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ultra-sanguinary coloring. If detective stories have been his only intellectual food, give him some of the historical criminal biographies and remarkable escapes. There are one or two which cannot be condemned, and they are so much better than what he has been reading that they are a distinct advance; and they certainly do "exhale a moral" which he (with his intimate knowledge of crime and its penalties, if he is a city boy) will not fail to perceive.

If brigands and pirates (in brilliant paper covers) have been his chosen companions, you can start him off at once on the "Adventure series," where fact and fancy are so deftly combined as to defy the cataloger to determine whether they shall be classified with history, biography, or fiction; or Abbott's "Captain Kidd" and kindred books are so faintly historic in their facts and so intensely interesting in the manner of their telling that your boy is off and away into wide fair fields of history before he knows that he is emancipated.

Believe all things, hope all things, endure all things—your reward will seldom fail. Though you may see little of the fruit of your labors, still plant the seed, cultivate the soil in hope of harvest.

Too much cannot be said in favor of the bulletins of selected books posted on the walls far enough away from the librarian's desk so that the shy or bad boys will not fear to read them, and for the "good books" shelf where the most attractive titles and bindings must be displayed, and where the doubtful or ignorant or lazy may find the book they will like to read without trouble.

Also, never to be forgotten it is, that if the boy is once or twice deceived or disappointed in the book he gets from the library he will almost inevitably return to wallowing in the mire of the book-stands where "5-cent books" or "6 for a quarter" are displayed. From this sad relapse the librarian must guard the boy by seeing that he is pleased with the first books taken from the library. Whenever possible, see that the books are well and fully illustrated. Nothing interests and enchains the attention and instructs the undisciplined mind more than pictures. Writers and publishers are becoming more and more aware of the attractiveness of the well pictured books and the art of reproducing pictures is now so perfect and inexpensive that the librarian of the future will have little trouble to select books which will attract his boy readers.

HOW MAY WE MAKE THE GUIDING OF PUPILS' READING A PART OF THE TEACHER'S WORK?*

BY MARY E. MERINGTON.

THE true teacher is one who is imbued with | the idea that all knowledge is not summed up in the petty text-books in his hand, one who carries in his heart and conveys to his pupil the stirring thought that the universe is a great book lying open for him who runs to read and that the true student is he who finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. With this sublime conception dominating his work, he gives the rich fruit of his experience to the neophytes under his care, guides the ambitious, spurs on the laggard, quickens the dormant germ of curiosity, throws light on dark places, and leads the youth to find that the crux in his book of learning is mortality alone. There are students who know a text-book from cover to cover verbatim, yet whose dull ears have never caught the meaning which underlies the even flow of words. He who has made a pupil paraphrase a

* Presented at joint meeting of N. Y. Library Association and N. Y. Library Club, N. Y., Jan. 10-12, 1895.

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page written in his native tongue has done more than the one whose disciple reels off a chapter of Greek. Question the pupil on the words he has memorized and he will answer in words; bid him question you, and unless his intelligence has been awakened, his queries will show that the underlying sense has never penetrated his soul. There is reading and reading. The object is not to get over so many pages of print, but to come so close to Truth that the pulse of her heart throbs under our hand.

Then arises the question, “How shall a teacher guide his pupils to find the truth?"

It is obvious that those advantages which lie at the hand of one are but too frequently denied to another, and that circumstances may limit the scope of the most energetic person's influence. But to the earnest soul the cheapest spellingbook is a library of poetry and song. R-a-t served Robert Browning as a text; C-a-t conjures up visions of Cambyses marching as to war; L-i-o-n takes us into the forest with Una or

with Androcles, and the H-o-r-s-e carries us over conquered worlds with Bucephalus and into the very clouds with Pegasus.

Rote teachers who put a volume of geographical facts into a young brain turn out the welldrilled machines which abound to-day; but what is the dry recital of a column of statistics in comparison with the joyous expansiveness, the power, the growth felt and exulted in by the child who learns that there is a thought behind such a name as Bosphorus ?-no accidental collocation of vowels and consonants, but a name inspired by history, history beautified by tradition, history treating of those far-away ancestors of theirs who pushed their westward way ever forward and forward until they crossed a wider waste of water than was ever dreamed of in their wildest romances.

No time is too soon, no age is too young for a pupil's mind to be lifted to the idea that what he gets from the schools is comparable only to the reading of an index-the subject-matter lies outside.

This is the first step in the guidance of a pupil's reading. Now as to how to accomplish the rest. Let us for a moment consider the instruments in our hands.

