benefit. Edward, you have never really thought what life is. Look at yourself a moment; you can think soundly if you'll only hold still long enough. You're not half the reprobate you sometimes seem. You have a body and a soul. They are for you to improve or ruin. You can put them under training that will make them stronger, better, and happier, or you can suffer them to be made weak, mean and miserable. Now, which course is true life?

E. But you would cut off a fellow's fun.

H. No, but I would stop his folly. Don't I enjoy sport as well as you? I don't want to brag, but I'll ask who was the best skater on the pond yesterday? Who has been the captain of your ball-club, and the leader on the academy play-ground?

E. You, of course; that's why I like you, in spite of your preaching. H. Isn't the preaching, as you call it, true? Don't quarrel with the truth. I want to have the best part of me-the soul-as healthy and vigorous as the body, and both of them as noble as they can be made That's my idea of life.

E. [Throws away his cigar.] I know you're right, and if I could always be with you, I shouldn't get so wild.

H. There's your weakness, and hence your danger in choosing foolish company. You are too ready to join in with every one you meet. Set yourself to be a man after your own ideas of right. You've a better right to lead others in a good way than they have to lead you wrong; and the true way to become a leader is to rule yourself. But come, now we've had a long talk, and as I see you've thrown away your sign of weakness, I'll take a walk with you.-Merry's Museum.

WHO WANTS $4 A DAY?

"I do," comes with a shout from thousands of Merry boys and girls. No doubt you do; but will you earn it, if we tell you how?

You do not all answer quite so readily as before. You are thinking, "I should have to work very hard to earn so much money." Perhaps not so hard as you imagine. Let us see:

How many working days in a year?

"Three hundred and thirteen," say you.

How much can an uneducated man earn in that time by manual labor? "About a dollar a day, or $313."

What salary per year can a man of good education earn ?

We will answer for you-about $1,000 per year. Many receive much more than that, but it is a fair average. You can plainly see, then, that

an education is worth in cash every year the difference between $1,000 and $313, or $687. Now, then, how much money must be put at interest at six per cent. to yield $687 a year?

You answer, "$11,450."

Then, to have a good education is equal to having $11,450 in the savings bank, drawing six per cent interest.

How many days' study will it take to get a good education? It will depend somewhat upon circumstances; but a boy attending school eleven years, commencing say at eight years old and leaving at nineteen, can be well educated. Suppose he goes to school five days in a week for eleven years, he will have spent 2,860 days in getting an education worth $11,450, and he will thus have actually earned for himself a little over four dollars a day, while attending school.

"Oho!" say you, That's it, exactly.

we must study for our money."

The calculation is a fair one, and you can cipher it out for yourself. Think of it the next time you are tempted to ask to stay at home because it rains, or because it is pleasant and you want to go fishing, or, in short, because you would rather do something else than study. Ask yourself the question, "Can I earn four dollars a day in any other way ?

Remember, too, that learning not only brings money, but it may give you a good position in society; and better still, it may always afford pleasure to him who possesses it. "Wisdom is better than much fine gold."-Ib.

WORTH THINKING OF.

A gentlemen, in all respects competent to judge of the wisdom of the measure, has suggested that the State should manufacture the books used in the public schools, and thus save many thousands of dollars annually. Why may not the State save these profits by supplying the schools at the simple cost of copy-right, manufacture and sale?

It is safe to say that enough could be saved in this way, after paying to authors a fair remuneration for their services, to sustain three good normal schools in the Stat,-besides supplying families with books at one-quarter less than present prices. We are confident that a close examination will give us the data to prove even more than is here asserted in hasty inquiry. It is certainly a point well worth investigation.— Maine Teacher.

CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF EITHER AND NEITHER.

7

PRONUNCIATION OF EITHER AND NEITHER.

We meet with three different modes of pronouncing these words. The first is nay-ther. Those who adopt this pronunciation, also pronounce conceive, deceit, as if spelled consave, de-sate. They preserve the original sound of e, which in all these words, is indicated to be of long quantity by the insertion of the i after it. The old spelling was nether. The i was inserted in writing simply to show that the e was long, in conformity with a very general analogy of the language, just as in hear, deep, and in a thousand other words in the language, a, e, or one of the other vowels has been inserted. This pronunciation, however, has nearly pass

ed away.

The second mode is nee-ther. This pronunciation gives the e the sound which, when of long quantity, it has almost universally taken. It is the more prevalent mode, and is conformed to true English analogy.

The third mode is nye-ther. This pronunciation, recent but somewhat popular, has found favor with some because supposed by them to be the true old mode. But they evidently mistake the old pronunciation which is the first already given. Others seem to think that this is the true English pronunciation of the dipthong ei, and that the i was a proper element of the original word. But the i, as already remarked, did not belong at all to the word in its origin, and was inserted only to show that the e was of long quantity. This pronunciation is every way objectionable. It is an innovation on settled and general analogies. It ignores or obscures the true origin of the words. It exalts a mere orthopical character, the i, to the rank of an essential element; while, at the same time, it buries in silence the really essential element which is the e. No pure English ear can sanction this cockney pronunciation.-Ohio Ed. Monthly.

