a continuous line, standing with their backs against
the wall. At the request of Mr. Mann, the gentleman
who stood nearest to him repeated the name of a
town and gave its State or country. Perhaps it was
" Boston, Mass." The final letter of Boston, N, was
the initial letter for the next person, who gave, we
10
SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
will suppose, " Newport, R. I." T came to the third
in order, who may have given " Trenton, N. J." Thus
it went on. " No one may give a town which has been
given before," said the director.
The circle, or parallelogram, of teachers was able to
preserve its completeness during the first "round,"
although the last dozen of the hundred and fifty were
somewhat puzzled to think of new towns, and others
were in momentary difficulty when the letter which
came to them was a Y or a K, or a Z. Towns which
begin with E also became scarce.
At the conclusion of this round, Mr. Mann remarked
that some distinct rules were necessary before entering
upon the second round. After saying that towns might
be mentioned from any part of the world, he laid down
the following rules :
Any one repeating a name of a town ;
Any one failing to give the State or country to
which the town belonged ; or
Any one failing to give a correct name, within one
minute by the director's watch,
must sit down.
He remarked, also, that as the victory would belong
to the last one standing, it became all to give such
names as ended in a difficult letter for his or her suc-
cessor.
The second round was begun, and now there were
droppings away from the hitherto intact rank. It
GEOGRAPHICAL GAME. 219
happens that there are many names of places which
end in E, and but few, comparatively, which begin
with that letter. In addition to this difficulty, by this
time they who had not pretty good memories, or an
intimate acquaintance with geography, found it hard
to think of a name not already mentioned, within the
sixty seconds ; or they repeated a name, and were
obliged to sit down. For these reasons, and others,
at the end of the second round, one-half of the original
number were in their seats. At the end of the third
round only ten were left ; but these were veterans, who
were as familiar with their atlases as their spelling-
books. This Spartan band was composed of six ladies
and four gentlemen. As the fourth round was com-
menced, the attention of the wounded was riveted upon
the survivors, and the heroes buckled their armor
tightly around them and prepared for the contest. To
the spectators it seemed as if there were no more towns
left ; but they were mistaken. The resources of the
te"n seemed inexhaustible, and they maintained their
positions during one more round. At this point the
time was lengthened to two minutes ; but even with
this indulgence, they could not all maintain the floor.
Gradually the number was reduced to five, to three, to
two ; a lady, on one side of the room, and a gentleman
on the other. The excitement now approached its
climax : it was not only teacher against teacher, but
sex against sex : and no one of the ladies wished the
220 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
gentleman to resign in deference to the laws of gal-
lantry, as he proposed. They began : for some ten
minutes they stood firmly ; but at last the lady gave
her opponent the initial K. It " posed" him ; he ran-
sacked his memory in vain for a town beginning with
that letter, which had not already been given, and at
the expiration of his time he expiringly enunciated
" Kalcutty" (Calcutta) as a joke, and yielded the palm
of victory to the lady. The excitement and enthusiasm
now climacterized in & furor of applause, from both
sides ; and, amid expressions of delight with the exer-
cise and its results, the teachers gradually subsided
into sufficient calmness to go on with the next subject
on the programme.
This exercise was thus illustrated by that excellent
teacher, Mr. Mann, that it might recommend itself as
an exercise for schools. I suppose that it has been
adopted in many Massachusetts schools ; but as I have
not heard of it elsewhere, I think it worthy of a re-
newed and more general recommendation.
The teacher who adopts it will be pleased to notice
the eagerness with which his scholars, after once learn-
ing the modus operandi, will examine their maps, to
prepare for the next trial ; and he will be sure that, in
addition to the advantage the exercise gives in inspir-
ing the study of Geography, he has added another to
the list of profitable school amusements.
The plan may be varied, by confining the contestants
ARITHMETICAL GAME. 221
to particular maps, and by requiring more minute de-
scriptions of the places named ; as, for instance, " New
Haven, Ct. ; situated on Long Island Sound ; has about
30,000 inhabitants ; is noted for its college Yale."
Or, instead of names of towns, rivers and mountains
may be mentioned, without restrictions as to initial
letters, but within the rule concerning repetition.
The writer has applied the principle on which this
game is conducted in another way. Minuteness of ob-
servation, and accurate fullness in description, are de-
sirable acquirements for writers. In my classes in
composition, I have sometimes required a division to
name the adjectives describing a fountain, a landscape,
a storm, an accident ; or the events of an excursion, a
term at school, a war, a narrative of adventure (as
Robinson Crusoe's) ; and have then required them to
write a composition on the theme thus examined.
ARITHMETICAL GAME.
I well remember the interest with which " we boys"
used to engage in this game. At a quarter before four
o'clock, our teacher would say " Slates and pencils."