Those who have had practical experience in teaching may have noticed a curious psychological fact, to wit, that well into the college grades, those pupils who are called upon to compose, impromptu, a sentence containing a given word, with but few exceptions, embody a cruel thought in this sentence, and this, in my experience, is especially true of girls.

Here is an opening for a wedge. Let the teacher reward those who weave their word into a brief phrase treating of some current topic and eulogize the allusion to some historical or traditionary event. Before the week is out "the

man

" who "kicked the horse" will have given way to the proverbial axe and cherry tree, and in a month, if she be wise, she will be rubbing up some of her own store of " useful and entertaining knowledge" in order to keep pace with her classes.

After a harrowing experience with hangmen and criminals, followed by the Father of his Country ad infinitum, I once started a class on the subject of Napoleon, and, like David Copperfield who had Dora for tea and Dora for dinner, Napoleon dominated every hour of the day; so I took Miss Yonge's "History of France" and read it to the boys, and when that was done ventured on "The tale of two cities." The re

sult was greater, broader, more enduring than I had ventured to hope. We finished it one fine Friday afternoon when they took the reading in lieu of an hour's holiday, and when the time for dismissal came, sat and demanded the rest; and when it was all over they sidled out with a grunt or a nod, too much choked with emotion to say "good-afternoon." But for the rest of the term sentences and grammar exercises and compositions abounded with fresh thought, and home libraries were ransacked for treasure trove.

Books are not at the disposal of every student, but the newspaper is within the limit of a poor man's income, and it is one of the best instruments at a teacher's command, although rarely recognized in that capacity. The average class may be divided into two sections, those pupils who don't read the papers and those who read them amiss; the second division is as hopelessly ignorant as the first.

Why should not an intelligent class be able to write as well on Satolli's mission as on St. Patrick's? Question them, and not a moiety know of his existence. Are there two pupils who could give a summary of the Samoan question or tell why Russia wants a railroad built to Vladivostok? Yet there it stares them in the face side by side with the stories and the crimes and the scandal they do know.

The newspapers chronicle current history, and should be used in that light, and in every class will be found at least one child whose parents will help the teacher by cutting out desirable articles for his son to take to school to be read aloud. The boys who read for themselves will pick out the best to bring. Take the scraps, stick them in an old blank-book, roughly as you please, and before you realize it you have a complete account of the question of the day, while all the class is fighting China against Japan and the Corean Question is settled in a lunch-time.

Much useful work can also be accomplished by the supervision of a child's Sunday-school reading. Unfortunately most church libraries are filled with literary pop-corn and the selection is too limited to admit of a lay teacher's receiving much help from that quarter; but yet it is possible to find good in Nazareth. Also it is well to keep the catalog of the nearest public library and to encourage children to consult their teacher as to the best books to draw out either for amusement or for reference. And it is a very good plan instead of assigning a topic and letting the class read it up and bring in an epitome of the subject, to give out the topic and

require them to give in a list of such books, essays, monographs, etc., as are to be found treating of the matter in hand; it engenders a wholesome spirit of rivalry which leads to greater results. Last, but not least, having awakened a love for the matter of a book, the manner of it should

come under consideration. Teach the child to look for publishers' names and editions and to see that a well-printed ten-cent paper book coming from a reputable house is far and away above the olla podrida that unscrupulous pirates put into half-calf and set out on bargain counters.

REFERENCE WORK AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN.

By Miss A. L. SARGENT, Librarian Middlesex Mechanics' Assoc. Library, Lowell, Mass. LET us suppose that the momentous problem | Books like Ingersoll's "Country cousins," which is solved of persuading children to use the library for more serious purpose than to find a book" as good as 'Mark the match boy,' "' and that we are trying to convince children that the library is infallible, and can furnish information on whatever they wish to know about-whether it is some boy who comes on the busiest morning of the week, to find out how to make a puppet | show in time to give an afternoon exhibition, or some high-school girl who rushes over in the 20 minutes' recess to write an exhaustive treatise on women's colleges.

It is unnecessary to say that the fewer books the library can supply the more must those few be forced to yield. A large library, with unlimited volumes, meets few of the difficulties which beset smaller and poorer institutions.

If the librarian can name at once "a poem about Henry of Navarre," or tell who wrote "by the rude bridge that arched the flood," and on what monument it is engraved, can furnish material for debate on "the Chinese question," "which city should have the new normal school," "who was Mother Goose," or on any possible or impossible subject, she gains at once the confidence of the severest of critics, and is sure of their future patronage.

