lozzi, who gave him his life's impulse. His philosophical mind gave Pestalozzi's system that moral and religious tone which it had hitherto lacked, and transformed it from the mere study of natural objects-useful though that was--to a valuable ethical training of the infant mind. Through great opposition Fröbel struggled on and at last saw the institution of the first real Kindergarten at Blankenburg. This was in 1850, and two years afterwards the great reformer died at the age of seventy. Speaking then of the increased appreciation of Fröbel's system, Mr. Woodall remarked upon the clause in the new code which insisted on efficient infant teaching and made the grant depend upon the use of improved methods, which could mean nothing else than the practical adoption of Fröbel's system. Our great want was that of trained teachers, and for such there was great scope, for he had seen the Kindergarten system at work under circumstances the most disadvantageous and had never known it to fail of

success.

Miss Manning, one of the Vice-president's of the Fröbel Society, then read a letter from Miss Shireff, the President of that Society, regretting that health would not allow her to be present, and congratulating her fellowworkers that they were able to celebrate the centenary with thankfulness for their past success and a good hope for the future. Miss Manning said that she had herself been attracted to Fröbel by his efforts to secure a rightful training for children, where their faculties would have due scope. Fröbel had shown that underneath the apparent wilfulness and naughtiness of children there was a flow of energy and desire for work which only needed proper cultivation to become a valuable factor in future life.

Mr. T. M. Williams, the Chairman of the Committee of the Fröbel Society, thanked the authorities of the college, in the name of the meeting, for their hospitality.

Mr. Woodall then called on Fräulein Heerwart, the highly-esteemed principal of the Stockwell Kindergarten College, who expressed her gratification at meeting so many disciples of Fröbel.

Mr. Langler, the ex-president of the National Union of Elementary Teachers, also expressed his great sym. pathy with the movement. The formal proceedings which had been agreeably diversified by vocal and instrumental music were terminated by a vote of thanks to the Chairman, moved by the Rev. H. Bourne. The meeting was then transformed into a conversazione, which was brought to a close by an impromptu dance in the tearoom, happily suggested by Fräulein Heerwart.

The programme-a work of art, by the way, and well worthy of the occasion-was designed and printed by Messrs. John Walker and Co.

It is a pleasure to add that the offices of the Fröbel Society are at No. 8, John Street, Adelphi, where all information respecting Kindergarten training may be obtained.

Publications Reviewed.

We are sorry to disappoint the many friends who desire us to quote the price of each work noticed in our columns. This we would respectfully point out is the publishers' duty and not ours; we give publicity enough to a book when we review it. Our readers should peruse the advertisements in our pages, and failing to find the price here, it would be no great trouble or expense to drop a line to the publishers whose name and address we will gladly give.

Geographical Readers for Elementary Schools. By Charlotte M. Mason. Book II. The British Empire and the Great Divisions of the Globe. London: Stanford. This book is much to our taste. It is readable, and conveys much information in a most pleasant manner, together with a due amount of explanation on the rationale of geographical details. Maps are also judiciously referred to, and made the basis of several lessons, instead of being left, as is often the case, to general or

accidental use. The most salient points are noticed in a necessarily rapid glance over Europe, and, what is more to the purpose, seldom noticed without judicious expla nations. We have now many 'geographies' in which the formerly neglected elucidation of the causes and effects of physical and other influences were neglected. In these the tendency was rather to dwell on the rationale of physical geography, and to ignore political details. But these are a welcome relief from mere compilations of names and figures. In the book before us we have these two opposites avoided with the most obviously useful result. In this pleasing way we have the origin of some great physical features indicated. Speaking of the North Sea and its shallowness, the authoress remarks: 'At one time, before "history" began, there were no British isles, and no North Sea; but the continent stretched into the ocean a good way beyond the furthest coast of Ireland.' The low-lying land that extended from the eastern shores of England to Holland-hollow land'-is supposed to have sunk at the slow rate of a few inches yearly, until the present sunken bed of less than 200 feet in depth was formed, and into which the waters of the Atlantic rushed, and thus formed the shallow sea by which Great Britain was cut off from the Continent. In the same way,' the authoress observes, 'the ocean may have rushed into another hollow bed on the west, and so made another sea, cutting off the island which we call Ireland.' The nature and advantages of commerce are thus treated, and also the reasons for the carrying on of mining operations in the northern districts, agriculture in the south, and so on. In an imaginary journey round the British coast, the authoress gives a graphic sketch of the most interesting features, often helping us to understand the meaning of local names, as in the following: 'No cape upon the east coast stands out to sea so boldly as Flamborough Head. A lighthouse rises from its cliffs of white chalk; and upon these cliffs, in ages long gone by, the Danes kept up huge bonfires to light their black ships over the stormy sea. Thus this cape came by its name, the headland of the flame.' In this way we might gratify ourselves and, we believe, also our readers by quotations from this well-written book, of whose usefulness we cannot entertain a doubt.

