"SIX." "How many joints on

"How many are three and three?" the third finger?" "Three." "How many joints on the three first fingers ?" "NINE." "How many joints on the fourth or little finger?" "Three." "How many on all the fingers of the right hand?” "TWELVE." "Count twelve by ones." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve." "Count twelve by twos." "Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve." "Count twelve by threes." "Three, six, nine, twelve." "Count twelve by fours." "Four, eight, twelve." "By sixes." "Six and six are twelve.” "How many are half twelve?" "SIX." "THREE." "How many are half four?" half two?"

"One."

"How many are half six ?"

"Two.” "How many are

These questions may be still varied, and much life and interest given. by such questions as the following:

1. If I had an apple and you had one, how many would there be? had two and I one, how many?

2. If you

3. If he had three and I had two, how many should we have?

4. A little boy had a squirrel and a monkey; his father gave him some nuts; he gave four to the squirrel and five to the monkey. How many did he give them?

5. The little boy counted his nuts after this, and he found he had twelve left. How many had he at first? Twenty-one.

6. The monkey stole nine out of the twelve, how many had he left ? The last questions are advancing slightly upon the next rule-subtraction-and towards higher numbers, and therefore we must here stop. The examples given may be varied almost infinitely by an intelligent teacher. He should not, however, proceed further till he has made his pupils perfect masters of the combination of the number twelve. He must proceed for some days in this manner, by repetition and repetition, varied in manner, but ever pressing for the same results. He must make his lessons agreeable, and above all things push his questions with rapidity. If he pause long between his questions, he may be quite sure these intervals will be filled up by the pupils with ideas contrary to the subject. His object must be to keep the attention fixed for a certain time, but this will seldom be longer than a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. The moment lassitude begins to manifest itself— supposing the mind to have been kept to the subject, and a healthy interest in it sustained-from that moment a retrograde movement commences. Therefore it behoves the teacher, above all things, to know where to stop.

It will be also necessary for us to stop here. In the next Number of "The Governess," we shall carry out this subject till we have given a full, ̈ ́ particular, and practicable method of teaching arithmetic to junior classes.

SCHOOL POETRY. •

"The noblest king that ever yet held sway in Scotland's land

Anointed was with woman's prayer, and crown'd by woman's hand!"

[IT should be remembered by our readers that Edward I. having removed the Scottish regalia from Scone to Westminster, the Bishop of Glasgow in 1306 supplied from his own stores coronation robes for Robert Bruce; the slight coronet of gold (obtained from the nearest artist) was placed on his head by the Bishop of St. Andrew's, whilst the Bishop of Glasgow presented the new monarch with the banner wrought with the arms of Baliol, and under it Bruce received the homage of his adherents. The Earls of Fife had from a remote antiquity enjoyed the privilege of crowning the Kings of Scotland; but Duncan, the representative of the family, favouring at this time the English interest, his sister, the Countess of Buchan, with a boldness and enthusiasm which must have added to the popular excitement in favour of the young Prince, repaired to Scone, the seat of Scottish inauguration, and, asserting the right of her ancestors, placed the crown a second time on the head of Bruce.]

"ROBERT BRUCE CROWNED BY THE COUNTESS OF BUCHAN. "The Bruce is on his bended knee-a king, without a throne; Of Scotland's realm the rightful lord, yet not one rood his own; His altar-the few faithful hearts that gather round him there ; His anthem-the lone orphan's cry, the childless widow's prayer. "There steps a noble lady forth, and cries, The right is mineMy fathers for long ages past crown'd Scotland's royal line; My craven brother loves to stay 'midst English pomp and glee: 'Tis I will crown the Bruce, and send him forth to victory:'

"She placed the circlet on his brow-her hand nor shook nor quail'd;
She said the consecration prayer-her firm voice never fail'd;
Thou fightest not for thirst or fame, nor fell ambition's laws,
But for our fair and weeping land, and for a holy cause.

"A wailing from our ravaged homes cries, "Set thy country free!"
The voices of our little ones call loud, brave Bruce! on thee:
In counsel wise, in purpose firm, in battle arm'd with might
Be thou! Go forth and fight for us, and God defend the right!'
"The right has won! The Bruce now sits upon a royal throne;
And far and wide his eyes behold the country all his own.
The noblest king that ever yet held sway in Scotland's land,
Anointed was with woman's prayer, and crown'd by woman's hand."

SELECTIONS FROM OUR SCRAP-BOOK.

BEAUTIES.

THE Japanese women gild their teeth, the Indians paint them red, whilst in Guzurat the pearl of the teeth to be beautiful must be dyed black. The ladies of Arabia stain their fingers and toes red, their eyebrows black, and their lips blue. In Persia they paint a black streak round the eyes, and ornament their faces with various figures. In Greenland the women colour their faces with blue and yellow, whilst the Hottentot women paint the entire body in compartments of red and black. Hindoo females, when desirous of appearing particularly lovely, smear themselves with a mixture of saffron, turmeric, and grease. In ancient Persia an aquiline nose was often thought worthy of the crown; but the Sumatran mother carefully flattens the nose of her daughter. An African beauty must have small eyes, thick lips, a large flat nose, and a skin beautifully black.-Educational Times.

TEACHERS SHOULD POSSESS LOVE, HOPE, AND PATIENCE.

O'ER wayward childhood wouldst thou hold firm rule,
And sun thee in the light of happy faces,

Love, Hope, and Patience, these must be thy graces,
And in thine own heart let them first keep school.
For, as old Atlas on his broad back places
Heaven's starry globe, and there sustains it, so
Do these upbear the little world below
Of education-Patience, Love, and Hope.
Methinks I see them group'd in seemly show,
The straiten'd arms upraised, the palms aslope,
And robes that, touching as adown they flow,
Distinctly blend, like snow emboss'd in snow.
Oh, part them never! If Hope prostrate lie

Love, too, will sink and die.

