THE HOME BOOK OF WONDERS! IN NATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART. A Complete Museum, Descriptive and Pictorial, of the World's Wonderful Phenomena. BY JOHN LORAINE ABBOTT. Each of the following departments full to overflowing with themes of the richest instruction and interest, viz: MOUNTAINS, Glaciers, Volcanoes, SUBTERRANEAN CAVES, GROTTOS, &c., PHENOMENA OF THE Ocean, Cataracts, Hot CASCADES, Lakes. ATMOSPHERICAL Phenomena. Meteors, Aerolites, MIRAGE, MONSOONS, Waterspouts, &c., BURIED CITIES, Earthquakes. AGENTS WANTED TO SELL THIS VALUABLE WORK Basaltic and Rocky NATURAL BRIDGES, Precipices, PROMONTORIES, In Every Town and County in the Geological Changes of United States. TO WHOM VERY LIBERAL TERMS WILL BE OFFERED. The Best Book for Old Agents to Work For terms, &c., address H. A. STREET & CO., III NASSAU STREET, the Earth. DESERTS, Wonders of Ancient Art, Tombs, TEMPLES, RUINS, &c., the Holy Land, Wonders of Modern ART AND Science, Light Houses, BRIDGES, Tunnels, Railroads, &c., &c., MISCELLANEOUS Wonders, BALLOONS, TREES, Telegraph, &c., &c., &c., &c. It has been the aim of the Editor to present these Wonders in a manner not only acceptable to the man of scienc and profound research, but full of interest to the general reader-to the family at the fireside. The exaggerated an marvelous stories which the mischievous fancy of travelers have too often imposed on the credulous, as well as the foolish fables of bigotry and superstition which have been received as truths, are carefully avoided or exposed. On the subjects in which Nature, in her various departments, displays her most wondrous magnificence and beauty, or in those in which Science and Art have sought out their most wondrous inventions, and wrought out their must wondrous results, the best authorities have been carefully consulted. Believing that the standard of general reading is constantly rising higher, und that the sphere of intellectual tastes and pursuits is constantly growing wider, the writer has endeavored to prepare a volume of more than the interest of fiction, and at the same time the ripe and rich instruction of books of travels, works of science, and descriptive art. This work will make a LARGE OCTAVO VOLUME OF OVER 800 PAGES, printed on beautiful white and heavy paper, bound in the latest and best styles of binding, and illustraced with over ONE HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS from Original Designs. VALUABLE SCHOOL BOOKS. Text-Books in the Natural Sciences. The Cambridge Course in Physics, By W. J. Rolfe and J. A. Gillet, in 3 vols. A shorter course in 3 smaller vols. Handbook of Natural Philosophy. This popular course of Physics has been officially adopted by the State Board of Maryland and Minnesota, and is already used in whole or in part in the cities of Baltimore, Pittsburg, Wheeling, Richmond, Savannah, Charleston, Mcblie, New Orleans, Galveston, Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, St. Louis, Milwaukie, Bloomington, Detroit, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland, St. Joseph, Wheeling, Buffalo, Rochester, Newark, Worcester, Taunton, Lowell, Bangor, Lawrence, Haverhill, Bath, Millford, Hartford, New London, New Bedford, Boston, Dover, Concord, Burlington, Dorchester, Manchester, Pittsfield, Chelsea, Chicopee, Northampton, Cambridge, Newburyport, etc. MAGILL'S FRENCH SERIES. A French Grammar. I vol. 12mo. A Key to the Exercises in the Author's French Grammar. IN PREPARATION: Book of French Prose and Poetry. In 1 vol. THE NEW LATIN COURSE. comprising in one volume all the Latin Prose requiried for entering College, and the only editions of the Classics with reference to the new Grammars, Harkness's and Allen's. Preparatory Latin Prose Book. Crown 8vo. pp. 900. A Handbook of Latin Poetry. Crown 8vo. Selections from Ovid and Virgil. A Shorter Handbook of Latin Poetry, with Notes and Grammatical References. By J. H. Hanson, A. M., and W. J. Rolfe, A. M., I vol. crown 8vo. This volume comprises all the Latin Poetry, Notes and References contained in the larger volume, with the exception of Horace. Allen's Latin Grammar. Accepted at Harvard University. GERMAN. A New Elmementary German Grammar. By Gabriel Campbell, Professor in the State University of Minnesota. A Practical and Complete German Grammar. By Adolph Douai, Ph. D. DRAWING. 12mo. Bartholomew's Drawing-books. New Series. This series of books, when complete, will consist of twelve numbers. Three of the Series are now ready. Each number will contain twelve plates, executed in the highest style of lithographic art, and twenty-four pages of drawing paper of a superior quality. Instruction accompanies each book. In connection with many of these books, a Guide has been prepared for the use of teachers and more advanced pupils. ' Drawing-slates. A New Article. Bartholomew's Primary School Slate. With a series of Progrssive Lessons in Writing and Drawing. Payson, Dunton & Scribner's National System of Penmanship. The most practical style and successful system ever published. Revised, newly engraved and improved. NEARLY ONE AND A HALF MILLION OF COPIES SOLD ANNUALLY. Sixty-two cities, with an aggregate population of 2,400,000, use P. D. & S. exclusively; and but twentyseven cities, with 758,000 inhabitants, use any rival series. **The attention of teachers and all interested in education is respectfully called to the above list of important text-books. Circulars containing full description, with notices and testimonials from eminent teachers, will be furnished on