ligent mechanic is quick to adopt new and improved tools appropriate to his trade, a teacher should be ever ready to seize upon whatever good thoughts, principles, and methods have been wrought out by other educators. A new book must be poor indeed, if it contain nothing new; and a single really new and valuable thought is often worth more than the cost of a volume. A teacher needs his library of professional books just as much as a doctor, who is not a quack, needs his works on medicine; or a clergyman, his works on theology and the religious discussions of the times; or a lawyer, his numerous legal commentaries and reports. It is idle to expect that the business of teaching shall hold a high place among recognized professions until teachers themselves believe, and act as if they believe, that true teaching is both a science and an art, demanding profound and longcontinued study, involving principles and methods of great importance, and giving occasion for the exercise of the highest faculties and qualities of mind and heart. So long as the mass of teachers ignore all professional reading, are content to go in the ruts which they have made or others have made for them, and depend only upon certain stereotyped ways and means, without considering the principles on which good teaching is based, teachers generally must fail to command that respect which ought to be liberally given to those whose chief work is to develop, instruct, and adorn the intellectual and moral natures of the young.

But we need not proceed further in the enumeration of the duties and privileges which attend the New Year. They will suggest themselves to every thoughtful mind. Weighty are the duties; precious the privileges. Let us make the most of them.

INTELLIGENCE.

Items for this Department should be sent to G. B. Putnam, Franklin School,

Boston.

GEORGE N. BIGELOW, who was well known for eleven years as Principal of the State Normal School at Framingham and late of the Putnam Free School, Newburyport, has opened the Athenæum Seminary, for Young Ladies, corner of Clinton and Atlantic streets, Brooklyn, N. Y. With him is associated his brother, Rev. John F. Bigelow, of New York. The ripe scholarship and literary culture of these gentlemen eminently fit them for their new work.

HENRY CHASE has resigned the position of Principal of the West Grammar School, Watertown, which he has well filled for the past ten years. He has been elected to a seat in the Legislature by a large majority. This is an unusual compliment to one of his profession, but it is certainly well deserved.

L. W. RUSSELL, of Watertown, has tendered his resignation as Principal of the Centre Grammar School, to accept the mastership of the Bridgham Grammar School, Providence, R. I.

JAMES M. SAWIN, formerly of Watertown, is now Master of the Elm Street Grammar School, Providence.

Watertown has thus recently lost the Principals of her three Grammar Schools. Several female teachers have also left the service of the town.

REV. T. PRENTISS ALLEN, of Newton, died upon Thanksgiving day, at the age of forty-six. Mr. Allen was for several years associated with his cousin, N. T. Allen, in his classical school, and recently opened a school of his own in the same town.

W. N. BARTHOLOMEW, for several years Professor of Drawing in the Boston High Schools, has been appointed Instructor of Drawing in the Grammar Schools of the city. The office has been established that this accomplished teacher may do for Drawing what has been done during the past few years in other depart

ments.

JULIUS EICHBERG, Director of the Boston Conservatory of Music, has been re-elected Teacher of Music in the Girls' High and Normal School, Boston.

J. B. SHARLAND has been re-elected Instructor of Vocal Music in the Boston Grammar Schools. His enthusiastic devotion and unceasing activity have wrought a complete change in the Musical Instruction given in our schools.

H. W. ALEXANDER has been appointed Assistant Instructor, and is teaching in the Highland District.

PROF. HOLT has been selected to direct the instruction in Music in the lower classes of the Grammar Schools.

LUTHER W. MASON, who for three years has devoted his true musical genius to the teaching of the little ones, has been re-elected Instructor in Vocal Music in the Primary Schools.

CALEB RICHARDSON, of Milton (Railway Village), has resigned his school to accept the General Agency of the John Hancock Life Insurance Company, for the State of New Hampshire.

Mr. BULLOCK, of Salem, a recent graduate of the Bridgewater Normal School succeeds Mr. Richardson.

