The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-11-23

rect would BE- fitted 20 excite, - bnlieys they
hare Gacl' n, unjust prejudice against the H0rks
Truly oar little cnuniy has hlirn upon remark able
times. We have rail rad cars o. move with IN
W0niei Hipdify our bodlesi We have book Rgenu
a. sharpen our utelecis and TrciifF our iudRnents
That wonderful food n light has ~ late been
poured upon uti is evident irnin ihls that men who
have heretofore not iflt interest enough in the
school law o. atteud convention fnr the carrying
out ~ its puYsi1nsi arc nov fiund ~ De the indi
Fidual. who. ~ lhfif wisdom nTe qualified ~ give
q decision, which no one should dare ~ question
0u One Of the mist difficult points pertaining b. dis
tnct sChgps,~ ~ the WHYi are any Of mo fners
NJ Tho "Repo1" agents f1r the now booksf Il
iierr, iu the rnfe, HnY leruuHrY compensation -
Are the remerks which ftGw fhh signatures h. b.
c1usidrn.i ~ d part ~ the "Iepnu" iifelf2 Tie
roneWhat singular connection between tho remarks
and fie "leppu', il fitted 20 remind ans of ths
union between The iron and tho clay in The ilnags
~ iie Dahyl0nsh King. M r
such ara s0pe n The means hy which iis alleged
HunHuimify" iu our county fceIns 10 have beer
Produced Il i NOT dIaauit,by peTseyeTing private
effort, IN secure mninnfea certainly thai suparin
teudent musi possess q good deal ~ hunRsss, WIN
can hlHhn uhlhvHel ny su.n lNhNen,si w nave been
hnuupht ~ bear upon One ~ two Individuals ln this
neRhbnThn1d. I ventura tn sugrest that the unau-
unity spoken ~ win be- found a. be nilhsr shallow
ihnn substance, AMI ilni No voice ~ ule county
q expressed NJ least no better Than u was boore-
he whole work ~ gpinR a. sixteen iownt aud OBJ
tanning siFnniurfsi wa penpuned IN = vary few
days, Could there in most Of ne ensea' have been
murh iifHr pr deiiheFHii0Hf l. papeT which a.
ngiuHiai ~ least, IN part, With bndk agrnt-a pa
per which be- carried ab0ui 10 he pockei--A paper
" which be- solicited simaiurrs by ~ least doubt
only a. the act, bui a. fhe hniiei add mature scl
~ The sHperiuiendonia ~ schools jn this county -
J. our school law coming 10 thitl WIN the people
81 fhs county quietly submit ~ the cOurse N which
have been sTenkinFI I a. not wish h. Intimate
that nH the fupenuiendents have been Inlsled b,
aFonts, ~ that 0HB 81 them have iNsmfsd 10 ~
wrong only say that think wrong has been
done
Another thought. n the late action 4 rlghi there
nrc, with the exception 81 Heading loafss, hooks
recommended nr The use offhe schools IN tho COuu-
ty,--na the books supposed a. be recommended lat
sprinF, recommended auly by n min0ritv,--
Perhaps the agent who hHs "authority," win 10 =,
kind NJ lo o0ne along and help us out 81 this al.
isi',il..a, ~ he Aelpel bog nui NJ ile G'her,
I+r-,-. - Iemarls ln
relation a. Mnndcyile's Reading books DO I'd
the more readily ~ have no personal aequain.