NOUNS OF MULTITUDE.

A little girl was looking at the picture of a number of ships, when she exclaimed "See what a flock of ships." We corrected her by saying that a flock of ships, was called a fleet, and a fleet of sheep was called a flock.

And here we may add for the benefit of the foreigner, who is mastering the intricacies of our language in respect to nouns of multitude, that a flock of girls is called a bevy, and a bevy of wolves is called a pack, and a pack of thieves is called a gang, and a gang of angels is called a host, and a host of porpoises is called a shoal, and a shoal of buffaloes is

called a herd, and a herd of children is called a troop, and a troop of partridges is called a covey, and a covey of beauties is called a galaxy, and a galaxy of ruffians is called a horde, and a horde of rubbish is called a heap, and a heap of oxen is called a drove, and a drove of blackguards is called a mob, and a mob of whales is called a school, and a school of worshipers is called a congregation, and a congregation of engineers is called a corps, and a corps of robbers is called a band, and a band of locusts is called a swarm, and a swarm of people is called a crowd, and a crowd of gentle folks is called the elite, and the elite of the city's thieves and rascals are called the roughs, and a miscellaneous crowd of city folks is called the community or public, according as they are spoken of by the religious community or the secular public. -Pitman's Phon. Mag.

SPELLING.

We should prefer, after pupils bring their exercises written on the slate, thus giving evidence of their preparation, that the slates be laid aside, and the blackboard be used for writing by the whole class. By this method the work will be done more rapidly, since it is much easier for the teacher to glance at each one's work and make corrections than it would be to walk to the pupils and examine the slates, or have them to walk to him. In a physical point of view we should greatly prefer the blackboard exercise, since it gives motion to all the muscles, and thereby promotes the health and strength of the pupils.-Ills. Teacher.

CORRECT SPEAKING.--We advise all young people to acquire in early life, the habit of using good language, both in speaking and writing, and to abandon, as early as possible, any use of slang words and phrases. The longer they live, the more difficult the acquisition of correct language will be; and if the golden age of youth, the proper season for the acquisition of language, be passed in its abuse, the unfortunate victim of neglected education is, very properly, doomed to talk slang for life. Money is not necessary to procure this education. Every man has it in his power. He has merely to use the language which he reads, instead of the slang which he hears; to form his taste from the best speakers and poets of the country; to treasure up choice phrases in his memory, and habituate himself to their use, avoiding, at the same time, that pedantic precision and bombast, which show rather the weakness of vain ambition than the pride of an educated mind.

VISITING SCHOOLS.

The schools of the county are regularly visted by the County Superintendent; and in many districts, by the directors. In some localities the parents also manifest a cheering interest in the schools which their children attend, and encourage teachers by visiting their schools, observing the order, the regularity, the style of recitations, the general state of feeling and purpose among the scholars. This is very gratifying, and if it were so throughout the county, nothing better in this respect could be desired. It is suggested to those patrons of schools who may read this article, that they co-operate so far as they can in carrying into effect the following plan, which has already been spoken of to the teachers:

Let the teacher of each school request the attendance of all the patrons the first Friday after his school commences, or, in case of very small schools, on the last Friday of the first month, and on the last Friday of each succeeding month until the school is ended. It should be understood by the parents that the object of the visit is not to witness any show exercises, carefully prepared for the occasion, but to see the usual order, hear the regular recitations, observe the ordinary routine. If patrons will not merely look on, but note down the degree of advancement of certain classes or of particular scholars, and the general appearance of the school, that they may be able to ascertain its actual progress from one visit to another, they will find the visiting of their schools no idle or useless ceremony, but an intelligent exercise of parents' rights, and a a powerful incentive to every true teacher to promote his scholar's advancement to the best of his ability.

It is thought this systematic visitation by parents will be productive of far greater good to the schools than is now realized by the irregular, apparently aimless mode of visiting, so common. If teachers will honestly show their schools just as they are, and if parents will enter heartily into this plan it is not unreasonable to believe that very excellent results will follow,—such as, a more regular attendance of scholars, a deeper interest and a nobler ambition in study, more thorough order and well considered system in arranging the exercises and in communicating instruction, a habit on the part of scholars of performing with precision and self-possession in presence of strangers or of a large num, ber, and a more intelligent interest on the part of parents in all that pertains to the school, and a more hearty disposition to co-operate with the teacher in rendering the school as useful as possible. Will parents and others, with directors, try this experiment ?-Pa. School Journal.