Morris. London: Isbister. Mr. Morris commences with the old fallacies about the Britons that they were almost savages, did not know how to read and write, or build fine houses; that they lived 'in round huts of wood and mud,' and similar errors that have been so entirely refuted by Nicholas, Pike, Huxley and others as to be discarded by scholars. We are next introduced to Hengist and Horsa, who, we are told, 'seized on Kent and settled there.' This is a rather misleading way of representing the struggle for Kent which was carried on for twenty years before this corner of the country was wrested from the Britons. With all 'history to unlearn' we are not surprised to be told that the Britons 'were forced to find shelter among the mountains in the west of the island, where the English did not come to follow them.' We may, however, follow Mr. Morris with more pleasure through the succeeding chapters of his book, which contain a commendable admixture of leading historical features with a glance at the social condition of the people. The style is altogether commendable in being adapted without apparent effort for young readers. Another useful feature is the wellwritten summary at the end of each chapter, which, with a few leading dates and a selection of words for spelling exercises, will make the book additionally useful for schools. The illustrations are, besides being remarkably good, numerous and appropriate, and contrast favourably with mere collections of wood-cuts introduced without relevance to the subject-matter. We could have wished for other maps in addition to the useful one opposite to the title-page. The printing, too, is excellent, the type

gratifyingly large, and the paper good. This First Reader carries beginners down to the Norman rule under Stephen.

The Second Historical Reader. By the Rev. D. Morris. London: Isbister.

This book carries us down to the days of Elizabeth, and is written on the plan of the First Reader, but in a style suitably advanced to be adapted to the medium school standards. The clear and useful map of early France was to do duty for the entire book, but the other illustrations are as numerous and good as those in the First Reader. Among these we must fairly include a fac-simile specimen of Caxton's printing. This with a well-executed wood-cut of Caxton's Printing Office in Westminster, are valuable helps to the two useful chapters on the introduction of printing into England. Our readers will infer from these remarks that Mr. Morris's book wisely treats of the social matters as well as leading political occurrences. The pretty little view of Mr. Harcourt's islet in the Thames between Wraysbury and Egham is associated with the enforced signature of John to Magna Charta, or as our author has it Magna Carta. (We suppose we shall next have Magner Carter.) But we would rather air cur superior learning by scolding little boys into the proper pronunciation of Charta than coin a new word for this purpose. Charter we know and Charta we know, but what is Carta? We don't recollect to have met with it in the dialects which Mr. Morris reduces to three as prevalent in England in the Plantagenet times. The leading events of our history from the Normans to the Tudors are told by Mr. Morris with more graphic details and less of the dull compendium of facts that form the staple of most of our school books on history. We are glad to mention in this particular a capital account of the destruction of the 'combined fleets of France and Spain,' as the later phrase has it, by Edward III., who commanded the Cog Thomus, and his son the Black Prince. This battle -not half enough recorded-won for Edward the name of King of the Sea, and besides securing England from invasion paved the way for the future maritime efforts of the English. The real difficulty, that of enforcing the laws in former times, is thus well stated by Mr. Morris : -'In those times, however, it was very difficult to get these laws obeyed, and at the end of the reign of Edward III. another Parliament complained that abuses still went on. This Parliament, which met in 1376, tried to improve the government of the king as well as to lessen the power of the [Pope] Bishop of Rome. The House of Commons condemned unjust taxes, and the waste of public money. They insisted that there should be a meeting of Parlia ment once every year, and that the people should be free to send there the members they liked best, instead of being compelled to send men chosen by the king. And because they tried to bring about so many improvements they were called ever after "The Good Parliament." Wise words these, temperately expressed, but teem with materials that cannot be otherwise than beneficial in developing thoughtfulness in young readers. For matter of this kind we would willingly sacrifice some of the facts and figures of which most school books are made up. Such judicious remarks-wisely limited as they are in the book before us-are most appropriate in Reading Lessons. While regretting that Mr. Morris has stumbled at the threshold in repeating worn-out errors about the Britons and Saxons, we cannot too highly praise the judgment and care shown in the general narrative.

Geography Reading Books. Part IV. Adapted to Standard V. of the New Code. London: National Society.