The subjects on which children seek information are as varied as those brought by older people and the material is equally elusive. Perhaps the hardest questions to answer are about the allusions which are found in literature studies, and which frequently the teacher who has given the question cannot answer. I find it helpful whenever I come across material of this nature to make a reference to it in the catalog, and, in fact, to analyze carefully all juvenile books, not fiction, whose titles give no hint of the contents. A great many books otherwise valueless become thus most useful, especially if one is pressed for time.

Mr. Jones, in his “Special reading lists," gives many such references to juvenile literature.

contains an article on shell money, and also an account of Professor Agassiz's laboratory at Newport; Mary Bamford's "Talks by queer folks," giving many of the superstitions prevalent about animals; the set of books by Uncle Lawrence, "Young folks' ideas," "Queries," and "Whys and wherefores," recently republished under the title "Science in story,” and others of this sort, if carefully indexed, answer many of the questions brought every day by children, and amply repay for the trouble. For even if juvenile books are classified on the shelves, much time is wasted in going through many indexes.

A wide-awake teacher often gives his pupils the events of the day to study, and if they cannot grasp the situation from the daily papers, juvenile periodicals furnish the best material. For this a classified index is indispensable; it makes available accounts of the workings of government, the weather bureau, mint, and other intangible topics. Until the recent publication of Capt. King's "Cadet days," I knew of no other place to find any description of West Point routine outside of Boynton's or Cullum's histories. One glimpse of either would convince any boy he would rather try some other subject.

A short article often suffices to give the main facts. My experience, both as teacher and librarian, persuades me that the average child is eminently statistical. "A horse is an animal with four legs one at each corner," is fairly | representative of the kind of information he seeks. When he becomes diffuse, we may feel sure he has had help. Sissy Jupes are of course to be found, who cannot grapple with facts.

Working on this principle, I have made liberal use of a book issued by the U. S. Government "The growth of industrial art." It gives, in pictures, with only a line or two of description, the progress of different industries such as the locomotive, from the clumsy engine of 1802 to the elaborate machinery of the present

day; the evolution of lighting, from the pineknot and tallow-dip to the electric light; methods of signalling, from the Indian fire-signal to the telegraph; time-keeping, etc. A child will get more ideas from one page of pictures than from a dozen or more pages of description and hard words.

If lack of space compels one to deny the privilege of going to the shelves, it seems to me more essential for children to have ready access to reference-books, and especially to be taught how to use them, than for grown-up people. The youngest soon learn to use "Historical notebooks," Champlin's Cyclopædias, Hopkins'" Experimental science," "Boys' and Girls' handy books," and others of miscellaneous contents. If they have a mechanical bent they will help themselves from Amateur Work or "Electrical toymaking;" if musical, from Mrs. Lillie's " Story of music" or Dole's "Famous composers; if they have ethical subjects to write about, they find what they need in Edith Wiggin's "Lessons in manners," Everett's "Ethics for young people," or Miss Ryder's books, which give excellent advice in spite of their objectionable titles. They can find help in their nature studies in Gibson's "Sharp-eyes," Lovell's "Nature's wonder workers," Mrs. Dana's "How to know the wild flowers," or turn to Mrs. Bolton's or Lydia Farmer's books to learn about famous

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people, if they are encouraged to do so. These, of course, are only a few of the books which can be used in this way. As the different holidays come round there are frequent applications for the customs of those days, or for appropriate selections for school or festival. Miss Matthews and Miss Ruhl have helped us out in their "Memorial day selections," and McCaskey's "Christmas in song, sketch, and story," and the "Yule-tide collection" give great variety. If the juvenile periodicals do not furnish the customs, they can, of course, be found in Brand's "Popular antiquities," or Chambers's 'Books of days." It is necessary sometimes to use the books for older people, since there is a point where childhood and grown-up-hood meet. I was recently obliged to give quite a small child Knight's “Mechanical dictionary,” to find out when and where weather-vanes were first used, and to give a grammar-school girl Mrs. Farmer's "What America owes to women," for material for a graduating essay.

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A few excellent suggestions for general reference work are given in Miss Plummer's "Hints to small libraries;" but in spite of all the aids at command there come times when our only resource is to follow the adage, "look till you find it and your labor won't be lost," and to accept the advice of Cap'n Cuttle, "When found, make a note on't."

LIBRARY EXAMINATIONS IN SCHOOLS.

BY CHARLES KNOWLES BOLTON, Librarian Brookline (Mass.) Public Library.