lance with frol 81, nor the rcnoteaii connection
With his publishers ~ any ~ their agents, n has
been and II q siill my opinion that these bonks
though susceptible " considerable Improvement
are n tWu ~ three Important respects, The hest
that have appeared before the puhd the best for
our district soiools-the best for Any soho1ia.-
From their genius and plan ilev meet aalna f,,.lnts
which, tfuin my earliest associations IN teaching
have considered fundamentals points which haya
not seen 30 hy met ln any other sefies II has
been said that the books arr not Jrafhrai books
! believe this Co De q mistake Having used tho
books somewhat mvtclf aud having seen them used
IN some schools IN the county, am persuaded that
they are very practical hooks, The nsHshiasrg has
been objected ~. Npw II ~ happens that IN the
Third and fourlh READER Ohv latter q which W
sufficiently advanced for the higher tlsssos,iH tnnst
If district schnol there u very little mac hinerv
~ nll The finh Reader v designed fnr our High
schpuls, and ior'ihc most advanced cnsses IN tho
hest ~ our district schools. IN this hooA there ar,
indeed more definition, &c, than I should caro-
about seeing aud yet, these dchntinns can hardly
do ans. particular harm. AZ the worst they arc
somewhat Ike the me thousand md one objections
mud exceptions in Andrews md Stoiiari's Latin
Grnminnr They might even have the rood effect
u leading Young peuun. not only 10 book ~ The
gH.slaa sf sFagla. hut also 10 cAnInne the Anost
endless variety ~ structure which cur lanera 81 prs
senisl ar Which lhiter use they we're especially
designed
IL is NOT tho dsfHii'aH, IN this hook that make II
what Il is,i might lee unmarked here, that tho 80
ries hns been recommended hv some ~ the tnnst 81
perienced and practical iearhcra IN the State Such
nuunrs NJ Il ~ Howard, \. Rallail Hiram circuit
&C., would be n sufficient guaranty that any book
whirh those gentlemen should recommend, would
be- nu humhuF. Mr. Bumhnm, tho present State
superintendent, ln- once and again publicly said
that hc prricr ~" series 10 nny other which he has
seem. II 10 Understood that the series Il used In a
part NJ Orleans, Lamoile md Orangr countics and
in Addison county generally,
The only important objection which | have ever
had e. the rcrrs has related a. the character ~ some
~ m" pieces, paragraphs or expressions This oh
lection lln objection which stated at the meeting
NJ phnviuo last spring. was strong that WIS
unwilling 10 rrcnnimrud the adoption or TIE hooks,
tll could loo assured that mn,y alterations should
be made FROM the interest which felt in thr fr,nt
ter, especially n member Of Tho committee wrote
last summer Ia the author nrrspcct 10 the desired
changes. His reply was entirely satisfactory-un
from the pledge which he mvd fcli, as now feel,
nj liberty tn recommend the use ~ the books will
copy part ofhis letter II h ~ foowsi
"AinANY, I,,ly ~, 1880.
fllhA1s AIH il4i laslrA II the iGlh ON SAT-
urdny, and hasten -. early ~ possible 10 fCpiy.1
am Obliged by your interest la my serios Of book
and grateful for your criticisms; though YOU do not
seem 20 be aware that such nm amended edition OF
! the Third and Fourth Readers as YOU speak Of has
already been published; was published early n
last January or February, II Il true that changes
have not been made la all the cases 10 which YOU
tsils hui NJ lhe tgcniS ono Gnlmerate tnelYn
have been removed corrected; and 1T the rcnnin-
ing nine, think YOU will acknowledge. tho corroc-
ton of four IA raor desirable than absolutely
essary But these and the other
cases mcntunod by you and not yet changed, |
propose 10 change nj the earliest dny for wish tho
series 20 be in all respects uneNccptionAblc. Ihavo
found great, the greatest difficulty In finding mat
ter ~ the same time varied In centennial structure
"a prime requisite IN my view and ndapted 10 the
capacity OF Children for whom the book may be in
tended. .
have said there Is danger In making at once We
| ~ extensive ohnnge. You may, perhaps, think
that tho term srteasire viii hardly nppiv to tho
twenty one you recommend II will not But these
form comparatively small propnrtion Of the num-
Dor have actually made, md they are less than
the number intend vet Ia make before INV books
viii correspond with my ideGL Every thing how
ever In It's time. have reason DO grateful for
the acceptance with which they have mst and 20
rejoice In the improvement ofrcadcrx wherever thew
have been introduced and intcgently tnught. |
shall labor in return To justify tho public regard, by
improving them to the sum of my ability.
hope YOU will he satisfied with my statement
TINT ~ fHrT n proportion of tho corrections you
recommend, have been made, and that tho commit
tee will find no difficulty Ia recommending the uso
OF tho books in your county, Notwithstanding tho
few blcmishoa which remain"
Rospectfuly Yours,
81
] hope, Mr. Editor, that Mandevile's Reading
books will not be excluded from our county until at
least they shnl have boon carefully ex anued. That
rr- soe.l tseae- which pas-ansa given hx NJ, an
eicnt town clerk, 'Ye ought TO do nothing rashiy'
A. have said, | have wish 10 think for or to,
dictate to othersI am, however, Rlaw-abidng man,
and until the nctun at DnnSillo shall be regular