In a twinkling we were ready, and, auribus erectis, sat
waiting for " the sums." He who first solved a problem
correctly, and announced the result, was allowed to go ;
and with what triumphant looks did the victor gather
222 SCHOOL AMUSEMEXTS.
his books and inarch out from among those who were
still " kept in 1"
The object of the exercise is to give boys practice in
rapid calculation. If the school is one of heterogeneous
character, as almost all schools are, it will be necessary
to make two or three divisions, in which boys of nearly
equal attainments are to be classed. Let each division
have opportunity for practise in turn. The teacher is
to prepare or select problems of ordinary difficulty,
within the capacity of the division. He must be cer-
tain that his answers to these are correct. Very slowly
and distinctly he announces a problem ; the boy who
first raises his hand is supposed to have found the
answer, and if, on being allowed to state it, he is
" right," he is allowed to go ; if he is wrong, another
one is given. This is continued until all have worked
their passage out. Details of arrangement may be left
to the reader.
DICTATION EXERCISES.
The importance of the constant use of the pen or
pencil, in pursuing many studies, is now generally ad-
mitted. Whether to assist in remembering or ex-
pressing thought, this agent is most valuable, and
children cannot too early become accustomed to its
use. Children are fond of using writing-materials,
and will often busy themselves most industriously over
DICTATION EXERCISES. 223
an exercise to be written, when they would be idle
over a task requiring only abstract thought. They
seem to themselves to be accomplishing something, if
the results of their labors take form in black and
white. For instance, they may be led to take pleasure
in preparing their lessons in Geography in the form
of statistical tables, and the facts and events thus ar-
ranged would be impressed, by sight, upon their memo-
ries, while, if they were to study the lesson in the
ordinary way, they might labor without spirit, and
with unsatisfactory results.
It is recommended that the teacher seek various and
numerous methods of giving employment to the pen-
cils of his scholars. There is an excellent little book
which will aid him in doing this, called " Northend's
Dictation Exercises :" it costs but little, and is worth
much. It is the result of wise experience, and con-
tains many most valuable suggestions.
, I will not quote from it, but rather urge teachers to
buy it, and will venture to give here a few additional
hints.
In spelling, the writing out of words in distinct form
aids the memory wonderfully. Let the teacher dictate
the words which he wishes learned, making such classi-
fications of them, at different times, as he thinks best,
and require his scholars to write them distinctly on
their slates ; let him give them time to make ttiese as
correct as reference to the dictionary and applications
224 SCHOOL AMUSEMENTS.
of rules can enable them to do, and, at the end of a
certain time, let him send " examiners" to look over
the slates. These " examiners" may be, at first, boys
who are of high standing in this department ; they
are to hold office, however, only as long as they make
no mistake themselves. If one of them overlooks an
error (left, perhaps, on purpose to catch him), or re-
ports as an error a word, or words, which the examined
finds, by reference to the dictionary or the teacher, to be
rightly spelled, the examiner must be deposed, and the
boy whom he has corrected may take his place, to hold
office on the same tenure. The examiners are to re-
port errors to the teacher, and a certain number may
lower the standing of the errorist. Examiners are
anxious to retain an honorable office, and they scruti-
nize, most critically, the exercises of their fellows ;
these, in turn, are desirous of ousting and supplanting
the examiners, and, at the same time, are careful not to
lower their standing by being reported as having made
mistakes. This plan has worked most admirably.
With the same system of " examiners," various gram-
matical exercises may be given ; such as writing
sentences, and denoting the several parts of speech
by abreviations, as n. written over a noun, adj. over
an adjective, adv. over an adverb, &c. There are
various other ways of employing these means in study-
ing Grammar, but it will be needless to enumerate
them for any inventive teacher.
DICTATION EXERCISES. 225
Reference has already been made to a method of
studying Geography with the fingers as well as the
eyes.
In Arithmetic, younger classes may profitably em-
ploy themselves in copying the muliplication table,
and the tables of weights and measures.
I have been very much pleased with exercises in de-
fining, conducted on the following plan, for which I
am indebted to Mr. Northend, and which I cannot for-
bear quoting : I have offered prizes, of inconsiderable
value, or " credits," (or " plus-es") in standing, for the
six longest, fullest, clearest and most correctly written
definitions of twenty such words as these : cotton,
gunpowder, sugar, steel, animalculse, gold, &c. I
have received, often, from six to twelve closely written
foolscap pages of definitions on twenty such words,
and could see that the writers had examined every en-
cyclopedia or book of reference within their reach.
These exercises were written out of school.
It will not be difficult for the teacher to add to this
list many other and better exercises.
10*
-
LIST OF BOOKS
FOR A TEACHER'S LIBRARY.
THE TEACHER'S LIBRARY, In 7 vols. (A. 8. Barnes & Co. Publishers.)
BABNABD'S AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.
