5R. S. DAVIS & Co.'s NEW ARITHMETICS.--The publishers of "Greenleaf" bring out a new series of arithmetics of unsurpassed mechanical beauty. They are printed on the University press, the two primary books are elegantly illustrated, and all are bound in tasteful muslin covers, artistically arranged in two shades of brown. First Lessons in Numbers is a really charming little arithmetic that never for an instant forgets that it is designed for little girls in pinafores and boys in knickerbockers. We have seldom seen a book of the kind so persistently and unvaryingly primary; while, at the same time, it avoids what has always seemed to us the fault of the Grube system-the wearisome and almost endless drill on things which every child of school age knows already. Addition and subtraction are taken up together, as are also multiplication and division. There is an abundant supply of slate work, which is so arranged as to afford a constant review of points previously studied. It is expected that objects, presenting the relation of numbers visibly, will be constantly used in teaching this book. A Brief Course in Arithmetic is designed more especially for the use of graded schools. It is designed both to prepare pupils thoroughly for the successful study of a more extended treatise, and to give that large class of pupils who leave school at an early age, a sufficient knowledge of arithmetic for the practical purposes of ordinary life. Being designed for children whose reasoning powers are yet undeveloped, it gives much practice and little theory. One point which impresses us very favorably is the treatment of decimals. Their notation is introduced at the first, with the general subject of notation, and they are used right along, in the examples under the various rules, just as if there were nothing terrible about them. This early familiarity must quite divest the subject of decimals of the superstitious dread which usually surrounds it. The handsome cuts illustrating fractions are very serviceable as well as ornamental. On the whole, the little book appears to be admirably adapted to its purpose. The Complete Arithmetic Two objects have been kept in view in the preparation of this book. First, training for practical business; second, the development of the mental powers by the clear explanation of principles and by logical processes of reasoning. Decimals are used from the first, as in the lower book. One of the excellent features is a series of neat and practical business forms-notes, bills, accounts, letters, etc. such as any one needs for practical use. Another is the severe restriction of the book to practical and contemporary uses, more technical, abstruse, or obsolescent subjects being relegated to the appendix. The examples are numerous, practical and well-behaved-i. e., not tricky. Each subject is followed by review examples. Thirty-five pages of examination questions, selected from those used in different cities, are given; as also a number of college-entrance examinations. In short, if the court understands herself, and is competent to judge, this is a good series of arithmetics.

6VAILE'S FRESH LEAVES.-We have spoken before of the admirable lessons in explanation of these Fresh Leaves given in Mr. Vaile's Schoolmaster. The Leaves themselves contain six pages each, and give easy and interesting reading lessons for first reader pupils. These lessons are so arranged as to form puzzles. Sometimes all the pauses and spaces between words are omitted; or each line of the story is given correctly, but the order of the lines confused; or the story is told all straight, with an occasional dash in the place of an omitted word. Our own little ones have been much interested in unraveling these perplexities, which are just sufficient to interest without discouraging, and we cannot doubt that their use in accordance with the instructions given in the Schoolmaster would be highly stimulating and profitable to primary pupils.

5R. S. Davis & Co.: Boston. 6E. O. Vaile: Oak Park, Ill.

SGILMORE'S INTERMEDIATE SPEAKER.-This collection is intended for children between the ages of ten and fifteen. It is young enough for that and old enough for anybody. The selections are of the first order of literary merit, are all "speakable" and effective, and a very large proportion of them are new. Good selections of poetry for declamation are not uncommon, though few of them equal this, but we have never met any collection of prose declamations to compare with the twenty-five magnificent extracts given here. All are short and within boyish comprehension; yet, without exception, they are masterpieces of grand and inspiring eloquence.

Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., issue a 30-page five-cent composition book, similar to their five-cent spellers. These articles are the cheapest in the market, and just as good as more expensive ones.

The Educational Weekly (Chicago) has been transformed into the Present Age, with a capital stock of $10,000, and a list of nine stockholders and contributors, comprising many of the most distinguished educational naines of the Northwest-our own Dr. Pickard, Dr. Gregory of Illinois State University, State Supt. Smart of Indiana, and others scarcely less famous. We understand that Prof. Jones, so long conductor of the educational department of the Inter-Ocean, is the editor. The new paper is principally devoted to educational matters, though it pays some attention to other subjects. It need hardly be said that it is conducted with great ability, and is an honor to the educational forces of the Northwest. We hope that the teachers of the West will give it a cordial support. If it receives a tithe of the support it deserves, its success is assured.

The Minnesota Journal of Education (St. Paul) is an energetic and live new monthly, handsomely printed, and well worthy the patronage of the teachers of our neighboring state, who have hitherto had no school journal of their own.

The Portfolio is the latest addition to the ranks of college journals in our state. It comes from Parsons College. It is elegantly printed on tinted paper, and the proof is read with care. In its contents it will compare favorably with any other college paper in our state.

The Knox Student steadily improves. It is dignified and able--but all this will not excuse it for saying Longfellow had a poem on "Humes Tusmegistu" in the last Century. Knox will graduate a class of 25 or 30 next summer.

8H. A. Young & Co. Boston.

INSTITUTE ENTERTAINMENTS.

Secure Miss BELLE ROUSE, of Dubuque, Iowa, if you wish to engage a first-class entertainment for your Institute. Ex-Supt. Thompson's opinion, given below, is endorsed by Supt. Boyes, W. J. Shoup, The McGregor News and the Press of the State generally. Terms reasonable. Business communications must be addressed to Miss ANNA D. PLAISTER, Dubuque.