But Love is subtle, and doth proof derive
From her own life that Hope is yet alive;
And bending o'er, with soul-transfusing eyes,

And the soft murmurs of the mother dove,

Woos back the fleeting spirit, and half supplies;

Thus Love repays to Hope what Hope first gave to Love.
Yet haply there will come a weary day,

When, overtask'd at length,

Both Love and Hope beneath the load give way.
Then, with a statue's smile, a statue's strength,
Stands the mute sister, Patience, nothing loath,

And, both supporting, does the work of both.-S. T. Coleridge.

BOADICEA.

"The British warrior-queen.”—Cowper.

SHE was of the largest size, most terrible of aspect, most savage of countenance, and harsh of voice; having a profusion of yellow hair, which fell down to her hips, and wearing a large golden collar. She had on a party-coloured vest, drawn close about her bosom, and over this she wore a thick mantle, connected by a clasp. Such was her usual dress; but at this time she also bore a spear, that she might appear more formidable to all.-Monumenta Historica Britannica.

THE SCHOOLMISTRESS ABROAD.

In a leading educational periodical a few months since, there appeared an advertisement, which has been cut out and sent to us by a correspondent, who also forwards a true copy of an application in reply. Fact is often stranger than fiction. We should have doubted whether such a letter were ever sent, had we not been credibly assured that such was the case. The "coppy " of the letter is published with the writer's consent, name and address being of course suppressed.

WANTED at Michaelmas next, or sooner, for an Infant and Mixed

School in an Agricultural Village, a MISTRESS, well trained both in the Infant and National System, of some experience; with a Brother who has some other calling than that of Schoolmaster, say Shoemaker, Tailor, or Market-Gardener, as he would be required only to keep a Sunday-School for from 10 to 20 Boys, and an Evening-School for the same during the Winter and some of the Summer months. He must have a good voice for, and sufficient knowledge of Music to sing, the Bass. Address, &c. &c.

The advertisement is ridiculous enough, and we doubt not that long ere now it provoked a smile from more than one of our readers; but the application is an epistolary bon-bon of the first order of seriocomicality. We give it, verbatim et literatim :—

“Coppy.

"Sir,-In Answer to your Advertissmant i humbly Hope to do for your Misteriss With my Brothar that have allso some other call as hare cutting shaving And makes Pollishing Paiste for Tins who can Play the Base Vile Him and Me as bothe some expereanse And i have onley been for a short Time to a Traneing as he kep a boyes School of each sex And sow we bothe no the infants And Nashonals systam And he can sing on Paper Music that is Baise And he can keep a Sunday School Every evining in Winter for from 10 to 20 boyes And some sumer monnths And allso my self wich should like to no the sallery And when shall I come for i have gott a testamoneal from my Last school were I wor And left And add 12 punds A year And vegitibal in the villidge without my Brother And will send it if you Please sir to write to me as soon as Possiable i am sir your Obedeant servent, &c. &c.

"My Brother can sing to Conserts wich he used And also the methodys chapple but now he comes to church."

We have before us the reply to this unique letter.

It is merely to

the effect that the advertiser is in treaty with another party, who is likely to suit.

SKETCHES FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF SCHOOL

MISTRESSES.

BY ANNIE M'CLELLAND.

"Do Schoolmistresses ever marry?" was the ingenuous inquiry of the Rev. John Franks, in his first conversation with Mr. Broad, the churchwarden of the village to the curacy of which he had just been appointed. Why Mr. Franks should ask such a question, Mr. Broad was at a loss to divine; he looked at his interrogator in a manner which left it doubtful (to myself at least, for I was with Mr. B. at the time) whether he thought the question a serious one or not; if he meant to answer categorically, he certainly meant that his reply should be preceded by a hearty laugh-for his good-natured countenance presented every indication of such a prelude-when Mr. Franks, with an earnestness which I shall never forget, said "Do they?" "Of course they do," said Mr. Broad, in a tone which seemed to say "May we laugh now?" At all events laugh we did, and right heartily too; Mr. Franks himself joining in the merriment.

"Pray," said Mr. Broad, "may I ask why you make such an inquiry -excuse my laughing." "Oh, certainly; don't mention it," replied Mr. Franks. "It was a strange question rather, but I have seen two or three schoolmistresses at their work, and somehow or other I cannot fancy one getting married-that's all. I have just left your village school, and my firm conviction is that your schoolmistress is by nature a spinster-that's all. I never did see a pleasant-looking agreeable schoolmistress-that's all. Hem!-that's all. They are a formal, prim, gloomy, conceited race-that's all."

How long Mr. Franks would have continued in this by no means complimentary strain it is impossible at this distance of time to conjecture; certain it is that his that's all was no guarantee that he had said all he thought, or intended to say, on the subject.

"And a pretty all too!" said Mr. Broad. "Allow, me to say, sir, I think you are very uncharitably disposed towards a class of ladies-for ladies I will call them, in spite of our committee ladies-I say, sir, I think you are uncharitably disposed towards a class of ladies for whom I entertain great respect. Sir, I have a daughter-in-law who was once -bless her!-a schoolmistress; if she is a disagreeable young woman, I should like to know an agreeable one. I am not a first-rate hand at writing histories, but from my own observation, and by the help of my son and my daughter-in-law, I have managed to get together a large amount of information on school matters, in which I take great interest, and I think that if you had seen as much of schoolmistresses as I have, you would agree with me that they are, as a rule, the very