" BC11OOL ARCHITECTURE.
" LECTURES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN IN-
BTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION.
tt NATIONAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
THE SCHOOL AND SCHOOL- MASTER, by BISHOP POTTBB and G. B. EMEMOH.
TEACHING A SCIENCE, THE TEACHER AN ARTIST, by RJSV. B. B. HALI.
THE TEACHER TAUGHT, by EMERSON DAVIS.
THE TEACHER, by ABBOTT.
LECTURES ON EDUCATION, by HORACE MAJW.
BLATE AND BLACKBOARD EXERCISES, by DB. ALCOTT.
NORTHEND'S DICTATION EXERCISES.
UNIVERSAL EDUCATION, by IRA MATHEW.
THE TEACHER'S INSTITUTE, by W. B. FOWLS.
EXERCISES FOR THE SENSES. (Chas. Knight: London.)
LESSONS ON OBJECTS, by C. MAYO. (London.)
FIVE HUNDRED MISTAKES.
LIVE AND LEARN.
GOOD'S BOOK OF NATURE.
MITCHELL'S PLANETARY AND STELLAR WORLDS.
COLTON'S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
BROCKLESBY'S METEOROLOGY.
TRENCH ON THE STUDY OF WORDS.
TRENCH'S ENGLISH, PAST AND PRESENT.
CALVERTS SOCIAL SCIENCE.
PHILOSOPHY IN SPORT MADE SCIENCE IN EARNEST.
WILSON'S TREATISE ON PUNCTUATION.
BOGETS THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS.
PETERSON'S FAMILIAR SCIENCE.
DAVIES' PRACTICAL MATHEMATICS.
A LIFT FOR THE LAZY.
HARRISON ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
PORTERS PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY.
WELCH'S ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH SENTENCE.
N. B These books are not expensive, and are obtainable through
any publiahcr.
4 8. BARNES it COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS.
Ptgt't Theory and Practice of Teaching.
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TEACHING |
OE TUB
MOTIVES OF GOOD SCHOOL-KEEPING.
BYDAYID PAGE, A.M.,
LATE FXINCIPAL OF TUB STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, XEW YOEK.
"1 received a few days since your 'Theory and Practice, &c.,' and a capital ikttrt
and capital practice it is. I have rriid it with unmingled delight. Kven if I shruH
look through a critic's microscope, I should hardly find a single swiiimt nt to di'ent
from, aud certainly not one to condemn. The chapters on Pmes and on Cot t wnt
Fwnishment are irnly admirable. They will exert a most salutury influence. So
partial criticism upon the social and political features of the United States. The pub>
fishers have now sought to adapt it as a text-book for higher seminaries of learning
For this purpose they have published the first volume as an independent work, in at
avoiding ihe author's speculations upon our social habits and religious condition. Thw
volume, however, is unmutilated the author is left throughout to speak for himself ; bin
Where at any point he bad misapprehended our system, the defect is supplied by nottt
or paragraphs in brackets from the pen of one most thoroughly versed in the history
the legislation, the administration, and the jurisprudence of our country. This work
will supply a felt deficiency in the educational apparatus of our higher schools. Ever/
man who pretends to a good, and much more to a liberal education, should master th?
principles and philosophy of the institutions of his country. In the bands of a judicioia
teacher, this volume will be an admirable text-book." The Independent,
'" Having had the honor of a personal acquaintance with M. De Tocqueville while b*
was in this country ; having discussed with him many of the topics treated of in lh
book; having entered deeply into the feelings and sentiments which guided and in>
polled him in his task, and having formed a high admiration of his character and of
this production, the editor felt under some obligation to aid in procuring for one who*
he ventures to call his friend, a bearing from those who were the objects of his ob>
eervations.' The notes of Mr. Spencer will be found to elucidate occasional miscci*
ceplious of the translator. It is a most judicious text-book, and ought to be read
carefully by all who wish to know this country, and to trace its power, position, an<
Itimale destiny from the true source of philosophic government, Republicanism Ctae
people. De Tocqueville, believing the destinies ol' civilization to depend on the power
of the people and on the principle which so grandly founded an exponent on this oos>
tin-nu analyzes with jealous care and peculiar critical acumen the tendencies of the
new Democracy, and candidly gives bis approval of the new-born giant, or point*
out and warns him of dangers which his faithful and independent philosophy foresee*.
We believe the perusal of his observations will have the effect of enhancing still more
to fc ia American readers the structure of their government, bf the clear and protean*
K*e is Which be present* il, n ^mtriean flvtit*.
iet' System of Mathcmatict.
DAVIES' LOGIC OF MATHEMATICS.
Ibe Logic and Utility of Mathematics, with the best methods of Inairu*
tion, explained and illustrated. By CHARLES DAVIDS, L. L. D.