application. Address WOOLWORTH, AINSWORTH & CO., 117 Washington St., Boston. Published by E. H. BUTLER & CO., 137 SOUTH FOURTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PENNA. MITCHELL'S NEW SCHOOL GEOGRAPHIES. MITCHELL'S FIRST LESSONS IN GEOGRAPHY.For young children. An introduction to the Author's Primary Geography. With Maps and Engravings. MITCHELL'S NEW PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY. Illustrated by Twenty Colored Maps and One Hundred Engravings. Designed as an introduction to the New Intermediate Geography. MITCHELL'S NEW INTERMEDIATE GEOGRAPHY. For the use of Schools and Academies. Illustrated by 23 Copper-Plate Maps and numerous Engravings. MITCHELL'S NEW SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY AND ATLAS. A System of Modern Geography-Physical, Political, and Descriptive; accompanied by a new At-¦ las of Forty-four Copper-Plate Maps, and Illustrated by Two Hundred Engravings. MITCHELL'S NEW PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. With Thirteen Copper-Plate Maps, and One Hundred and Fifty Engravings. By John Brocklesby, A. M., Professor of Mathematics in Trinity College. MITCHELL'S NEW OUTLINE MAPS. A series of Seven Maps, handsomely colored and mounted, in size 24x28 inches, except the Map of the United States, which is 28x48 inche. They clearly and fully represent, at a glance, the Political Boundaries, Mountain-Systems, River-Courses, Plateaus, Plains, and Deserts of the Earth. MITCHELL'S NEW ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY, entirely new work, elegantly illustrated. MITCHELL'S SCHOOL GEOGRAPHIES. OLD SERIES. REVISED TO DATE. MITCHELL'S PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY. An MITCHELL'S SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY AND ATLAS. GOODRICH'S SCHOOL HISTORIES. GOODRICH'S AMERICAN CHILD'S PICTORIAL HIS- GOODRICH'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED GOODRICH'S PICTORIAL NATURAL HISTORY. ! HART's ENGLISH GRAMMAR. A Grammar of Hows' PRIMARY LADIES' READER. A choice Hows' JUNIOR LADIES' READER. Hows' LADIES' BOOK OF READING AND RECITA TION. MARTINDALE'S SERIES OF SPELLERS. For young children. THE PRIMARY SPELLER. Teachers and Boards of Education are respectfully invited to address the Publishers, for further information regarding these Books, all of which are eminently suitable for the school-room. Members of the Alumni Association of the Millersville State Normal School can secure their badges by sending their orders to H. Z. Rhoads & Bro., No. 22 West King street, Lancaster, Pa., as final arrangements for the manufacture of these badges have been made with the above-named firm. Members sending in their orders, will please give the name in full and the year of their graduation, together with any special instructions they may deem proper as to quality of material and size of badge. By order of committee. A. R. BYERLY, A. N. RAUB. EX-STATE SUPT. COBURN. Our readers will have heard, before this meets their eye, of the death of this old and faithful teacher and school officer. He was so well known to the Profession and the school publie of the State that no account of his life and actions is necessary at our hands. Besides, the formal duty of announcing his departure has been so well and fully performed, under the official head in this number, by the present State Superintendent, who has been very intimately associated with him in public affairs and personally, that any additional attempt would be out of place. The deceased will be long remembered as a faithful and successful instructor of youth. OFFICIAL DEPARTMENT. Last month we neglected the full account of the operations and work of the School Department, given to a committee of the Legislature by State Superintendent Wickersham, in the March number. It is well worth examination, showing, as it does, the extent and importance of the interests involved. In this number the official matter is also very full; but we feel that in devoting more space than in former years to this portion of the Fournal's 's contents, we are doing our readers a benefit,-especially Teachers and Directors. Conducted as that Department now is, it comes up WHOLE NO. 202. Associate, J. P. MCCASKEY. to the idea, formed several years ago, of the value of regular official communication between the Department and the schools. GROWING. We are glad to notice as an evidence of prosperity, that Messrs. Sower, Barnes and Potts, publishers of Philadelphia, have recently removed from their old store, No. 37 North Third street, to the large and commodious building, No. 530 Market street and extending through to 523 Minor street. With their increased space and from their large experience, the firm has been able to fit up several stories in fine style, and so arrange their various publications, that no difficulty is experienced by customers in making selections without delay. One department is devoted exclusively to fine stationery. But their strong departments are in the direction of Brooks' Mathematical Series and their other publications, a partial list of which may be found advertised elsewhere. ALL HAIL! PHILADELPHIA. More than once we have had to differ with our friends in Philadelphia, on some educational questions, though generally an admirer of the vigor and liberality, especially latterly, of the Boards of Control and Direction. But a change has recently been made by the Controllers in the rules relating to study in the schools, in reference to which we scarcely know how to express our satisfaction sufficiently