"

If our libraries are to depend upon the edu- | sends her away. The librarian has had a valucated people in the community for encourage-able bit of training. But what has the child ment and support, we must impress the children gained? The fact is worth nothing; the way to while they are in school with the value of books. | find the fact everything. And until they know how to use them they will remain but half-hearted supporters. I have found during the last year that few people know their alphabet, and fewer the characteristics of works of reference which nominally treat of the same subjects.

A child asks the name of the printer of the first edition of Goldsmith's "Vicar of Wakefield." The librarian can't stop at the moment, perhaps, to deliver a lecture on reference books, so he goes to the Dictionary of National Biography, finds a reference to first editions in Notes and Queries, gives the child the information and

Let the teacher give an "hour examination on the use of the library, to be counted as regular work, and the scholars will find out how to look up a subject for themselves. If the examination is announced a week beforehand, they will come to the librarian in twos and threes. Then he can give the time necessary to explain the different reference books, the use of the catalog, etc.

I have prepared below an examination paper. Where a library does not happen to have a particular reference book, another question could be substituted. These questions might be given

to children to guide them in studying the catalog and the books. A new list, based on the same lines, could easily be prepared for the examination.

LIBRARY EXAMINATION.

(Grammar or High School Grade.)

Time: one hour.

I. (a) Arrange the following in alphabetical order, according to the system used in the library catalog:

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

M'Keever.

Boy's book of sports

Smith, Sir William.

Architecture.

Ockham.

Macmillan.

McKenzie.

O'Connor.

Boys' and girls' annual.
O glad new year.
Smith, Sidney.
Architectural review.

(b) Under what headings in the catalog
would you look for information on
the robin?

WORK WITH THE LIBRARY AND
SCHOOLS IN MILWAUKEE.

From the 17th annual (1894) report of the Mil-
waukee Public Library.

IN the year 1888 the present system of issuing books to children in the schools was begun. The system was described in the report of that year. The idea has developed into so important a feature of the work of the library that it seems but just to redescribe it. It seems especially appropriate to do so, as Milwaukee may fairly claim precedence both in point of time when the scheme was organized and the extent to which the work has been carried. Fifteen per cent. of our whole circulation was reached in this way, almost twice the use of the regular delivery stations.

Various ways of connecting the public library with the public school have, of course, been in use in other cities for years with good results. These methods seem to us to fail more or less to accomplish the point at which this library aims, which is, to help the individual child to love good books and, equally, to teach him where he can get them.

The details of the method are as follows:

Every class teacher is invited, is even urged, to come to the library and choose, directly from the shelves, books enough to supply her children. If she has 50 children she chooses 50 books. Her choice is carefully examined, as the books are listed in the library before being sent to the schools. If, in the judgment of the assistants in charge, the teacher has by chance To what reference book would you go she is written to and helped to find other and included anything unsuitable for the purpose,

In what books of reference would you
look for a life of Paul Revere or
Benjamin Franklin?

for:

(a) A life of St. Chrysostom.

(b) An account of Chinese immigration.
(c) A detailed account of Seneca.
(d) The Boston tea party.

better books.

The library next sends the box of books by its expressman to the school, where they are given into the charge of the class teacher. Before this point is reached the teacher has guided and helped her children to get library cards. She is How does the Century Dictionary discouraged from herself signing the guarantee differ from Worcester and Webster? which the trustees require before any card is issued. The library regards it as important (a) In studying the history of France that the parents or guardians should sanction would you look in the Britannica or the reading of the child by signing the guaranin Chambers' Encyclopædia? tee. In taking the paper home for the father to (6) Wherein is Chambers' preferable to sign, the child very often acts as the best kind of

the Britannica?

(a) Where would you find the Constitution

of the United States?

(¿) A summary of the events of the year?
Where would you look for the author
of a character called Sir Giles Over-
reach?

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After the books are received at the school the

teacher acts as a librarian. She is, however, a librarian who knows the tastes and needs of each of her borrowers, which is a very great advantage. The books are charged to the chilWhere would you find the meaning of dren precisely as would be done at the library,

Sine die?
Where would you find the quotation,
"A thing of beauty is a joy for
ever"?
Write a short composition on the way
to look up a subject in the library.

thus relieving the teacher from any responsibility while they are in the children's hands.

The first year 2235 books were given out 6728 times in this way; last year 4351 books were given out 14,275 times; this year 14,980 books were given out 42,863 times by 153 teachers in 36 public schools, six evening schools, one State Normal, one parochial and one Sunday

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