' One of the most remarkable books of the month, is ' The Logic and Utility of
Mathematics, by Charles Davies, L. L. 1).,' published by Barnes & Co. It is not in-
tended as a treatise on any special branch of mathematical science, and demands foi
its full appreciation a general acquaintance with the leading methods and routine of
mathematical investigation. To tho e who have a natural fondness tor this pursuit
fend enjoy the leisure for a retrospect of their fivorite studies, the present volume will
possess a c ha mi, not surpassed by the lascinations of a romance. It is an elaborate
and lucid exposition of the principles which lie at the foundation of pure mathematics,
with a highly ingenious application of their results to the development of the essen-
tial idea of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Analytic Geometry, and the Ditierential
and Integral Ca.lc.ulus. The work is preceded by a general view of the subject of Logic,
mainly drawn from the writings of Archbishop Whutelyand Mr. Mill, and closes with
an essay on the utility of mathematics. Some occasional exaggerations, in presenting
the claims of the science to which his life has been devoted, inust here be pardoned
to the professional enthusiasm of the author. In general, the work is wriiten with
singular circumspection ; the views of the best thinkers on the subject have been
thoroughly digested, and are presented in an original form ; every thing bears the im-
press of the intellect of the writer ; his style is for the most part chaste, simple, trans-
parent, and in admirable harmony with the dignity of the subject, and his condensed
generalizations are oi'ten profound ai.d always suggestive." Harper's JVeio .VunMj
Magazine.
" This work Is not merely a mathematical treatise to be used as a text book, but a
complete and philosophical unfolding of the principles and truths of mathematical
science.
" It is not only designed for professional teachers, professional men, and students of
mathematics and philosophy, but for the general reader who desires mental improve-
ment, and would learn to search out the import of language, and acquire a habit of
noting of connexion between ideas and their signs ; also, of the relation of ideas to
each other. The Student.
" Students of the Science will find this volume fall of useful and deeply interesting
atter." Albany Evening Journal.
" Seldom have we opened a bonk so attractive as this in Us typography and style ot
execution ; and there is besides, on the margin opposite each section, an index of the
subject of which it treats a great convenience to the student. But the matter is no
less to be commended than the manner. And we are very much mi-taken if Ibis work
(hall not prove more popular and more useful than any which the distinguished author
has given to the public.'' Lutheran Observer.
" We have been much interested both in the plan and in the execution of the work,
and would recommend the study of it to the theologian as a discipline in close and
Mvurate thinking, and in logical method and reasoning, (t will be useful, al.-o. to the
general scholar and to the practical mechanic. We would specially recommend it te
those who would have nothing taught in our Free Academy and other higher instit*
tton'butvvh.it is directly 'practical': nowhere have we seen a finer illustration i*
the connection between the abstractly scientific and the practical.
'The work is divided into three books; the first of which treats of Logic, mainly
anon the basis of Wlmtely; the second, of Mathematical Science; and the third, rf the
Utility of Mathematics." Independent.
"The authors style is perspicuous and concise, and he exhibits a mastery of the
abstruse topics which be attempts to simplify. For the mathematical student, wh
desires an analytical knowledge of the science, and who would hi-irin at the beginning
we should supi>ose the work would have a special utility. Prof. Davies' mathemati-
cal work.s, we believe, have become quite popular with educators, and this disclose*
%uite as much reasearcb and practical scholarship a* any we b.av teen from lti DM/
PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISEMENT.
THB Friends of Education are invited to the perusal of this new Cata-
logue of the " NATIONAL SKKUM or STANDARD SCHOOL AND LIBRARY BOOKS,"
designed as Class-Books, for the use of Schools, Academies, Colleges,
Families, and Libraries.
The Publishers would here express their grateful acknowledgments to
numerous Educators throughout the United States for their patronage, and
kind expressions of appreciation of their efforts, and the merits of their
publications.
The best talent that could be procured has been employed in the prepar-
ation of these works ; and the high standing they have already attained,
as Class-Books for the Institutions of our country, is gratifying evidence
of their intrinsic merits and it is believed fully entitles them to the name
of the NATIONAL SERIES.
It is the intention of the Publishers to use all possible endeavors to sus-
tain the reputation which these works enjoy, by issuing the most ap-
proved works on various subjects which come within the range of School
and Academic Instruction and to keep up with the age, by publishing
revised and improved editions of such works as need revision.
Quite recently several new works have been added to this series, and
others thoroughly revised. Teachers would therefore, perhaps, consult
their convenience by preserving this Catalogue for future reference ; should
they desire copies of any of the Text-Books enumerated, for examination,
with reference to introduction into their schools, they will receive th
same, by mail, post-paid, upon receipt of their respective prices.
Liberal termt will be made to Teachers for the first introduction of any
of the Educational Text-Books belonging to the NATIONAL SEBIES.
