Smyrna times., 1881-12-28


branch OF industry is more gratifying
than that Of the country journals. Next
to the public schools the weekly news
paper Is the educator of American public
opinion and no other instrument touches
so nearly the heart Of the home circle.
Evidence Of their hcalthfulncss is testi-
mony 10 the mental and moral vigor Of
the COMMUNITY it represents.
FIsIToRs.-Thc following are tho Christ
mas visitors to friends in this town:
Miss Laura Doug hten, Bliss Nellie Benson
Miss Lille I4chttIIstein, Wm. Il. Clement
Harry NanGasken and wife, l,arry Bu,lI
Calvin liazell, George Raymond, Harry
Ev&ES, Wilmington.
Mrs. Emma ard Miss Lizzie Myers. John
\. Hoiieckcr, Edgar Wright, William 7.
Johnson, William Davis. +. S. Phelps, Ed
ward Evans. J, G, Mariner, Philadelphia.
Aiiss Maggie .lnitheys, Camden, NJ.
Miss Gcriic Stevenson, Dover.
Miss Annie Signan Cape May, M.
}. Ed. HOtlcckcr, Baltimore, Ma.
Thomas Haynes Chestertown. Md.
Harry Dcakync, Chester, Pa.
Slrs. n. Ruckna:.er. Wyo,n;nc.
George Woodkra2er, RAILWAY. =.
Richard Mitchell and wife. Greensboro
Md. ''''''''V
George E;dd,c and wife and Miss Katie
Eudd Cecil Co., Md.
Misses Addit Hazard, iz2ic Iethe1-
berry aud Jennie GrGbb, Midaiptowr.
Geo. Z. Bagrg, Esq, Harry Shannahau,
O!.n ilVugh, E3sjon, MI.
Miss MARY Cooper, Philadelphia, 3iias
kate {, Tschudy, Wilminston; Miss
Edith Bell, West chester: Miss Florence
Hou9h, Dover; William Hudson. Charles
kaMjey, Pennington Seminary.
Miss Maggie $. Maree, Christ;ana.
Miss Maggie McCoy, Newark,
James Z, Griffin, Chicago,
------:-s-N .------
CUe PUBLIC SCHcoIs.-Thc progress Of
our public schools is matter that inter
ests all our people, though hut few take
the time to personally attend the exercises
in the school room. Thursday and Fri
days last were set aside for special exaln-
tlon III all the departments, and in Il pei
sonal attendance we found the several
rooms in good working order. The first
entered was the primary, taught bV Miss
Lizzie Mcdowell. There is very much in
any object or enterprise in starting right,
and if we ere any judge, this school has
the proper germinaticn. They start right
at the root principal, and grow Ia the
most proper and natural way on to gradua-
ton. In manner of tender regard
coupled with authority so we'll regulated
that it regulates itself, the little ones.
whose first lessons are in "otiect teach
ing" soon learn the natural sound of the
letters-thc aspirants, the labiants, &C.,
Just as they occur i'll speaking or pro-
pouncing q word, They are brought up
IN classes of tiftOcn to twenty Rt time
and taught from Phonetic chart and
words written OIL the Black aboard. With
a class OF seventy or eighty untutorcd
minds no other method could be used
successfully. A child that is not utterly
obtuse can scarcely fail to become inter
ested i'll the object before it aad learn.
whether ii has any purpose in 80 doing or
not. Every child has slate which en-
ploys ia time when not reciting. They
commence 70 ioTM tho letters, figures gpd
words on states simult aneously with teach
ing them on the chart, and taus spelling,
reading and writing are all learned at the
same time and hy the same mental pro-
cess. This root" work serves tho double
purpose Of keeping them out of miscl;uf
while they are laying the best foundation
for the building of all English education.
Tho 81 and 4tf departments are also in
the saIae house, the first taught by Miss
Annie DOughten and the second by Miss
EmMa IlUugh. Hiss poughttns cfass in
Geography had jusl finished and the class
i'll that trying study to initial mathcinA-
clans, mental arithmetic, were summoned
before their teacher and ia The main rot
though TIE przzling questions promptly.
Miss UOugh's c!asscs in spelling, weights
and ulea.ure and ploa;al arithmetic gave
evidence ct PRECISION and readiness, cepc-
cially in the two first studies The order
n these two rooms Was beautiful" if We
mag use i2'iies IgOgil- every poTcrnent is
by the tap OF the bell ard with the rtgu!G-
tl0n of clock,
the 2h, 9th and 9lli, arc taught rcspcr:iveiy
by Mrs. 81. =. S.riil.crs. Miss Lizzie Par.
r0tt ana Levin Irving Handy. PrnciraI,
WHO has SD oversight ever the whole.
AIRS. Sgai;herS' room. ia W Which class was
ls9Id in spelling, is not adapted 10 the
needs Af sj many sGboilrS ia any WAY.
ani no one GaR visit it WilLOut bciag i'm.
pressed with the Importance Of cQnsuli-
dated school house where tie scholars caa
nave comfortable quarters and all can be
more directly under The care Of the Prin-
cipal.
Miss Lizzie Parrott's room, which Is in
order next to the graduating one, presented
bright clQsscs III Gramm2r and Mental
Arithmetic, bat as IN the othor depart
ments, this latter subject of abstract
thought was not helped Ia indYidnal soIu-
tons by the presence of CRITICAL epecta-
tors. The second day her pupils did both
themselves and teacher credit in some
good reading and defamation.
Mr. nandy's room is occupied with
those mostly well on in their teens, In
such studies as history, gcOmctery, higher
arithmetic, algebra, latin, &C. In the last
named study lone very necessary for
correct understanding of our native lang
uage) there is q class of about q dozen.
Until the consolidation of the schools this
last and some OF the other studies were
not in the curTjcHlum, the consequence
being the resumption Of school b. a mum,
ber OF students pronounced "fnishsdii-at
least at home. Mr. Handy has the com.
manding respect of the school while he
teaches with the familiar ease Of the Pro-
fessor, impressing them with his own pcr-
sopalItg and mnstery of the subject, them
selves, the lesson AID instructor standing
to each other as three parts Of an orange
to the whole.
We are safe in saying that our publIo
schools have never been so well oouipDed
or in such effective discipline ms since the
consolidation, and they only need one
other thjng-a combination under one
roof.
THE CHRIsTSIAs HoLIDAYs--A BRIGHT
DAY AND JOYOUS EYENT.--The Christmas
Holiday 1881 is about over, and who will
say that in eyerv xyav n hoe Mt -. .