Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-12-12

gualng the scientific pill with scraps OF
poetry, seems to the Board quite inap.
propriate. This strange medley OF sci.
ence, anecdote and poetry,-here little
geology, there a little ichthyology, here
an array OF Greek proper names and La.
tin scientific terms, with rhyme forced In
to relieve the dark scientific background
does not seem to the Board to furnish
appropriate exercises, most needed and
best fitted for instruction in the art OF
reading. II 1t be true, as urged, which
we deny, that these scraps OF science
found In Wilson's readers are all that
many of our youth will have the oppor.
tunity ofacquirlng before leaving school,
do they acquire them by skimming them
over as q reading lesson7 A knowledge
OF science is acquired by study, not in.
situated In a sportive way by anecdotes
and patches OF rhyme. The Board be.
lieve that the scientific matter contained
in these readers, Is wholly inapproprl-
ate for reading lessons-worthless, for
the most part, for Evolutionary exercises,
and that it does not secure the scientific
education claimed for it. But If science
can be taught in this way, there are 9th.
er subjects which have equal and even
prior claims upon the attention OF the
young. 1t was a saying OF the great
German poet, Goethe, himself man of
science, that we must encourage the
beautiful, for the useful would take care
Of itself. There is world OF thought,
moral, political, practical, religious aud
aesthetic, as important to the moral and
intellectual nature of the youth, as a
knowledge of the classification of birds
aud beasts, Every reading book should
contain that pure literature which brings
before the pupils mind, ideas, words,
| style, and the use and management of
his native language, which gives to elo-
! CutiOn its lights and shades, its varieties.
! its emotional tones, its pathos and It's
animatiOn-pure literature in that end
less variety, which will permeate and
touch the soul Of the pupil by some, if
not every, avenue of approach, and lead
| it to spontaneous and natural outburst
of eloquence. Can the dry details Of
science do this?
Is not page in the dictionary as suit
able for the development of educational
ability as much OF the matter in Will
sons Readers? In giving instruction
in the art of reading, does not the teach
er need the exercises best adapted to
that specific end, just as in teaching mu.
sic he needs the appropriate tunes and
words? Is not q relish for the proper
use OF words, for the graces of style, for
the sigulf canoe, fexibility and COM
! pressed power of language, and the ele-
va'ng Influences of the noble truths con-
Veyed in our highest poetry, far more
important and Of more practical utility
to rae pupil than knowledge OF the
DIVISIONS, or Of the habits of the shark
family : Are not the noble specimens
OF E aglish, contained in the Progressive
serir-, the thoughts expressed in aptest
language, in extracts from Shakespeare,
MiIcou, Cicero, Chatham, Webster, Burke,
Irvlcg, Addison, and many other OF the
best writers, the noble and patriotic
tributes to the heroes aud statesmen OF
our own and other nations, more import
ant 10 the young, in s mere utilitarian
point of view, than all the details in
wilson's Rea 1ers in relation TO lizards,
turtles, shakes, bugs and birds a.?
If it be said that Wilson's series gives
a portion of space to extracts OF q purely
literary character, we are of the opinion
that that space is very dispropor tiona te
and not well filed. They are wanting
almost entirely, in oratorlcal and de-
clamitory pieces in specimens OF elo.
quenGe, whether in the Senate or public
assembly, and in patriotic pieces fitted
to inspire love Of our country, her
heroes and her statesmen, and pride
and cVnfdence In our republican ms ii.
tutios. On careful review, with all
due respect to the views and wishes Of
the lse Secretary, and of the teachers
of whom he speaks, the Board find nc
reason for changing the selection they
have made. mi
In ngard to arithmetics, the Board
refer To the reasons given in the report
to which this is supplement, as amply
sufficient to justify the selection which
they made. Those reasons the late Sec
rotary does not attempt to controvert
nor dots he offer any reasons that should
have Induced the Board to decide other
wise, Tor point out any particulars in
which the books that he recommends
excel those recommended by the Board
Columns Intellectual Arithmetic is
DOUBTLESS an excellent book, but Green
leaf S S equally good, much more extern
siyely Used In the State, and was adopt
ed upon the unanimous report of the
committee of the Board to whom the