life does not evince a practical acquaintance with them. The services of better and better candidates should be secured, until those fully qualified can be found. Let committees or school supervisors insist on the moral qualification as the prominent, leading, and indispensable one, and the requisition will increase the supply, until, in time, the schools will, in most cases, be well provided.

The Legislature of Massachusetts, long ago, made it a matter of legal requisition that certain things should be taught in her public schools. The act on Public Instruction, Section 7, reads thus: "It shall be the duty of the president, professors, and tutors, of the university at Cambridge, and of the several colleges, and of all preceptors and teachers of academies, and all other instructors of youth, to exert their best endeavors to impress on the minds of children and youth committed to their care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love to their country, humanity, and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry and frugality, chastity, moderation and temperance, and those other virtues which are the ornament of human society, and the basis upon which a republican constitution is founded; and it shall be the duty of such instructors to endeavor to lead their pupils, as their ages and capacities will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of the above-mentioned virtues to preserve and perfect a republican constitution, and secure the blessings of liberty, as well as to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices."

Thus it will be perceived that, as far as Massachusetts is concerned, no public teacher, of any grade, has it at his option to teach morality or not; but, as a loyal citizen, he must do it. Well would it be for every State in the confederacy to adopt a similar law.

Teachers are required "to exert their best endeavors" in this work. Consequently, it should be kept constantly in view, and not be left to chance for its exercise. A time should be set apart for it as regularly as for any of the studied lessons of the school; and at that time it should be invariably brought up.

3. "What is the best method of giving Moral Instruction in School?"

This question it is not so easy to answer, for the reason that teachers of experience, with any degree of originality, must differ in modes, even, of arriving at like results. William B. Fowle, a veteran teacher, of great success in his vocation, alluding to his means of teaching, in the outline of his school plans, says that he teaches

"Moral Philosophy chiefly by Reading the Scriptures, Conversation, and Example." This method, in the hands of a discreet and competent teacher, must doubtless succeed well. Other teachers attempt the same thing by rules, by requisitions, and by the study of books prepared especially for the purpose, like Wayland's Moral Science.

No one plan should be invariably pursued. Children tire of routine and monotony. Variety is necessary, even to the adult mind, to secure attention and perpetual interest; and, with children, this is still more requisite. Schools, again, differ in their elements. Some are composed wholly of young pupils; others, entirely of those in the closing years of school life, - -as in the high schools of large towns and cities; others, still, are mixed, ranging from, it may be, four to eighteen years of age. Hence, a course of instruction must be varied to meet the circumstances of the taught.

In schools of advanced age, didactic instruction may be resorted to with good effect; and if the pupils are required, a few at a time, to bring dissertations, written by themselves, on subjects previously assigned, and these be read to the school, and commented on by the teacher, and, when time permits, by the other pupils, a spirit of emulation will be roused, fresh interest excited, and the school generally be called to reflection. It is to such that the treatises on morals, under various titles, are best adapted. The lessons learned may very properly become the subject of a paper or debate, in addition to the recitation to the teacher.

With all grades of schools it is highly beneficial to notice every incident that occurs among the pupils, or that is notorious in the town or neighborhood, from which a useful lesson may be derived, virtue be rendered more attractive, and vice more repulsive.

Incidents of this nature are suitable to all ages; and, though they be simplified to the degree required by the humblest capacity, will not fail, if skilfully related, to secure, to some extent, the interest of all.

Nor is this peculiar to children. In some Eastern nations, as is well known, itinerants earn their subsistence by the narration of stories, and, if well trained, hold large audiences, wherever they find them, in delighted wonder by their stories, whether fictitious or the statement of facts.

The pulpit, at the present day, is rendered more or less efficacious for securing the attention of an audience, moving the feelings, and converting the mind, in proportion as it illustrates its positions or enforces its logic by the use of narratives. Nay, the Saviour himself evinced how well he knew what was in man, and by what avenues

he could reach the recesses of his soul, and convince the understanding, while he touched the heart, by the frequent use he made of parables in his preaching. The train of reasoning may be lost, but the story that enforces it abides forever in the memory, as a salient fountain of encouragement or conviction.

The teacher should take a hint from these facts. There is, as it strikes me, no way by which he can do more for the moral nature of his pupil, than exactly to adopt the method above mentioned. Of course, his own life and character should show forth the worthy doctrines he inculcates.

Subjoined are specimens of anecdotes, original and selected, of the nature I would recommend for school use. The teacher, by a little thought, might collect any number of the kind, and, doubtless, many more suitable and of higher merit.

Let the lesson, for example, be Truth, or the Telling of Truth. If the audience be very juvenile, he may relate the well-known story of Washington and the Cherry-tree, or something that may occur to him of like tendency. If more advanced, or mixed, the account of Petrarch and the Cardinal may be presented. And this, I may, perhaps, be excused for inserting here, as, although familiar to many, it has not been so often presented to our American youth as the former has.

It is this: "Petrarch, a celebrated Italian poet, who flourished in the fourteenth century, endeared himself to Cardinal Colonna, in whose family he resided, by his strict regard to truth. A violent quarrel had arisen in the household of this nobleman; and the Cardinal, that he might ascertain the facts in the case, called all his people together, and required each one to take an oath on the Gospels that he would state the simple truth. The brother of the Cardinal himself was not excused from it; but, when Petrarch appeared to take the oath, the Cardinal closed the book, and said, As for you, Petrarch, your word is sufficient!'