strong. It is the adoption of a principle in education we have long felt to be essential, not only to the proper instruction of the pupil, but to the creation of that interest in study, the lack of which is the great enemy-the chief obstacle to improve ment. The amended rule of the Board, which sets forth the new principle, is in these words: RULE XXIX. "The morning session of the Primary, Secondary and Grammar schools, shall be devoted to recitations by the pupils, and explanations and instruction by the teachers. The afternoon sessions shall be given entirely to the preparation of lessons by the pupils, under the care and supervision of the Principal and assistant teachers. "Home study may be optional with the pupils; but shall not, in any case, be required by the teachers. When text-books are taken home by pupils, it shall be those only each day in which recitations have been prepared in the afternoon for the ensuing day; and no addition shall be made to the lessons assigned, on account of the books being taken home. The true principle in education is"not how much, but how well." Short lessons are therefore enjoined in all cases, and teachers prohibited from using the text-book in recitations, except in Orthography, Etymology and Reading." This is one of the foundation principles in teaching we have been contending for and striving to introduce into practice for years. First, it was attempted, while we were a Director in the city of Lancaster, but it was defeated by the hostility and stubborness of some old teachers, who were supposed to know better. Next, it, with related principles, was about being established in the schools for Soldiers' Orphans, and just going into successful operation, when that trust was put into other hands. Any one who shall take the trouble to refer to the Peunsyl vania School Journal, vol. 15, pages 105 and 106, (November number, 1866,) will find our views on this whole subject, succinctly but fully set forth; number one of the great principles therein announced being in these words: I. No Text or Lesson book shall be studied except in school and during school hours; nor, as a general rule, shall any text-book be allowed in the hands of a pupil, except in the presence of a teacher. one will feel when the other becomes his instructor-not task-master-that he is a benefactor. God bless the noble Board that has had the common sense, the humanity, and the courage to initiate such a reform. We know nothing of human nature or mind nature, if a few years, under this rule, do not make the schools of Philadelphia as much of a delight to her children as they now are an honor to her authorities After all, the world does move. TEACHERS' ECONOMICS. There is nothing more annoying to the busy and earnest Teacher, nor anything which causes a more useless waste of time in the school room, than the habit, tolerated by too many, of constantly referring to the Teacher for the meaning or proper orthography of words, the date or place of an event, and the solution of a difficulty in grammar, arithmetic, or geography. If the answers thus afforded were truly instructive,fund of knowledge, the profit would be well that is, if they added permanently to the pupil's worth the labor. But the old adage "Easy got, it being the fact that the mere questioning syssoon gone," applies here as well as elsewhere;— tem of acquiring knowledge, when it grows into a habit, and is miscalled "laudable curiosity," is, of all others, the least reliable and the most unpleasant. Very different is this practice from the system of questioning to test the extent of the knowledge of the person questioned. The one is laudable and legitimate; the other neither laudable nor to be tolerated, except in extreme cases. Here is the very thing now adopted by the bold and progressive Controllers of our great city, except that they permit an option in carrying books home;-a practice we not only The application of two obvious rules to these question-especially in a working population-"laudable curiosity questions" would so confine but wholly disapprove of. their limits as to number and so guide them as to direction, as not only to strip the practice of all evil effects and save the Teacher's time, but actually to make them a lasting benefit to the pupil. It is impossible to foretell the good results of this great school reform, if fairly and fully carried into effect. It will rid the home of the whine and worry and complaint of getting lessons for next day, which are not in one case in ten gotten at all, and not in one in a hundred properly gotten. It will emancipate the scholar from the slavery and nightmare of tasked study. and unprepared lessons. It will strip the school of that repulsiveness which mainly grows out of fear because of inability to meet its hard and often impossible tasks. It will render study. pleasant, and learning not only sound but lovely, because there will be conscious progress and improvement in every step; and finally it will render pupil and teacher friends, because the 1. Never answer a question until satisfied that the pupil has honestly made use of every means in his power to solve it for himself. 2. Never, if the case admit of it, answer the question directly and fully, but only put the pupil in the way to obtain the answer for himself. If the first rule be disregarded, not only will a habit of idleness thereby be strengthened, but the independence and activity of the mind itself decreased; and if the habit be confirmed by long indulgence, a very worthless mental character |