eral appearance of the landscape must be vis- it touched the skirts of heaven. Along the track inualized. In such minor parts of the complete numerable wild sunflowers, no bigger than a crown.

piece, bloomed in a continuous flower-bed; grazing description, the same grouping of details may

beasts were seen upon the prairie at all degrees of disbe observed. Treasure Island looks gray-the

tance and diminution; and, now and again, we might general impression. There are streaks of yel- perceive a few dots beside the railroad which grew low—the variation to this grayness. Then

more and more distinct as we drew nearer till they comes the visualizing detail—the pine-trees,

turned into wooden cabins, and then dwindled and

dwindled in our wake until they melted into their sursingly or in clumps.

roundings and we were once more alone upon the bilTreasure Island is very distant. It may liard-board. therefore be interesting to compare Mr. Stev

A Nebraskan may suspect that those "wooden enson's description of Nebraska, which he saw

cabins” were sod houses, but a stranger might from the top of what we should call a fruit-car.

not know this. He does not always look in one direction here,

My suggestion for the next month's practice but he is skillful enough to deal with compli- is descriptions of out-door scenes. The most cations. He was not in the beginning, but,

unusual and striking places will at first be the like others, had to work very hard to do even

easiest to visualize. Later, it will seem possisimple things.

ble to cause a reader to see even the most orIt had thundered on the Friday night, but the sun

dinary and apparently featureless place. At rose on Saturday without a cloud. We were at seathere is no other adequate expression--on the plains of

first, if not always, it is better to be vivid than Nebraska. I made my observatory on the top of a fruit

to lack distinctness through attempting to le wagon, and sat by the hour upon that perch to spy strictly accurate. Conscientiousness sometimes about me, and to spy in vain for something new. It

defeats its own purposes. If a reader sees somewas a world almost without a feature; an empty sky,

thing clearly, he has surely been brought an empty earth; front and back, the line of railway stretched from horizon to horizon, like a cue across a

nearer to the truth than if he sees nothing at billiard-board; on either hand, the green plain ran till

all.

C. F. ANSLEY.

T

CHILD STUDY DEPARTMENT

G. W. A, LUCKEY, Editor WO papers to which we called attention affect so many persons at some period of their in the editorial of last month are con

lives, and yet the subject has not received that cluded in this issue, the one by J. K.

careful pedagogical study that its importance Stableton entitled “The Study of Boys Enter

merits. ing the Adolescent Period of Life," and the other by Oscar Chrisman, on the “Child and The description by Georgiana R. Simpson of Parent." The reader is already familiar with the kindergarten work as conducted by Frau the first parts of these interesting papers, and Schrader in the “Pestalozzi-Froebel House,” no further mention need be made of them here. Berlin, will be of interest and help to both kin

In connection with the above papers the arti- dergartners and primary teachers alike. I am cle by J. W. Dinsmore on “Running Away” also of the opinion that many superintendents will be found suggestive, if nothing more.

It

may be profited by reading the article. The is the result of a short study carried on by Mr. tendency in some parts of the country to destroy Dinsmore in the pedagogical seminary of the the true spirit of the kindergarten (i. e., develuniversity, and is preliminary to further inves- opment, by affording opportunity to the free, tigation along the same line. Several writers spontaneous activity of childhood) by substitutwho have had under consideration different ing therefor infant schools, can not be too phases of adolescence have touched upon this severely condemned. The true kindergarten impulse or desire to run away which seems to has a great mission to perform, and it were bet

his age.

ter that the kindergarten should delay the time He had never been quick at learning, and was of entering the primary schools than that the more backward in his work than most boys of latter should take the place of the former.

His parents were sensible in this reThe readers will doubtless remember a pa- gard and did not wish him “pushed” along for per published in the June number of the the sake of keeping with neighbor boys of the MONTHLY, by E. A. Kirkpatrick, on “Children's same age. They were in close touch with the Readings. The result of the investigations of teachers and talked freely with them, and thus which that paper was the forerunner has just aided much in dealing with the boy. Withbeen received. It is a valuable study, but the out the co-operation of parents such cases bearticle is too long to be published in a single come very annoying. number of the MONTHLY and will be divided

From twelve years of age to eighteen was a into three parts, the first of which will be trying time for No. 8. A part of the time he found in the present issue. This paper will, I

was physically unfit for the schoolroom, and his believe, furnish important material for discus

mind was much as his body; yet he was never sion at the various teachers' meetings and child willing to entirely drop out of school. study clubs, and, coming in serial form, the

