went out of sight altogether and the island was there no longer. May a common island have more than one kind of surface?

P. surface.

It may have a low surface, a high surface, and a rocky

T. Tell me of an island with a mountain chain running through the centre. P. Cuba.

T. Tell me of some river that we visited that had many islands with low flat banks and low flat surfaces.

P. The islands in the St. Lawrence River.

T. Yes, the St. Lawrence River has a great many islands in it, but is that the river? P. The Mississippi River.

T.

T.

Did we see many of them? P. Yes.

What kind of surface did they have? P. Low surface. Did you see one with a high surface? P. Yes ma'am. T. What island was it? P. It was Rock Island.

T.

T.

How many would like to make a volcanic island?

(Each child is given a pan filled with moulding sand, with which they form an island with a low, flat bank, and low surface, and a volcanic island.)

READING FOR PRIMARY GRADES—II.

SOME damp cloudy day when the slates and pencils are particularly noisy, when the little feet can not be quiet and lessons will be tiresome, read The Ugly Duckling, or Star Dollars, or What the Moon Saw, or Ole Sukoi, or The Fir Tree, and the teacher as well as the children will feel the quieting influence of the honest old fairy Hans Andersən, whose eyes were so keen to see what children love. At another time read from Harpers' Young People of August 19, 1884, of the little German boy whose parents were very poor, but honest, who lived in a wee cottage with the garden on the roof. Read how the boy stretched his mother's large apron over some currant bushes making a tent, where he loved to lie for hours at a time watching the birds, the flowers, the blue sky and the clouds, weaving little stories which were afterward unfolded to the delight of hundreds of other children.

He could do more than dream, however, for one day when he

was in a field helping to glean after the harvesters, a selfish and cruel landlord drove the gleaners out with a heavy whip. The little Hans running with the others lost his wooden shoe, and as he stopped to pick it up the man raised his whip to strike, but looking into his angry face Hans said: "How dare you strike nie when God can see it!"

Harpers' Weekly (of some months ago) contains a picture of his home, and in Houghton & Mifflin's book-catalogue the children will find a picture of the dear old story-teller himself. FANNIE S. BURT.

DEPARTMENT OF PEDAGOGY.

[This Department is conducted by S. S. PARR, Principal De Pauw Normal School.]

:0:

WANTED; A RATIONAL GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH TONGUE.

A

RECENT writer in Language Notes exposes some of the fallacies

and ridiculous blunders of our present grammars. He cites

the contradictory and confusing views taught in all the grammars relative to the cases of the noun, as an evidence of the chop-logic that rules in text-books on grammar. He might have cited two other classes of features that are equally objectionable. The definitions used in nearly all our school grammars are in many cases untrue, or based on unessential relations of the thing defined. Take for instance the definition, found in nine-tenths of our grammars, for the subject itself: "English grammar is the science of the English language." Now plainly it is no such thing. The statement may have once been true. The science of the English language is now not English grammar, but English philology. English grammar is, properly, the science of the English sentence. It no longer includes orthography, etymology, prosody, pronunciation, etc. These subjects are treated by themselves or as parts of the more general subject of English philology.

Again, take the current definition of the noun: "A noun is a word which names an object." This astounding piece of information is based on the unimportant relation which exists between the

meanings of the two words noun and name. These words, viewed both as to derivation and use, have substantially the same meaning. The definition, given above, reduced to common sense and plain En lish, means that a name is a name. Truly, a very astounding piece of news! This is not an argument ad unam causam. Scores of similar cases may be found in the majority of our grammars. If we are to have "definitions" at all, let them be true and based on the most important relation of the thing defined. Nothing is gained, but much lost, by deluding ourselves and our pupils with this misuse of terms. Fully nine tenths of our "definitions" in all subjects are loose general statements. The reason that we have them is easily discovered. The mistake is made of attempting to teach children science, before they are mature enough on the one hand, or have been prepared by doing the art side, on the other hand.