The Library Books attached to this series will be found worthy th
high praise that has been bestowed upon them. No Library can be com-
plete without them.
Orders, not only for our own Publications, but for those of other Pub-
lishers, shall Lave prompt attention. All communications in relation to
die above may be addressed to
A. 8. BARNES Introduction on the ElemantH of Elocution. $1.25.
8
National Series of Standard School Books,
WILLARD'S HISTORIES AND CHARTS.
1. toillarb's (Mrs. (Emma) &bvib0eb f istorg of the
ilnitcb States, WITH MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS. De-
signed for Schools and Academies. 75 cts.
2. toillarb's fjistoria foe 00 (Estabos limbos.
Being a translation of " Willard'a United States," into the /Spanish
Language. By Miguel T. Tolon. $2.00.
3. ttJiilarb'0 (Mrs. (Emma) ^istorg of the Hniteb
States, or Republic of America, l VOL. 8vo.,
WITH MAPS. Designed for the Library, and as a Text Book for tha
higher class of Schools and Academies. $1.50.
4. toillarb's (iflrs. (Emma) Hnioersal ^istorg in f)er~
SpectitJe. Divided into three parts: Ancient, Middle,
and Modern History, with Maps and Engravings, to which is added
a Chronological Table and Index. $1.50.
5. toillarb's (ittrs. (Emma) historic <0mib* anb Map
of &im, designed for general use in Academies and
Seminaries. 2 vols. $1.25
C. toillarb's (iHrs. (Emma) Cast eat)cs of American
i)istorj}, embracing the events of the last ten years.
75 eta.
7. toillarb's American Chronograpfjer, a Mounted Chart,
to Aid in Fixing the Important periods of American History in the
Mind of the Student. $1.50.
8. tDillarb's Ancient Chronographer. A Mounted
Chart of Ancient History. $1.50.
9. tDillarb's fftemple of ime. A Mounted Chart of
Ancient and Modern History. $1.50.
10 toillarb'0 (Englislj Chronograpfjer A Mounted
Chart of English History. $1.50.
Published by A. S. Barnes eograpf)2. 40 cents.
4. jjlontdtlj's (las.) Booth's Manual of eograpljs,
rombineb ujitt) ^islorg anb SUtronomj). so cents.
5. JttcNallB's Complete Bgstem of eograph.s, i*
Quarto form, designed for Academies and Schools. Price $1.00.
6. JUurigbi's (4H. 31.) (Grecian anb ftoman
with Illustrations. 1 vol. 8vo. Price $1.75.
C{)t anu CBatfc atrtHfirt for JScfesol*. Price 75 cents.
THE ENGLISH POETS, WITH NOTES.
1. jJUlton'0 JJaraMse Cost, with Notes Critical and
Explanatory : by Rev. J. R. Boyd. $1 26". School Ed., 75 cts.
2. fjomtg's Nigljt SljongljtS, with Notes Critical and
Explanatory : by Rev. J. R. Boyd. $1 25. School Ed., 75 efe.
3. SfyottlSOn's Seasons, with Notes Critical and Explana-
tory : by Rev. J. R. Boyd. $1 25. School Ed., 75 cts.
4. (Eouoper's (Eosk, fftable-ftalk, #c., with Notes Critical
and Explanatory : by Rev. J. R. Boyd. $1 25. School Ed., 75 cts.
5 flollok'8 Course of ime, wijh Notes Critical and
Explanatory : by Rev. J. R. Boyd. $ 1 25. School Ed., 75 eta.
Each of the above volumes is published in 8vo., with illustrations,
bound in various styles, and worthy of a place in every Libry.
National Series of Standard School Books,
A COURSE OF MATHEMATICS,
BY CHARLES DAVIES, LL.D.
*
This COURSE, combining all that is most valuable in the various method*
of European instruction, improved and matured by the suggestions of
nearly forty years' experience, now forms the only complete consecutive
Course of Mathematics. Its methods, harmonizing as the works of one
mhid, carry the student onward by the same analogies and the same laws
of association, and are calculated to impart a comprehensive knowledge of
the science, combining clearness in the several branches, and unity and
proportion in the whole. Being the system so long in use at West Point,
aud through which so many men eminent for their scientific attainments
have passed, it may be justly regarded as our NATIONAL STSTEM OF MATHB-
1. UD curies' JJrimarg QUittymetic : containing the Oral
Method, with the Method of Teaching the Combination of Figures
by Sight. 15 cts.
2. JD curies' (Grammar of Arithmetic, or &nalgsis of
Numbers, so cts.
3. SD curies' SnteUer.tnal &ritb,metic, Containing a large
Number of Practical Examples. 25 eta.
4. SD curies' Arithmetic, Designed for the use of Schools and
Academies. Kevised Ed. 45 cts.