Miss BELLE ROUSE and Miss ANNA D. PLAISTER of Dubuque have given a series of three of their Humorous and Dramatic Readings at this place to highly appreciative audiences during the present week. It is no exaggeration to say that both ladies possess rare talents, which have been improved by careful study, skillful training and practice, until it must be a dull audience indeed that would not be charmed by one of their evening entertainments. To say that the people of Elkader were pleased with the recitations of Miss ROUSE but feebly expresses the truth. To all lovers of humor and art, I commend the entertainments given by Misses ROUSE and PLAISTER. J, F. THOMPSON, Clerk of Clayton County.

ELKADER, Iowa, Dec. 22, 1881.

Thine own high words have taught us not to grieve,-
"There is no death, what seems so is transition;"
Reft of thy gracious presence thou dost leave
A darkened earth, but in the fields Elysian
Thy soul doth spring to grasp immortal youth
And glory fitted to its shining truth.

Earth doth not lose thee, though the heavens gain;
The air is sweet with music of thy singing,
Thy tenderness brings patience to our pain,

Heroes from thy heroic songs are springing,
Our lives are brightened by thy visions splendid,
Our daily toil by their bright forms attended.

Grief had no tenderer comforter than thou,

Thou crownedst faithful love and high endeavor,

The light of heaven was on thy lifted brow,

The angels' song was heard through thine forever,
And not a line was written by thy pen

But drew us nearer "peace, good will to men."

Thy life was fair with all men's love and praise,

And rich with work, and strong with high achievement;

Thou hadst fulfilled the measure of thy days

And we may joy, amid a world's bereavement,

That thou hast reached at last "the Wayside Inn,
Where toil shall cease and endless rest begin."

M.

TRIFLES.

What constitutes success or failure in the teacher's calling? Why is it that some are always popular while others who seem to possess the same qualifications and who try equally hard to succeed, are declared failures by the popular verdict, and are scarcely able to hold their positions to the close of their stipulated term? If it were possible to lay down a set of rules which would in every case insure success, they would be eagerly followed by a large percentage of our teachers, who honestly try to do their best, but who meet with only indifferent success, if not with utter failure. But no such formulæ can be given, and the teacher who is guided mainly by rule in the management of his school fails as inevitably as does he who is obliged to follow blindly the rules of arithmetic in teaching that subject. His work will be mechanical, and the sharp eyes of his pupils will soon detect its fatal want-its lack of spirit.

That intangible something called success is a complex organism whose parts are controlled by intelligence and can no more be successfully imitated than can the movements of the body by the puppet pulled by wires. If the teacher's work lacks spirit, it lacks everything.

The elements of failure are often born with the teacher and are as inseparable from him as is his very personality. Sometimes they are a few prominent defects which make failure sure and swift, but more often they are a multitude of trifles, no one of which would count for much by itself, but their combined effect will sooner or later alienate first one and then another of his pupils till his influence for good is utterly destroyed. If asked to tell why such a teacher has failed, you would find it difficult to answer; for you could not enumerate a tithe of the elements in his personality which have produced the fatal result, but you feel no more hesitancy in writing FAILURE across his record than though you could specify a dozen glaring faults.

Many of the trifles in the unsuccessful teacher's make-up are of such a nature that he has no more power to change them than has the leopard to change its spots. They were born with him, and it would be a mercy if they would die with him; but unfortunately the law of the survival of the unfittest in personal peculiarities holds as rigidly as does its more pleasing converse. As he came by them honestly, he may not be to blame for them, but they are every whit

as repulsive to others as though he had had them made to order and exercised them for the special purpose of giving offense. They unfit him for the school-room and impose upon him a moral obligation to retire.

The teacher must of course have the necessary educational qualifications, and the more he knows of the most approved methods of instruction the better he will be equipped for his work. But possessing all these, he may still fail utterly. If nature has unfitted him, art cannot supply the defect.

SCIENTIFIC TEMPERANCE.

The battles of every age must be fought with its own weapons. The undisciplined hordes of Persia were swept away like chaff before the solid Macedonian phalanx, which yielded in its turn to the more flexible and manageable Roman legion. The steel-cased knight and horse of medieval times became obsolete after the introduction of gunpowder, and the flint-lock musket would stand a poor show against the needle-gun and the Winchester rifle.

"The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light": nations are prompt to adopt the most improved methods of warfare, but the reformers are too apt to keep on fighting the battles of the Lord with obsolete weapons.

Fifty years ago the world was sentimental; it was still under the dominance of the ideas which culminated in the French Revolution. It was natural and fitting then, that the temperance advocates should make their appeal to the emotions. Surely, nothing ever gave better scope for pathos and moving appeals than the frightful tragedy of the drunkard's career. But that which in the hands of an eloquent man, or a deadly earnest one, might well sway the hearts of men, soon came to be the easy clap-trap of any one who wanted to make an effective speech, of any school-girl who wished to write a pathetic composition. In this way,the temperance cause came to be identified in the minds of many, with a cant and false sentimentalism which none but a zealot could endure with patience.

The fact is, the emotional appeal has now but little effect on those who most need to be influenced. What the drunkard himself needs is not the desire, but the strength, to reform. And in the more important work of prevention, we find that boys are too