New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


arenov for the first time colectedin volume Near
I'll If them have to do with educational matters.
A. Uiuslalc's opini0n are those of man OF ability
Who tboroucNlv understands his subject; ana ne
has EXPRESSED them with unusual tcrsene>S ana
yicor. lie has brought to the examination OF pubic
school method, practical experience anu ir.hN
soupon.sensc which give emphasis and NaAne 10 HIS
couc!u>,ons lie is radical amt he Is CONSERVATIVES
o,,1 in IN, best scrSc-uot hastily adopting un-
proved theories nor rejecting ideas because they are
nov Tspccialv iudcious is his plea for real teach
in, The inpa1ting of ideas instead OF the mere
l,bit of memoriziug Like all reasonable men con-
crnel in public school matters he sees and amentS
the slovcnly fashion in which pupils are allowed to
think and work " hazard the conjecture. he says
g that q majority of teachers now in the pbhc
schools have small idea of the extent to which their
,,,pjls are ignorant of the meaning of words that
tbcv daily use | shall here record as literally rs
ran some discussions in which have borne a part
The first is with class of boys that has Just passed
very satisfactory oral examination IN the history
of the United States, including the Emancipation
Proclamation of President Lincoln.
"What is slavery ?" "There isn't any now.
@Isn't there still slavery in countries 2 "Nes'
sir" Then YOU mean that slavery doesn't now
cvist in the United States ?" -" Yes, sir There
was once slavery IN the United States theh
"Yes. sir" "Whcre ?" In the south wen,
what was slavery when we had it = The universal
silence that follows this question leads me 10 ch'ec
the abstract for the concrete form. "NclI' theh'
,.ho+ is slovcg7 NEGRO" a negro! Were all
negroes slaves-the negroes in the NorthY " No Slr
uThcn if is not a good answer to say slave IS
pecro-is il r. "No sir" "Thcn we must try again.
What is q slave" \ slave has a master whom he
has TO mind" eyes; and boy has a father
whom ne has to mnd,-hasnt hef' "leS' sr.'
"Then what is the difference between slave ana
q boy?" 4" A slave has to work very hard, Ana
some BOYS have to work very hard: Is that the
di1erence-the slave has to work harder than the
boy ?" A slave, if he does wrong, gets whipped.
And so boys sometimes get whipped; what Is the
difference then ?" "Ifa slave does wrong he gets a
terrible whipping; but boy only gets cut once or
twice : Are You all satisfied with this answer 2
Silence seems to show that the class cannot throw
more light upon the question So l change my tack
again "Cana master sell his slave ?" Yes, sir. >
UIike n horse or an OK? "Yes sir" Can a
father sell his boy 7" "No. sir" Then Is this not
the dlference.-a slave is property, thing, or
cbattcl that can he bought and sold while boy IS
mott" Yes. sir
"This dialogue shows how pupils of considerable
gence able TO recite good lessons III the history
States can 90 on hearing and using such
words as slavery and slave with no just idea
of what they mean. have heard pupils recite from
the School History a paragraph headed Religious
Intolerance lin Massachusetts, in the days OF
Roger Williams who, when questioned revealed
the fact that they had obtained from ii no thought
whatever
uAtbjs sort of imperfect and Illogical thinking
which brings n sarcastic smile to the lips OF the
practical man who hears the popular mdiScrlmlnate
praise of our school system. If there Is sham and
slipshod work in many trade and profession IN
the United states much of the blame must go to the
H., l. hclsa nd py oot
habit of thought leads to thorough and exact work
The remedy for the faults of schools and pupils lies
rs Mr. Hinsdac points out, in the teacher n good
teacher is far more quickening than good book
The papers on " The Origin of Character and on
"Uandlmg Children" are eminently wise and manly
and should be read by all fathers of boys. MI
Unslale sees what no observer of city life can fa
1ouotice, that the American man Of business IN his
craze of makincmoncy goes nearto rum his sons by
NEGLECT lie leaves &c his wife and 10 teachers the
tr,lpiro in character and in practical things which
only father can or should give He IS too absorbed
in hi. own work TO spend the time and thought
,or...o,v to make himself the friend the conidant
mud adviser of his boy. The result is seen in the
T,}hv cl3racterth the indie tcminate brains, the same"
ti,pes worse than wasted life Of many a rich mans
SON. There are some things as Nh iinsdale says,
thlt money cannot buy and one OF these is the
training which the wise father gives at home.
Trono,v edition of Sir Bernard Burkes Yici,s-
tulss of Families" Uonmans, Green ~ Coz offers
. conuact and well arranged store of moral lessons
The decline of powerful families is an instructive II
,oioful thing to contemplate caused, as it has too
often been by mad dissipation and extravaganza.
So run most of the stories told by Ulster King at
ARM. The great houses built mp in many cases by
the couraae the craftsmanship and the probity of a
moor knight and cherished in honor and prosperity
through long centuries have often fallen under the
hammer OF the auctouccrto crafty the crazy f0liics
Of some scamp. John Myttou OF Ilalston presents
Successive example of the DEGENERATE spendthrIIt
l!alston was princpality, magnificent estate OF
r,o ,.lr,' inheritance. when the boy John took
,o~>c,,on of in the early part of this century As
lis possessions were great, 50 honorable was tine
record Of his ANCESTOR, in the field and politics.
John Mvtton of lIalston in -cy and pedigree was
whom lc entered his majority one OF the first COM
,noocr, in Enaland; through vulgar and out.
,1clous urodigallty he died dishonored IN King
Bench prison. His extravaganza had the aspect OF
iu.lritv When hc first became heavily in debt and
found il necessary to sell some of his property ms
agent assured him that if ne would content himself
fer tlc following s,N years with an income OF
q: 600 $50 O00 the best and most beautiful portion
of h., old estate might be saved. No, no. said
Nvtton. would not give a straw for life if was
10 be passed ON $4,000 % year. In the last fifteen
wears Of his life he spent the sum Of T290o,00o. At
1hrty-ctrht led.cI. a decrcpit Iound-shouldcred,
tottcr:ug. od-young man." a wreck in mind as IN
body.
Manner, in England at the end Of the last and the
beginning of this century were not favorable to the
preservation of property. Many large estates went
the way OF Ilalston and came into the ownership Of
men whose birth was humble and whose rise in life
wa. as extraordinary WIS the decline of the
l.. D. Of & I.0 ftf an al tr
seat of Langley Puory is now with its surrounding
lnud. Inn thc nos,es.ion OF mepheW OF q vino In