I shall never forget the feeling of proud satisfaction for the hero of the anecdote, with which I was filled, in first reading, as a boy, this charming incident. The Washington story, at a still earlier period, had a similar effect upon me. Hence, I infer that boys at the present time would be affected in like manner.

If I wished to inculcate a spirit of justice and manliness, I would relate something like the following: A boy of six years old, at play in one of the streets of Boston, accidentally broke a pane of glass in a window of a dwelling-house. Without hesitation, he rang the doorbell and said to the person who came to the door, "My name is

A. L. T———; I have broken your window, and my father will send a man to mend it." Receiving a kind word from the person at the door, he bowed and ran to his home to relate the case.

Here is an instance of true courage: A teacher, having received satisfactory evidence of the guilt of one of his pupils in a case of serious mischief, was about to inflict a penalty due to the offence, when another boy, of twelve years of age, called out, “O, sir, don't punish William! He did n't do it! 'Twas I, sir!”

As an example of civility and obedience, I would say, A gentleman calling at C. H. S, on business, one day, requested a lad at the door to hold his horse while he went in. On his return, he offered the lad a piece of money, which was courteously declined. The gentleman insisted, but the lad was immovable, saying, “Mr. T———— would not like it, if I took pay for holding a gentleman's horse for a few minutes."

I say an example of obedience. There was no specific school-law for such a case. It was deduced from the law of universal kindness, which was the summing up of the school-code, and which the boy so appropriately applied.

Here follows a beautiful example of youthful kindness:

THE DISINTERESTED BOY.-The sun had set, and the night was spreading its mantle over hill-top, and valley, and lonely wood, and busy village. While the winds were beginning to sweep through the trees, lights were here and there peeping through the windows, to tell that, though the wind was cold and blustering without, there might be peace and comfort within.

At this hour, Mr. Bradley passed through a little village among these hills, and, urging his horse forward as the night became darker, took his way through the main road toward the next town, where he wished to pass the night. As he passed the last house in the village, he thought he heard some one call; but, supposing it might be some boy shouting to another boy, he thought little of it. He heard the call again and again; at last, it occurred to him that some one might wish to speak to him, and he stopped the pace of his horse, and looked behind the chaise to see if he could discover who was calling.

"Stop, sir, stop!" said a little boy, who was running with all his might to overtake him.

Mr. Bradley stopped his horse, and a little boy of eight or ten years came up, panting at every breath.

'Well, my little fellow, what do you wish for?" said Mr. Bradley.

"You are losing your trunk, sir," answered the boy, as soon as he could speak. "And so you have run all this way to tell me of it, have you, my good boy?"

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Bradley jumped out of his chaise, and saw that his trunk, which was strapped underneath his carriage, was unfastened at one end, so that a sudden

jolt might have loosened it altogether, and he have lost it without knowing where it had gone.

"You are very kind, my little lad," said the gentleman, "to take all this trouble; you have saved me from losing my trunk, and I feel much obliged to you. And now, are you tall enough to hold my horse while I fasten the trunk as it should be?" said Mr. Bradley.

"O, yes, sir," said the boy, stepping up, and taking hold of the bridle. He held the horse till Mr. Bradley was ready to start, and then said, "Good-night, sir," and stepped away.

Stop a moment," said Mr. Bradley, taking a shilling from his pocket ; "here is a piece of money to pay you for your trouble, and I feel very grateful besides."

No, sir, thank you," said the boy, casting his eye full in the gentleman's face; "do you think I would take money for such a thing as that?"

"Ah!" said Mr. Bradley, as he afterward related the story, "I saw by his noble look that he had run from one half to three quarters of a mile, for the sake of doing a kindness to a stranger, and not for the hope of pay; and I could not find it in my heart to urge him to take the money; for I knew that the thought of doing good was a greater reward to him than money could have been. So I bade him 'good-night,' and he ran toward home; while I gave whip to the horse, and again rode briskly on; but I often think of that journey, and the noble-hearted boy who lived among the hills."

The following might be used to show the

ADVANTAGES OF POLITENESS.

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An elderly lady, passing down a busy street in New Haven, was overtaken by a sudden shower. She was some distance from any acquaintance, and had no umbrella. She was deliberating what to do, when a pleasant voice beside her said, "Will you take my umbrella, madam?" The speaker was a boy, perhaps ten years old.

"Thank you," said the lady; "I am afraid you will get wet."

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Never mind me, ma'am ; I am but a boy, and you are a lady.”

"But perhaps you will accompany me to a friend's, and then I shall not find it necessary to rob you."

The boy did so, and received the thanks of the lady, and departed.

Two years rolled away. The lady often related the circumstance, and often wondered what had become of her friend, but little thinking ever to see him again. In the dull season of the year this boy was thrown out of employment, and, the circumstances coming to the knowledge of this lady, she gave him a good home till March, when she introduced him to a good situation. Verily, kindness seldom goes unrequited, even in this world.

Here is exhibited an instance of gratitude for favors received:

A PASSING INCIDENT. As a man, of generous heart, from the country, was guiding, a few days since, his load of hay to the market, we saw, following him, and gathering the wisps of hay which dropped from the load, a poor woman and two lads, the latter of perhaps the ages of seven and nine years. Our