Srg to Oabt'r 9' ci)ool 3riHjnu tic for Cracfit r. 45 Cts.
5. ^Dairies' MnitJersitg 3Uith,metic, Embracing the Science
of Numbers, and their numerous Applications. 75 cts.
erg to Sabira' Hnibmitg arithmetic for gtacftm. 50 cts.
6. CD curies* Umentarg 3Ugebra, Being an Introduction
to the Science, aud forming a connecting link between ABTTHMETIO
and ALGEBRA. 75 cts.
t B to afafes' ISItmtntarg aigtbra for Etac&trjj. 50 cts.
7. JUames' Elements of eometrg anb SCrigonomctrB,
with APPLICATIONS IN MENSURATION. This work embraces the el
nientary principles of Geometry and Trigonometry. The reasoning
is plain and concise, but at the same time strictly rigorous. New *nd
Enlarged Edition $1.00. .
i
Published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York.
8. Dames' practical iflatljematics for practical \en,
Embracing the Principles of Drawing, Architecture, Mensuration,
and Logarithms, with Applications to the Mechanic Arts. Now
Edition. $1.00.
9. Dames' Sonrbon's QUgebra, including STURM'S
THEOREM; being an abridgment of the Work of M. BOURDON, with
the addition of Practical Examples. New Edition. $1.50.
lUg to Dairies' Uourtm's 3Icjci>ra. $1.50.
10. Dames' Cegenbre's <0>eometr|), from the works of A.
M. LEOENDRE, with the addition of a Treatise on MENSURATION o
PLANES AND SOLIDS, and a table of LOGARITHMS and LOGARITHMS
SINES. New Edition. $1.50.
U. Dames' SttTDejung, with a Description and Plates of
the THEODOLITE, COMPASS, PLANE-TABLE, and LEVEL ; also, Maps of
the TOPOGRAPHICAL SIGNS adopted by the Engineer Department an
explanation of the method of Surveying the Public Lands, Geodesic
and Maritime Surveying, and an Elementary Treatise on NAVIGATION.
$1.50.
12. Dames' 2Utaltical Ocotnctrg, Embracing the EQUA-
TIONS OF THE POINT AND STRAIGHT LlNB OF THE CoNIO SECTIONS 01
THE LINE AND PLANE IN SPACE ; also, the discussion of the GENERAL
EQUATION of the second degree, and of SURFACES of the second order.
$1.50.
13. Dames' Descriptive Cfteometrj), with its Application
to SPHERICAL PROJECTIONS. $2.00.
14 Dames' 0h.abes, Sh.abotos, anb Cinear Perspective,
Designed to show, with mathematical accuracy, the Lines ofSha-l*
and Shadow on a complicated building which parts to be darkened
and which to be made light in the drawing of it. $2.50.
16. Dames' (Elements of Differential anb Integral
CalcnltlS. The most difficult branch of the pure
Mathematics. $1.50.
10. Dames' Cojjic anb Htilitn of mathematics, with the
best methods of instruction explained and illustrated. A book for
Teachers and Normal Schools. $1.25.
17. Dames anb fleck's mathematical Dictionarg anb
Cgdopebia OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE : Comprising
Definitions of all the terms employed in Mathematics an AnalysU
of each branch, and of the whole e forming a single science. 2.5*
1
National Series of Standard School Books,
PROFESSOR CHURCH'S MATHEMATICS.
i. OTIjardj's (Albert eometrf).
Price $2.00.
Text-Books of the U. S. Military Academy, at West Point.
HACKLEY'S TRIGONOMETRY.
1. ^ackles's (fJrof. <. .) JHane ana Spherical
< viciOttOIUClvn, with its Application to Navigation and
Surveying Nautical and Practical Astronomy, and Geodesy.
Price $2.50.
The Text-Book in Columbia College, New York.
COURTENAY'S CALCULUS.
1. (Elements of ^Differential ana Integral CTalcnlns,
by EDWARD H. COUBTENAY, late Professor of Mathematics at th
University of Virginia. Price $2.50.
The Text-Book in the University of Virginia.
REUCK'S EXAMPLES IN ARITHMETIC.
1. Ueuck's practical samples in Denominate Num-
bers.
2. Renck's practical (Examples in Qlritljmetic. D-
eigned for Schools. Price 50 cents.
The Text-Book in the Ward Schools of New York City.
3
Published by A. S. Barnes & Cb., New York.
NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING.
1. Barker's (8. .) Intjenile .fJljilosojil)!}, Part I,
Designed to teach Children to Think. 25 cts.
2. Barker's JTntJenile JJfyilosophg, Part II, or, FIRST
LESSONS IN NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, designed as an Introduction to the
School Compendium. 37i cts.
