The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-11-28


There are a few people who use cor
rect English; not elegant English, but
correct, in the full sense of the word.
Enter school room, and notice how
few children use the participle, and
the past tense, of verbs, such as see,
do, or take, with discrimination, or
handle their negatives with discre-
ton.
OF course the speech Of the child
will develop into the speech of the
man or woman Of the coming genera
ton.
The studies bearing on this subject
in the ordinary school course are spell
ing, reading, grammar, and compost
ton. OF the last wish especially to
speak, but will preface by few words
on grammar
The poor results from much of the
teaching of grammar and composition
are shown by the reports made on the
subject from the great colleges. such
as Harvard, Yale, and others.
But new method has arisen in Ian
guage, as in science.
No longer the teacher in botany sits
in his class room and hears his pupils
recite to him words about plants and
flowers, but he takes the class with
him to the fields; or he plants the
seed where they can daily watch its de-
velopment. They study the life of
the plants, guided, but not controlled
by the textbooks,
So, now, the teacher of English
takes his class into the pleasant
fields of literature, and there they gain
a real knowledge of living language.
Not all the descriptions of rose
are half so graphic as the rose itself.
No mere rules half so improving as a
page from some classic writer thor
oughly comprehended. One morning
l carried to my schoolroom copy Of
Irving's Sketch.
l first read Grip Van Wrinkle" to
them, and asked them to re-read it
for themselves. They did this, most
of them, with pleasure.
When the time for composition
came / asked them to write the story
for me. They handed in from five to
ten pages closely written
There was no delay in writing, for
they knew what they were going to
write about. They could use only the
words which they had assimilated,
and thus showed where their vocabu-
larry was limited. / knew what ideas
they wished to express, and where
they failed to state correctly what
they had intended to say could de-
velop the thought and supply the
word.
Apropos, never accept from the
child the excuse, 81 know it, but can't
say it," for knowledge does not be-
come practical until there is form
found for it.
next read 'The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow and followed with "Evange-
line / copy just here an extract of
a composition written by one of the
pupils at the end of the term
"We have written six compositions.
Two from Irving, RIP Van Winkle'
and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
then we had that beautiful story by
Longfellow, 'Eyangeline'; fourth came
the great adventure story so many boys
like to read, 'Gulliver's Travels in the
Land of Lilliput;' next came a story
Of Ulysses and his men and their
strange adventure in Circe's palace on
their way home from the Trojan war.
The last was the great Chariot Race at
Antioc, the principles in it being Ben
Hur the Jew and Messiah the Roman,
in which Lew Wallace makes such a
beautiful and complete word picture.
1.-THE story of RIP Van Wrinkle is
laid in and near the Kaatskill noun
tains near the Hudson river.
sPip, WING a ,oaf,,l xonoho,1 o,a
he wanted to attend to eyerybody's
business but his own. But the best
part of his story is his sleep in the
mountains and his recognition after
wards, on his return to the village.
Ichabod Crane was the best character
in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and
how he was scared by the good joke of
his rival, Brom Bones!" etc.
Summing up results, found that
their vocabulary had been greatly en-
larged, the careful use of words Guilt
waited, as well as an acquaintance with
the creations of great writer's. This
introduction to literature is of itself
invaluable to children.
There was good amount Of time
spent on this work, but l think in no
other way could such results have been
attained in these directions, and so l
think the time was well spent.
Once attempt this plan, and am
sure the teacher will be delighted at
the enthusiasm which it awakens.-
A. ID. Hale, IN Southern Educational