His physician said he was constitutionally parts will not be found too long to be treated

weak and might or might not grow stronger. at a single meeting. The subject of children's readings is at pres

He was one of the best of boys in his intenent attracting considerable attention, and there tions, always trying to do just what was wanted are now in progress several investigations

of him; but he was nervous, restless, could not along this line that will doubtless prove of study without making a noise. Often when he much aid to teachers and parents generally.

became too restless, bis teacher would send him We have the promise of several of these

on some little errand, give him work at the studies which, in connection with the one men

blackboard, anything to bring his muscles into

He never suspected that the tioned above by E. A. Kirkpatrick, will appear play and rest him. in the MONTHLY from time to time.

errand, the work, or whatever it might be was

simply a means of quieting him. The Study of Boys Entering the Adoles

If he went out to run and play at violent cent Period of Life

exercise of any kind, he was so wrought up for

the next half hour after he came in that he VIII.

could do nothing but fidget and grin. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT-CONCLUDED

Some days he would be grinny, almost hysO. 8 came from one of the best regulated terical, ready to laugh at any little thing that homes in the community, a home where happened, and scarcely able to stop laughing

the children were dearly loved by both after having once begun. parents; a home where every possible care was The only hope at such a time was to center given to the physical and mental welfare of the his attention on something of interest and thus children; yet it was a home where there was quiet him down. lung trouble on the father's side and in which His seventeenth year he developed more tuberculosis finally made its appearance.

rapidly in mental power, but along with this No. 8 was in school regularly from six years came a peculiar nervous state. He would sit of age to twelve. Then, on the advice of the at the end of his seat, swaying his body backfamily physician, he was permitted to do as he wards and forwards from his hips as a fulpleased, go to school or stay at home. He was crum, rubbing one hand on one knee, uncon. not sick, but weak, and needed to be in the open scious of everything around him, all the while air; but he was too deeply interested in school doing good mental work. If not permitted to to give it up entirely, so he was made welcome move or sway his body thus, he accomplished in school whenever he felt like being there, even little. Some such movement of the body though he were present but half the time. seemed absolutely necessary to mental activity.

N

respect, is also true of industrial society taken ients of a calculated fund. There is in this as a whole. Since the income of each industry conception nothing determined; everything is is what it receives in exchange, and since what submitted to the arbitrary volition of capitalall industries receive is nothing other than the ists. Let us draw the lines closer. total of what all produce and give in exchange, The capitalist, it is said, will be led by his it follows that the total income is equal to the desire for accumulation to invest all that his total production. Since, however, we can draw standard of living does not cause him to reno inference in any industry from the physical serve for himself, and thus to employ laborers. amount produced as to what will be the amount The reality of this law is confirmed by appeal brought in by exchange, we are driven to seek to experience, the narrowness of profits in the standards which are not physical. The process business world showing that it is no arbitrary of value-adjustment is precisely analogous to deduction that capitalists make from the prodthe process of clearing bank checks in a clear- uct of labor and capital in determining the ing-house: the amount of the debits is always residue that shall go to labor. precisely equal to that of the credits, so that the Leaving for a moment the study of the fund, total amount after liquidation is neither greater we may pause to consider whether the nonnor less than that which existed when clearing progressive classes are destitute of all process of began; but the different banks find their rela- calculation, whereby, from their side, they may tive balances changed.

affect the share of each worker. If a laboring This total income of society may theoretically man makes an invention which increases the be so divided as to increase the balance to the social production, he is apt thereby to cease to credit of either the progressive or the non-pro- be a laboring man and to come to be associated gressive class. Our framework is large enough with the profit-taking classes. Under the calto allow of either alternative, and if one class culations of laborers as such we can not include is favored, that must be the result of special those nice inquiries into the world-supplies of causes. Into these it is now our duty to in- grain; those nice adjustments of interest on quire and by a gradual process to narrow the securities, of arbitration, of exchange; those theoretical limitations on the height of wages. prolonged and expensive inquiries into indus