In this book the author takes his young readers in a pleasing chatty manner over Europe. After a wellwritten sketch of the principal water-partings of Europe,

the countries of Europe are graphically described under the guise of letters from a French lady to her sister, giving an account of her travels with her sons. Knowledge is not only more readily obtained by this descriptive gossip, but that also of the kind most worthy to be retained. Speaking of the climate of the Douro valleys, the author in the mouth of one of the youthful tourists, says, "How hot it was! Not a breath of wind, and the sun's rays beating into the valley, and coming back to you from the side of the hills." "I don't think it could be hotter in Africa," observed Adolphe. "Right! my young friend," said Mr. Campbell; "I know them both. The summer heat in those valleys on the Douro is tropical. Yet, in winter, you will find-what you will find nowhere else in Portugalice thick enough to bear a man." "And this," added M. Santul," is the secret of the cultivation of the vine. It needs both the winter's cold and the burning heat of summer." 21 3

The illustrations of this book are good, and the wee map of the physical features of Central Europe most useful, because restricted to its professed object. The printing is also good, the binding strong, and the entire 'get up' of the book most commendable.

Lectures on Plants. By Elizabeth Twining. London William Poole.

The outside of this book gave us hopes. When we read 'Lectures on Plants. . ... Twining, our thoughts reverted to the early work of Charles Darwin on 'Climbing Plants.' But turning to the perusal of the book we found that it was made up of four common-place lectures on plants by a writer equally ignorant, apparently, of botany and of English.

We do not hesitate to characterize this book as one of the worst we have ever read. The tone of it is most unhealthy, and the way in which religious matters are wantonly dragged into the book, and the glibness with which they are discussed, cannot but shock the mind of every religious person. The 'intentions of the Creator' are spoken of in a way painful to those who believe 'His ways' are 'past finding out' (pages 7, 25). That strange arrogance of humanity that finds expression in such statements as all things' in creation being ordered in reference to his (man's) temporal good' (p. 38), is also sadly evident here. Very thoughtless, also, must be an author who can write as Elizabeth Twining writes on p. 26: True knowledge of all the best things for man to know, is to be attained by all who desire to learn.' This is the very reverse of the truth. She might as accurately write, 'Food is to be attained by all who are hungry.' There is an intellectual starvation as common in our midst as is, alas ! bodily starvation. Hundreds of young men and maidens are hungering and thirsting after knowledge, and from want of time, of opportunity, of money, perhaps of all, never reach it.

The unhappy carelessness of which we shall have to complain in other connections, presently, the writer even extends to her Biblical quotations. In the beginning' we are told on p. 41, God 'made the trees and the herbs.' But we read that 'in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' Not till the third 'day' after the beginning was a plant made. On p. 26 a still more unpardonable blunder is committed. Consider the lilies of the field how they grow,' was advice given to the disciples and other humble friends of the Saviour' as they walked along.' If the authoress will turn to Matt. vi. 28, she will find the passage she quotes in a certain Sermon on the Mount and at the beginning of that sermon in the fifth chapter she will read: 'And seeing the multitudes He went up into a mountain ; and when he was set,' etc. The style of writing of this little book is deplorable. No young person ought to be allowed to read it, or his grammatical constitution will be undermined. Such slipshod English it has never been our misfortune to read outside the exercises of a composition class. Instances of this loose writing occur on pp. 2, 4, 5, 10 (here is a sentence absolutely destitute of either noun or verb), 11,

This is One

12, 14, 16, 23, 27, 29, 34, 42, 49, 97, 68, 69, 72. tolerably bad for a book of only eighty-six pages. or two instances are as follows: On p. 23 we have, 'everything in the world is divided into three portions: animal, vegetable, and mineral.' And six pages beyond, the sun's light is in the midst of a dark earth.

More grave almost than these are the botanical blunders. On page 24 we are told that plants' cannot move themselves from one place to another bodily.' Every botanist knows that the lower plants are constantly performing such a movement of translation. P. 42, The only source of anything for a plant is the dark earth in which it grows.' So that the plant takes nothing from the air, and insect-eating plants are unknown! To talk of 'breathing out oxygen' as an act of a plant, in the year 1878, shows a plentiful lack of the most elementary botanical knowledge. We should like to know what evidence the authoress has that stomata are breathing pores. On the same page that she makes the above unfounded assertion (p. 45), she actually writes of 'decomposing the air,' the most outrageous blunder we remember ever to have met with in a book professing to deal with science. The rhizoma or stem of ginger becomes the root. Finally, as far as our patience, not our supply of errors, is concerned, terms used in classification are inextricably concerned, the order Chenopodiaceae becomes, on p. 70, a class.

We close the review and the book with a sigh of relief that we have seen the last of the latter.