H. F. HOWARD, of Milton (West District), has taken charge of the Grammar School at Oak Hill, Newton.

PROF. LEWIS B. MONROE, of Boston, has been giving instruction in Reading and Elocution, at the West Chester County Institute. The "Penn. Teacher says, "He is regarded as the best elocutionist who has yet been in West Ches

ter."

A. P. STONE, of Portland, we are pleased to see, has been elected President of the Maine Educational Association. A very successful meeting was recently held at Augusta, and, under the experienced guidance of Mr. Stone, the Association must be a power in this State, where educational interests are receiving ncreased attention.

BOOK NOTICES.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.- Report for 1867 and 1868. By Henry Barnard, Commissioner of Education.

This report is the first made since the office of commissioner was established. It contains about eight hundred and fifty pages, and presents a vast amount of information upon educational topics, which must be of service where plans are forming for the establishment of systems of public instruction. We hope to make use of it at some future time for the benefit of the Teacher.

CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL LITERATURE. Prepared by. The Rev. John M'Clintock, D. D. and James Strong, S. T. D. Harper & Brothers, New York. General Agents in Boston, Pitman & Co., School Street.

The second volume of this great work has just been carried through the press, and includes C. & D. The remaining volumes are nearly prepared and will be issued as rapidly as possible.

We frequently hear the inquiry "Which is the best Bible Dictionary?" Some commend Smith's, some Kitto's, and others Lange's. This Cyclopædia may well claim with these, a share of public favor. It will be of inestimable service to Bible students, since it is not simply a Bible Dictionary, but treats of all topics connected with our Christian Literature.

SERMONS BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.
New York.

- 2 vols. Harper & Brothers:

Mr. Beecher's sermons have been published from week to week in various papers, and have been eagerly read. Written out by reporters and published without his supervision as these have been, they can hardly be taken as authoritative statements of the preacher's opinions. But we have here forty-six sermons which he has carefully revised, and which are published under his sanction. They cover a wide range of topics, and give a good exhibit of the teachings of Plymouth pulpit, excepting that those relating to public questions have been reserved for future publication, if thought desirable. All admirers of Mr. Beecher, and all lovers of good sermons will gladly welcome these elegant volumes. The first has a fine steel portrait of Mr. Beecher.

ADVENTURES IN THE APACHE COUNTRY. - By J. Ross Browne. Harper & Brothers.

This book gives an account of a tour through Arizona and Sonora, with some description of the silver regions of Nevada. It is written in a lively style, and will be found very entertaining.

WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR.- By Paul du Chaillu. Harper &

Brothers.

Perhaps many of our young friends found this book in close proximity to their stockings on Christmas morning. If not, we have no doubt they will be glad to receive it on some other occasion. It is not only exceedingly interesting, but instructive.

SACRED HYMNS FOR SCHOOLS. - Harper & Brothers.

A small volume with flexible covers, containing two hundred and sixty-six hymns. These are of course non-sectarian, but the collection embraces many of the finest hymns in the language. We are sorry sometimes to miss a verse or two from an excellent hymn, and to find a few verses in others we should have omitted. Still we are very much pleased with the book, and would cordially recommend it to teachers. We know there are those who want just such a book. For introduction, it will be supplied at $2.40 per dozen. Regular price, forty cents per copy.

THEATRICAL MANAGEMENT FOR THIRTY YEARS, with anecdotical sketches. By Sol. Smith.

THE WOMAN'S KINGDOM.

THE GORDIAN KNOT.

THE RIGHTFUL HEIR.

A love story. By the author of John Halifax.
By Shirley Brooks.

A drama in five acts. By the author of "Richelieu." These books, also published by Harper & Brothers, will perhaps afford good recreative reading. A. WILLIAMS & Co., 100 Washington Street, have them, and also the other publications of the Messrs. Harper.

THE ATLANTIC ALMANAC. - Fields, Osgood & Co. Beautifully illustrated, and containing articles of rare value. It should find its way into every home. A PRACTICAL GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE for the use of Schools

of every grade. By Thomas W. Harvey, A. M. Cincinnati: Wilson, Hinkle & Co. pp. 264.