The very fact that the non-progressive classes trial chemistry; those refined adjustments of the do not foresee, calculate, wait, and accumulate, exactly proper proportions of materials, of is sufficient to show that, notwithstanding that machinery, of processes, of foremen, of skilled their participation in production is actual, and, and unskilled labors, which characterize the if you will, meritorious, nevertheless their higher mental consciousness of the progressive share of social income is somewhat passive. classes. It is not so passive as is rent, for rent does not The laborers are, however, not without theoretically correspond to any effort of pro- conscious or subconscious calculations. They duction at all; but it is more passive than must perceive that if they are too numerous profit, for it corresponds to animal rather than they will compete against themselves, and to psychic activities.

hence they will naturally move from place to Hence it was that it became customary to place in search of a locality where there is less look upon laborers as the recipients of a fund competition of laborers, and more competition or residual paid to them after employers had of employers. They must perceive that they reserved their profits, and, according to some, and their children will find competition of emafter rents also had been deducted. It is true ployers for labor more active in the skilled that Mill said that profit was what was left over employments which require education. They after wages had been paid; but he also said that must perceive that ability to change one's trade investment took place after capitalists had re- is a most potent means of escaping the comserved what they chose for their own rise. We petition of other laborers. General convictions thus arrive at the very simple conception of a along these lines can not fail to permeate the fortuitous mass of laborers who are the recip- mass of wage-workers, and to influence their

conduct, especially in the multiplication of the analogy of the clearing house is complete; their numbers and in the education of their what the classes take away after liquidation is children. Their sentiments are, however, only equal to what they brought before, only it is too often directed towards affecting the con- differently distributed. Hence those are wrong duct of others, rather than towards modifying who imagine that the fund disposable in paytheir own conduct. While perfect organization ment of particular wages is composed of the of labor is highly desirable for the sake of the material or tangible additions which individual exact adjustment and smooth working of our laborers make to production. On the contrary, industrial economy, laborers make a mistake if if there be, at a given moment, a great demand they think that, apart from special cases, the for labor, there is no reason why the laborers whole amount “reserved” by employers as should not receive a part of the addition to the wages for their own services would greatly raise products of industry due to the skill of invention the average if added to the income of laborers. and management, and to the strength of char

The existence of different trades complicates acter that waits. The non-progressive may parthe conception of competition among laborers. take in the fruits of Time. Hence it is generIn very many cases laborers can not move from ally wrong to say that capital and labor are one trade to another. Capital, however, may enemies. In a North River tow the tug-boat be roughly assumed to have this mobility. reaches the Erie Basin a long way ahead of the Hence, within such trades, wages must depend canal boats and barges that it has assisted on entirely upon the available capital; and as this their voyage; but the latter would have made will fluctuate with the activity of the trade, poor progress if their owners had been content wages will tend to fluctuate correspondingly to let them float down the river with wind and without any counteracting competition from tide. The fund, therefore, devoted to the paynew laborers moving into the group, or non- ment of wages is no stationary amount, but is competition because of old laborers moving continually augmented by progress, and forms out of it. The development of capitalistic in- a part of the general fund which is better dustry, however, is tending to decrease the thought of as the income of society. rigor of the specialization of labor, while the It is true that if we do not take any length spread of education tends to give the laborer of Time into consideration, the conception of a more flexibility and enterprise. The demand fund does become more static. A rise in the for labor is becoming more and more a demand money wages of laborers will cause a greater for trustworthiness. Employers ask, “Is this demand for laborers' commodities; but as those man one whom I can trust to tend a delicate commodities can not be supposed to be sudand valuable machine?” no matter what the denly increased in quantity, it follows that machine makes. Thus there is coming to be their price will rise, and that the real income considerable reality in the conception of a gen- of the laborers will not be increased. eral fund of capital offered to a general class of If, however, Time intervenes, the higher money laborers.

wages will call forth a greater production The truth of the conception lies, however, of laborers' commodities, their price will fall, rather in the generality of the relation between and laborers' real wages will rise correspondcapital and laborers than in the definiteness of ingly. The element of Time, therefore, gives the fund. While the laborers are non-pro- opportunity for full play of the calculations of gressive, the fund itself is increased by the pro- employers. In the case supposed, employers gressive activities that control it. We saw that having more need for laborers were willing to the income of all businesses added together is pay them more highly, and the lapse of a short equal to the total production of all businesses. time was necessary to realize their expectations. In the same way, it is true that the income of The more carefully the subject is considered, all classes when added together is equal to the the more clearly it will be seen that in spite of production of all classes; and this again is equal all the difficulties which may exist in the way to the production of all businesses. Here again of a clear perception of the laws which govern