cut, it must arrange the divided parts with the star which has been cut out, into a beautifully shaped whole. By arranging the forms thus obtained into harmonious, symmetrical shapes, the feeling for the beautiful is awakened in a high degree in the child. In order to keep the forms for some length of time, they must be gummed on paste-board, or in a book. Children of a maturer age will find the greatest pleasure in this occupation.

VII. PEA WORK.-This occupation is a sequel to stick laying. It consists in fixing sticks together, so as to represent various mathematical and other regular figures, besides implements, furniture, houses, etc., and other familiar and symmetrical forms. After having practised the construction of flat outline forms, by stick-laying, the child will soon wish to see the sticks fixed in a connected form. To accomplish this recourse must be had to dried yellow peas, which serve to join the sticks together, so as to represent the outlines of a solid form.

This occupation develops a new idea, namely, how to form outline shapes of solid objects. The hard peas should be soaked in water for twelve hours, and then spread upon a piece of paper until they appear somewhat dry and wrinkled. If used immediately after being taken out of the water, they are apt to split; to prevent which the sticks are pointed at each end. It is obvious that this exercise requires somewhat more skill than stick-laying; still it is easily mastered after a little practice. The stick must not be thrust into a pea so deeply as to come out at the other end, nor must the wood of the former be very thick lest it split the pea when penetrating into it. The pea is able to receive six sticks without splitting. The course of teaching is to proceed from simple to complicated things.

The child should be supplied first with one stick and one pea, with which he imitates a stick with a knob, a pin,

a nail, a drumstick, and so on. If the pea be next put into the middle of the stick it assumes the form of a whirling stick, etc. Then follows a stick with two peas, in which the child beholds an axle-tree, a horse's bit, a roller, or a reel for twine. In this manner progress should be gradually made, each time giving the child one pea more to combine with one stick, and always requiring him to give a name to the new shape thus created.

All these exercises only represent flat surfaces, as in stick-laying. By degrees, as the children acquire more practice, it is desirable that they should be set to form angles, and lay the sticks not only at right angles, but likewise at the various degrees of acute and obtuse angles. Then by using a large number of sticks and peas, they will be enabled to form a great variety of shapes. With four triangles, all the necessary rules for learning to draw may be practised, and designs formed, either in outline, or filled up in detail.

VIII. MODELLING.-The apparatus necessary for this consists of a wooden modelling knife and pipe-clay. Plaster of Paris and wax are sometimes used, but pipeclay is by far the best, as it can be readily procured from the tobacco-pipe maker, and is a very cheap material. Being soft and cohesive in its nature, it is easily moulded. It must always be kept moist, both before and after use, and the best way of doing this is to keep a wet cloth on the clay, before and during lessons. A flat square slab of pipe-clay, about two inches thick, and wider than the proposed object, should be made, to serve as a stand for This is easily done by the hands.

The top of the slab must be kept wet, otherwise the clay of the mould will not adhere to it. The slab should therefore not be made until you are ready to begin the mould. The clay is then built up and roughly shaped into the form of the model by means of the fingers. When this

is done the young modeller must employ the tools to complete the mould until an exact copy of the original be obtained. This, at first, will be a work of patient perseverance, and must be left to the discretion and taste of the worker; but by a little care, and close watching of the original model, all difficulties will soon be overcome, and success reward the early attempts.

IX. DRAWING.-This is one of the most important of Kinder-garten occupations, and should be one of the earliest practised.

Drawing affords an excellent means for testing how far the child's impressions have been correctly remembered. Froebel's method of teaching drawing differs widely from that usually practised, which is often nothing more than thoughtless mechanical copying. It requires from the child reason and reflection, and in time enables him to invent forms for himself.

With the gifts the child has been able to represent forms and figures; and the desire is now awakened within him to represent by drawing these forms and figures. Various forms are dictated by the teacher, commencing with the combination of perpendicular lines of five different degrees of length, next horizontal lines, then oblique, and finally curved lines.

During the progress of the lesson, the teacher should question as to the number of lines drawn, how many more would be required to make a certain number? What numbers added together would produce any given number, etc., and similarly with subtraction and division. The teacher should be careful to correct any wrong position of the pencil or body.

As a general remark, we may say that no new material should be used in the Kinder-garten, until the teacher has had a conversation with the class upon the nature and use of the same.

CHAPTER VII.

VARIED OCCUPATIONS (continued.)

(ii.) PICTURE CONVERSATIONS.-A very useful substitute for the Kinder-garten (where the teacher has no knowledge of the latter, and no taste for it), and a useful accompaniment to it, is afforded by engraved Picture Rolls, and by pictures cut out of illustrated juvenile periodicals. The latter can be cheaply mounted by the teacher herself on old cards, with borders of Brunswick black, and give subjects for Conversations especially useful in the Babies' Room. Such pictures, suitable to children, can be selected from the "Infant's Magazine," etc., odd numbers of which in five-shilling packets are sold by Partridge and other publishers. These have been largely introduced into many Infant Schools as pictures for the walls, and make them cheerful and pleasant at a very trifling expense.

(iii.) CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT PICTURES.-Pictures specially suited to every lesson cannot always be procured. Entertaining subjects may often, however, be selected without these, such as The Fable of the Lion and Mouse; The Lark and her young ones (illustrated by the poem on that subject); The Dog and the Shadow; Tortoise and Hare; Alfred and the Cakes; Alfred and the Beggar; Joseph and his Brethren; David and the Lion and Bear; Jesus and the little Children; The White Ship; Sir Philip Sidney at Zutphen; and stories selected from children's

periodicals; what children do at school; days of the week; the parts of the body and their uses. Illustrations of proverbs, as of "Little strokes fell great oaks;" "A stitch in time saves nine;' "Waste not, want not," etc. Differences and likenesses between Dog and Cat; Dog and Fox; Duck and Goose; coverings of Birds, Quadrupeds, and Fishes; Needle and Pin; Pen and Pencil; Cart and Wheelbarrow; Shilling and Penny.

A few of the very commonest domestic animals may also be the subjects of conversational remarks from the teacher, especially the cat, dog, cow, sheep, horse. No formal lessons on these should be attempted in the Babies' Room, but playful remarks interspersed with questions to train observation, should suffice; and number should be taught at the same time by means of these conversations. Thus, suppose the "talk" is on a cat. The teacher should, if possible (and this can be easily done, generally speaking), bring a live cat into the schoolroom. To gain the attention of the class the teacher can invent or call to mind a little tale or incident connected with the subject. The following will serve as an instance of what should be attempted :

Talk on the Cat.

Teacher.—I have a little pussy at home, and a kitten. The pussy is the mother, and the kitten is the baby. Now, my little pussy likes to be clean, and she likes her little baby to be clean, too. This morning pussy gave the kitten a good cleaning, and made her neat and tidy for the day. How does your mother clean you before you come to school? She washes your hands and your face, combs and brushes your hair-yes. And what does she want before she can do this ?-A brush and comb, and soap and water! Well, my little pussy has no brush, no comb, no