Blackie's Graded Readers. Parts I. and II.

Primer, First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Readers. Edited by Maurice Paterson, B.A. London Blackie and Son, 49, Old Bailey, E.C. We have examined this new set of Reading books with care, and we feel, that the highest praise we can give them is to say, that judged from any practical teacher's stand-point they will bear the strictest scrutiny and come well out of the ordeal. As any teacher can have copies upon application to the publishers, it is unnecessary to enter minutely into the contents and merits of each volume. Suffice then, that Mr. Paterson sets out, with what we have always held to be the first aim of an editor, viz., that of making his reading books interesting. Unfettered by any special 'method' he presents two brightlooking, attractively illustrated booklets as primers. Little folks will delight to thumb these pleasant books. Of the other volumes we can speak in like terms, they are carefully graduated, not too difficult, and provided with every kind of help either the scholar or teacher could reasonably desire. Clad in the same garb as the 'Comprehensive Readers,' printed in excellent style on good paper -slightly toned to preserve the eyesight-and bound in a style to stand rough school wear, Blackie's Graded Readers should prove favourites wherever adopted.

We give Mr. Paterson a special word of praise for the conscientious way in which he has done his work, and for the healthy and invigorating tone of his reading book.

Maria Wuz, and Lorentz Stark. English Prints of two German Originals. Longmans.

The first of these two life-like sketches concerns, not a woman (as we English might suppose), but a man, the name Maria being epicæne, as in Carl Maria Von Weber and the like. And the simple hero of these pages is but a cheerful, kindly dominie and organist in Auenthal, probably a real character in a true place, whereto the graphic genius of Jean Paul Richter has given immortality by his exquisite word-painting. There is nothing of a plot, and scarcely an incident that could interest a reader; one is reminded in the style of our Goldsmith's 'Vicar of Wakefield,' and of Toppfer's Voyages en Zigzag-all simplicity and cheerfulness, with a subtle vein of humour throughout. We have the climax of the good man's happiness twice over, once in his gladsome wedding, and secondly, at a bound of many intervening

years, in his peaceful death. The translation is done by a master hand, and the sketch dedicated very suitably to Thomas Carlyle.

'Herr Lorentz Stark,' by J. J. Engel, is (to tell plain truth) a prolix and prosy record of middle-class German home-life, with far too much detail of uninteresting conversation, and nothing of incident to compensate. The whole story concerns a mild form of quarrel between Herr Stark the elder and his son, because the latter falls in love with a good-looking widow much older than the son, objectionably enough burdened with debts and a couple of ready-made children; which state of domestic affairs is quite enough to enlist a rational reader's sympathy on the old man's side rather than his son's; but this is not the result intended by the author. Clearly J. J. Engel is not to be compared, as a word-painter, with J. P. Richter.

Philip's Series of Map - Drawing Books. No. 2 England and Wales, No. 22 Australia. With Instructions. By J. Francon Williams, F.R.G.S. London: Geo. Philip and Son, Fleet Street. Mr. Williams has done a good service in publishing this series of Map-Drawing Books. Each book contains (1) a complete Full-Coloured Map, so attached as to be always available for copying; (2) an Uncoloured Map without the names, which the pupil can fill in as an introductory exercise; (3) an Outline Map, with coast-line and lines of latitude and longitude only-the pupil being required to fill in the mountains, rivers, towns, etc., with the names; (4) Map with lines of latitude and longitude only; (5) a blank sheet, with border of Map only. They will prove invaluable to the young learners, and are well worthy the consideration of every teacher of 'Mapping.' The books are issued in two sizes at threepence and sixpence each.

Preparations for Science Teaching. By John

Spanton. London. Griffith and Farran. The former part of this book is so excessively simple and prolix in dialogues on the common properties of matter that teachers who are worth their salt will skip or laugh at the first half of the book. The latter part is, however, open to no such objection. The author warms to his work, gives good explanations, and capital suggestions for lessons. The lists of objects recommended to be provided for each lesson will also be serviceable. The lessons on the Senses will also be valued. The list of books recommended at the end 'may be of service,' as the author says, if 'beginners' could command some twenty years to master them. Such lists are too extensive to be of practical value.

The Bicycle Road Book. By Charles Spencer. London: Griffith and Farran.

This is a new and revised Edition (with Map) of a book which we commended to our readers nearly a year ago. We can now only endorse our former good opinion of the work, which is issued at a shilling,-half the original price.

Thrift.-No. 1. London: National Thrift Society. We hail the appearance of this excellent periodical with pleasure. It is calculated to do much towards the cultivation of habits of thrift and economy, and has our heartiest wishes for its success.