The third reason why we want a new system of English grammar is that the present system contains a large amount of totally value. less material. Among these may be named a large number of classifications of the noun and other parts of speech. To classify nouns as class, mass, collective, abstract, quality, etc., is of no real value in understanding the structure and genius of the English sentence. If such bases and such a plan of classification be taken, what good reason for stopping at these divisions? We should have chemical nouns, literature nouns, astronomical nouns, etc. All such distinc.. tions are arrant nonsense, so far as they aid any real knowledge of language. A large number of so called grammatical at ributes have no real existence, in any form of value to an understanding of languige. Nouns have only two distinct forms to express the relation of subject in thought or of some secondary relation of the object, yet we have as many as half a cozen so called "cases." The trouble is that our English grammar is made after the pattern of Latin grammars, although the two languages are in sharp contrast in their genius and nature.

Take another example of useless distinction: The noun is said to have person. It has, as a matter of fact, none. It takes no change of form to indicate the relation of its object to the speaker. So with the whole set of distinctions we call the mood of the verb. They either have no existence at all, or are so vaguely marked that no two grammar makers agree as to their kinds and nature.

There is a positive, as well as a negative side to this argument. Much of grammar is worthless, but much of language study is of great value. That knowledge which is of most value comes rather from a study of the derivation of words and of the changing use of phrase and word, in the progress of time. A comparison of Chaucerian and Shakesperian English with that of the present, noting how eliminations and introductions have come about, is of more value than any study of cut and-dried forms and definitions. Such study will incidentally carry with it all the knowledge of the sentence and its analysis, and of the classification and properties of words, that is necessary to understand and use good English. One is here tempted to paraphrase an expression of Rousseau: The school-masters hit upon little that is useful and is real fact, because such study would necessitate thought and work on their part, whereas by teaching the empty forms already wrought out they consult their ease and comfort. Grammar, as we know it, is doomed. It will have to go and be supplanted by something more rational in the study of English.

A man who is good for making excuses is good for nothing else.

Do not for one repulse forego the purpose you resolve to effect.

-Shakespeare.

He is not worthy the honeycomb,
Who shuns the hive because the bees have stings.

-Shakespeare.

The man who builds, and wants wherewith to pay,
Provides a home from which to run away.

[Young.

To be accurate, write; to remember, write; to know thine own mind, write.-Anon.

'Tis with our judgments as our watches; none are just alike, yet each believes his own.-Pope.

Master books, but do not let them master you.-Bulwer.

EDITORIAL.

Howard Sandison, Prof. of Methods in the State Normal School, is now engaged in translating from the German, Heinrich Matzat's "Methodik des Geographischen Unterrichts," (Method of Geographical Instruction). This work is, perhaps, more systematic and scientific than any work of the kind in any language. The readers of the Journal will be glad to learn that Prof. Sandison has agreed to furnish this translation for publication in the Journal, a chapter each month, beginning with October.

ANDREW M. SWEENY, Supt. of Dubois county, has been nominated by the Democratic party for Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Journal wishes to refer to what it said of Mr. Sweeny last month, and here endorse it. He is an active, energetic county superintendent, and has his work well in hand. He is a self-made man, and he has done a good job. He has secured a liberal education, and knows well the public school system. He has a pleasant address and readily makes friends. The fact that he secured the nomination when he was comparatively unknown is proof that he is a worker. Whether he is elected or not will depend upon the number of votes he gets.

FALL TREE PLANTING.

The importance of planting trees upon school premises can not easily be exaggerated. A great deal has been done in this direction and a vast deal more needs to be done. One trouble in the way of a general observance of a tree-planting day has been that the day has generally been fixed in the spring after most of the country schools are out. The Journal hereby calls upon the State Superintendent and the committee to whom this matter was entrusted, to fix a day in the fall, so that the country schools may participate and reap the benefits.

THE READING CIRCLE.

The prospects for the Reading Circle this year look very favorable. The course for this year is much reduced, the price of the books required is only about one-half, and the interest is very much increased. There has been but little trouble in forming a good "circle" wherever there has been an earnest effort by an active person. It is to be hoped that some enterprising teacher can be found in every township to take the lead and organize a circle. Full particulars can be obtained