3. fjarker's OTompenbinm of Natural anb ^en-
mental J)l)iloSOJ]l)J!, Embracing the Elementary
Principles of Mechanics Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics,
Acoustics, Pyronomics, Optics, Electricity, Galvanism, Magnetism,
Electro-Magnetic Electricity and Astronomy; also a description of
the Steam and Locomotive Engines, and of the Electro-Magnetio
Telegraph. New Edition, enlarged and improved. $1.00.
4. Chambers' Jntrobnction to tl)e Sciences. Presenting
a systematic view of Nature. 50 cts.
5. (Cambers' Natural f)l)iloSOph.B. Embracing Laws
of Matter and Motion, Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, and
Pneumatics. 75 cts.
o. Ulcf ntire's ^stronomp anb the lobes, Designed for
the use of High Schools and Academies. $1.00.
7. Sartlett's (fJrof. to. $. (L) Elements of ^fUecljanics,
Designed for Colleges and Universities. $8.00.
8. jBartlett's (Elements of Acoustics anb (Duties,
Designed for Colleges and Universities. $2.00.
9. JJartiett's 2tnalBtical iHecljamcs. (A text-book in the
United States Military Academy.) $4.00.
10. Bartlett's (Elements of &stronom2. This work is
the most complete of any published in the United States. $8.00.
11. GJilleSpie's (|)rof. (D. iU., OF UNION COLLEGE,)
iflannal of ikoab-lttaking, Comprising the Location,
Construction, and Improvement of Roads (Common, Macadam,
Paved, Plank, &c.) and Railroads. The most complete work before
th public. $1.50.
National Series of Standard School Books,
CHEMISTEY AND GEOLOGY.
1. Beib anb JBoin's (EljemistrB anb (EiectricitB,
Designed for Elementary Instruction. 75 cts.
2. JJorter's (JJrof. loljn 31., OF YALE COLIEGE) practi-
cal (Styemistrj), for Schools and Academies. $1.00.
3. regorj]'s Organic anb Inorganic Cl)emistrj|.
Designed for Students in Colleges. 2 vols. $3.00.
4. Page's (Elements of >eologs, Designed for Academies
and Schools. 75 cts.
PHYSIOLOGY, BOTANY, AND ZOOLOGY.
1. Hamilton's Vegetable ana Qlnimal $Jl)Bsiolog2
This work is highly approved for Seminaries. 75 cts.
2. Chambers 1 STreasurp of Knotnlebge, Containing Ele-
mentary Lessons in Common Things. 75 eta.
3. fyeobore Sfyinker's JTirst essons in JBotong.
For Juvenile Students. 80 cts.
4. ?Uarbn> (flrof. loljn) lements of JJotanB, for the
Southern States. $1.75.
5. Chambers' Elements of goologs, a work of high
merit for schools. $1.CO.
BOOKKEEPING, PENMANSHIP, AND DRAWING.
1. Fulton anb astman's jBookkeeping. A Practical
Treatise upon Double and Single Entry. 75 cts.
J3ooMut}iincs I'lanfss, llulrt to (Conform to JTulton anti Eastman's ji*tnn,
In Six Nos. 75 cts. per set.
2. jTnlton anb (Eastman's Cops- Books, in 3 Nos.
These copies are remarkable for their great beauty and absence of
any flourishes or stiffness. 12t cts. per No.
10
Published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York.
3. JTnlton an& (Eastman's Ch.irograph.ic Charts, in 2
Nos. Designed to bo hung up in the sciiool-room for Imitation
and improvement. $4.00.
4. Jten to ^nlton ana (Eastman's ,jiro2raph,ic Charts,
Giving the principles of Penmanship. *6 cts.
5. Clark's (Elements of UJraruing, Embracing the prin
ciples of the subject. 60 cts.
MUSIC FOR SCHOOLS, F BELIES, AND CHURCHES.
1. tungsten's (eorge) jfmjenile Cljoir, Embracing the
most popular and favoritt? pieces for the young. 45 cts.
2. Kingsleg's f)onng fabji's ^arp. A Book for Female
Seminaries, with the Piano Accompaniment. 75 eta.
8. Sfjennoofc anfo Britton's 6ong anb ^pmn Sook.
A collection of hymns and pieces, to which the various tunes now
published and sung are adapted. 871 cts.
4. (EljeetJer's (Bet). (5eo. S.) Christian ittelobies. A
Hymn and Tune Book, for Worship in Schools, Families, and th
Lecture Boom. 50 cts.
8. 0abbatl)~ School ems. A book for Sabbath-Schools :
By J. & A. CRUIKSOANZ. 87 i cts.
6. Curtis anb Naslj's School Vocalist. Designed for
popular use. 75. cts.