Among the distinguishing features claimed for this book, are the methodical arrangement and logical development of the subjects discussed, the brevity, clearness and uniformity of the rules and definitions; the simple yet complete system of analysis; the great variety of carefully prepared models for analysis and parsing; the abundance of exercises and illustrations; definite statement of opinions upon difficult points, and the practical character of its syntax.

These claims are, upon the whole, well founded. The modes of parsing are in some cases quite novel. For example, in the sentence, "That book is hers, not yours," "hers" is parsed as a pronoun, whose antecedent is book; hence "hers" is in the neuter gender, and is in the nominative case predicate. In the sentence," The ground's your own," "your own" is parsed as a pronoun, referring to "ground" for its antecedent in the neuter gender, and in the predicate nominative. In the sentence, "What is that man?" "what" is parsed as a pronoun in the masculine gender.

These are specimens of uncommon modes of parsing. We leave teachers to judge of their merits.

INDEPENDENT FOURTH READER, containing a simple, practical, comprehensive treatise on elocution; illustrated with diagrams; select and classified readings and recitations; with copious notes, and a complete supplementary index. By J. Madison Watson. New York: A. S. Barnes & Co. pp. 240.

This new Reader contains a treatise on "Practical Elocution," occupying twenty-six pages, and a large variety of interesting and appropriate pieces for reading. The illustrations are numerous and well executed. Words that are

IBRAR

difficult to define or pronounce are clearly given at the bottom of each page. The book possesses decided merits.

BARTHOLOMEW'S DRAWING BOOKS, Nos. I. to XII.
Ainsworth & Co. Boston: A. Barnes & Co., New York

We desire to call special attention to this/ser

into such general use.

Woolworth,

Books now passing

Great improvement has been made in Nos. I. II. III. and they are very well adapted to teach the alphabet of the art, which must be mastered before real success can be acquired.

No. IX. or No. I. of the Animal Series, is a very fine book for more advanced pupils.

As an aid to instructors, a TEACHER'S GUIDE has been prepared as a companion to No.'s I. and II., which contains general directions and instructions appertaining to those books. It is expected that others will follow.

CHANGE OF BASE. - By William Everett. Lee & Shepard.

In the last number we stated, in our notice of this book, that it opened with an inside view of the Boston Latin School. We were led to do so by the fact that the description can apply to no other existing school. The author informs us that he desired to avoid photographing any school whatever. We are happy to make the correction.

CHAMBERS' MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS, with answers, embracing Science, Literature, Arts, etc. By W. Chambers, F. R. S. E., F. G. S. pp. 200. J. B. Lippincott & Co. Philadelphia: For sale by Nichols & Hall.

We are delighted with this little volume, so full of information upon all important subjects. With this book in hand, the teacher can impart to his pupils an amount of knowledge which could otherwise be obtained only by a vast deal of laborious research. It will be especially useful to students of literature.

SYDNIE ADRIANCE; OR, TRYING THE WORLD.- By Amanda M. Douglass. 12 mo., pp. 360. Lee & Shepard. The author has already acquired an honorable reputation, and her former books" In Trust and "Claudia," have been highly commended. Her style is true to nature, and devoid of that sensational character too common in works of fiction.

"

ELEMENTARY COURSE IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE, for the use of Schools. By Gabriel Cambell, M. A. Woolworth, Ainsworth & Co.

This work has already passed to a third edition, and is thus evidently approved by those engaged in teaching this difficult language. The pupil is encumbered as little as possible with minor details and exceptional cases, and is led at once to compare the differences and affinities between this language and his own. The classification and arrangement are philosophical.

Part 1st contains " Forms of Words"; Part 2d, “ Reading and Analysis." DOWN THE RIVER; OR, BUCK BRADFORD AND HIS TYRANTS.-By Oliver Optic. pp. 303. Lee & Shepard.

This is No. 6of "The Starry Flag Series," and describes the eventful voyage of its hero from Wisconsin to New Orleans. The series is now complete.