T. (Il)e riole, by MATTHEWS trib'0 iHetamorjj|)o0e0. This edition of
Ovid is expurgated, and freed from objectionable matter. 8vo
6. JJrook0 1 a first reek e00on0. This Greek ele
mentary is on the same plan as the Latin Lessons, and affords equal
facilities to the student. 12mo. 50 cts.
6. JJr00k0 1 (B>reek Collectanea Cetters anb Corresponbence, Collected and
arranged under the sanction of the surviving: members of Mr. Clay's
family : hy IJEV. CALVIN COLTON, LL.D. $2.00.
11 Clajl's GjJCcd)C5. A carefully arranged volume, con-
taining the most Important speeches of Henry Clay. $4.00.
12. Constitutions of all tlje States of ilje Hnion,
Revised and Corrected from authentic sources. 2.00.
" Every true American should have this volume in his library."
is, )e (ocqnemlle's EDemocracs in America. The
Republic of the United States of America, and its Political Insti-
tutions Reviewed and Examined : by Alexis De Tocqueville, mem-
ber of the Institute of France, and the Chamber of Deputies, &c. $2.00.
" M. Da Tocqueville was the first foreign author who comprehended the
genius of our institutions, and who made intelligible to Europeans the compli-
cated machinery, wheel within wheel, of the state and federal government*.
His ' Democracy in America' Is acknowledged to be the most profound and
philosophical work upon modern republicanism that has yet appeared. It if
characterized by a rare nnion of discernment, reflection, and candor ; and
though occasionally tinged with the author's peculiarities of education and
faith, it may be accepted as iu the main a just and impartial criticism upon tha
social and political features of the United States." Independent.
14. Oorigfjt's (N.) ies of th.e Signers of th.e
ration of Jhlbepenbence. It is believed that a gen-
eral knowledge of the distinguished men whose names are set to the
Declaration of Independence, would at all times be considered as
desirable by the young and rising generations of the Union. 75 cts.
15. olton's (ttet). Cabin) flnblic (Eronomt) of tfje
Unilcb States, Containing a full discussion of tha
Free-Trade policy. $2.00.
10. J[mprot)ement of tl)e fttinb: by ISAAC WATTS, D.D.
87* eta.
"Whoever has the care of Instructing others may he charged with deficiency
in his duty, if this book is not recommended." Dr. Johnson.
IT. nbn tjJillongljbj} ; or, PASSAGES FROM THE DIARY OF
A WIFE AND MOTHER IN TUB SEVENTEENTH CKNTCRY. 50 eta.
" This Diary purports to have been written In the stirring times of Charles
the Flrirt and Ollrer Cromwell, bnt the allusions to public events are merely
Incidental to the portraiture of I/ady Willouuhby'n domestic life. Her picture
Of the little palnn and trials which are mixed up with the joys that surround the
fireside is perfect, and no one can fail to derive benefit from It* examination. In
the very flrrt chapter we are charmed with her simplicity, her piety, and UTM
womanly feeling, and learn to reverence the fictitious diarist at a model for tbe
wUe acrd mother of tie nineteenth, crotory." /Tmeor* Dotty Aivvrtu*'
18
National Series of Standard School Books,
BOOKS OF TRAVEL, &o.
1. ftlje Monasteries of the cist, in the etwnt, by
HON. EGBERT CURZON. 1 vol., 12mo. $1.00.
2. agarb'0 Babglon ana Ninece!). This work contains
the results of Mr. Layard's second tour in the countries of which it
treats. It is abridged from the larger edition, but contains all that
is important to the general reader and the Biblical scholar. $1.50.
3. Silliman's (fJrof. Senjamin) fcisit to (Europe, in
2 vols., 12mo. $2.00.
4. Spencer's l&ravels in (frjBP 1 & n & lh - e $ lS Can*** "*
1 vol., 12mo. $1.50.
5. 01. Petersbttrg ITS PEOPLE THEIR CHARACTER AND
THEIB INSTITUTIONS: by EDWARD JERRMANN. Translated from the
original German, by FREDERICK HARDMAN. 60 cts.
6. fftscljttors Sraoels in JJertt, on the Coast in the
Sierra Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval
Forests. $1.00.
JJernman &ntiqttities, Translated by FRAN-
CIS L. HAWSES, D. D., LL.D. 1 vol. $1.00.
7. HngetDitter'0 Cnrope PAST AND PRESENT. A com-
prehensive view of European Geography and History, with an index
of 10,000 names. 1 vol., 8vo. $2.00.
8. sborne'0 Arctic Jkrnrnal, or EIGHTEEN MONTHS IN
THE POLAR EEQIONS, in search of Franklin. 60 cts.
9. ittontagne's Selections from Sailor, Booker, jBar-
rotD^ &c. This volume contains choice extracts from
eouie of the old and best English Writers. 12mo. 75 cts.
1. iflflnnal of tl)e -i o
.n x . M .
cs ' * a o ;
P. ft
ft" n