SELF-DENIAL.--To teach children to practice self-denial, is, probably, the greatest duty of all moral and religious training. Self-denial consists in resist ing and subduing every unlawful appetite. It does not consist in denying the appetite itself, but its unlawful activities and excesses. The best way to initiate children into acts of self-denial, is to exhibit an example of it in our own con. duct.

A schoolmaster had about a dozen pupils, who lived with him, and who, with his wife and assistant, had their repast together. On one occasion, Mr. Wright (for this was the master's name) received a present of a pheasant. The cook, Imagining that pheasants were not common things for school boys, thought she would bring it nicely cooked, just as the boys had finished their dinner, and were about to leave the table, so that the master, his wife, and assistant, might enjoy it alone. Accordingly, just as the boys were about to stand up and give thanks, in came the servant with the pheasant. Mr. W. asked why it had not been brought in before, as they had now finished their dinner; when the cook replied, that she thought the pheasant was for her master only, and not for the boys. "Oh." said he, "I never allow any thing to be brought to my table which I do not wish all to partake of, for this, indeed, would be setting an example of selfishness which is quite contrary to what I think is the system of moral training." He then requested the boys to be seated, and invited them also to partake of the pheasant. Being a skillful carver, he contrived to serve every one present but his wife and himself with the dainty, for when he had served them round, there was nothing left. Mr. and Mrs. W. were much pleased that the boys enjoyed themselves with the present they had received, and the boys were astonished when they observed that Mr. W. had served all except his wife and him. self. The next day, one of the boys received a rich plum cake from his mother. Having presented some of it to Mr. and Mrs. W., he distribrted it liberally amongst the boys, and gave also a picce to each of the servants. As there was only a small portion left for himself, one of his schoolfellows came to him and said: "You have acted very foolishly in not keeping the cake for your own enjoyment." "Why," said the generous boy, "did you not observe how Mr. W. served out all the pheasant yesterday, and kept none for himself? And do you think that I could be so selfish as to keep all this present for myself alone, and not share it with others? I can assure you that I feel very happy in thus impart. ing of my enjoyments to others, and my happiness is much greater than if I had followed your advice, and had kept it all for myself!" The selfish boy felt himself rebuked, and was ashamed of his conduct. After a short pause, he said"You are quite right, and when I receive a plum cake from my mother I will go and do likewise."

-The 7th of April is the anniversary of the first settlement of Ohio, made in 1788, at Marietta, then in the North Western Territory.

The reflections of any patriotic Teacher will furnish materials for an impressive lecture or conversation with his or her pupils, on the growth and cause of prosperity of the Buckeye State. Let the occasion be profitably improved.

We ask the attention of the newly elected Auditors and the members of the Township Boards of Education, who are invested with the care and custody of schools in this State, also the Township Clerks and County Boards of Examiners, to the propriety of encouraging the "Ohio Journal of Education," by a liberal support.

THE LIBRARY SECTION OF THE SCHOOL LAW.-No action has been taken by the General Assembly of Ohio on this subject, since that reported in the March number. If the management of the funds, or the working of the Machinery of the library feature have been illy directed, we are pleased to say, that the remedy for such defect is easy and sure. We, certainly, are not doubters that the right can be done, and that the good way can be chosen. Search about and find what's wrong, but don't break up the whole machinery! We look forward with glowing hope to the time when free libraries shall be opened near each school house, as the wells and springs of pure water now are, near these "people's colleges." Faint not, Legislators; fear not, people.

We specially urge that the library clause may be retained, on account of the families of the State. It appears that schools, on an average, are kept up only about six months of each year. 300,000 pupils, 17,000 Teachers would be supplied during the remainder of the year with useful instruction, if free Public Libraries were kept open throughout the year, without regard to the sessions of the schools.

CITY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.-For the purpose of ascertaining more perfectly, and of defining more accurately, the nature and extent of the public duties of City School Superintendents, and of embodying the experience of such school officers, a number of the practical Superintendents of Schools in the cities and incorporated towns of Ohio, during the session of the last State Teachers' Association, formed an association at Columbus, Dec. 31st, 1856.

A. J. Rickoff, Cincinnati, President; M. F. Cowdery, Sandusky, Vice President; A. Samson, Zanesville, Secretary; Wm. Mitchell, Norwalk, Treasurer.

By the Constitution, any person acting as Superintendent of any of the Public Schools of the State of Ohio, may become a member of the Association by subscribing to the Constitution, and paying one dollar, and contributing annually thereafter, one dollar to its funds.

The next meeting will be held at Cincinnati, on Tuesday, April 28th, when the following reports will be made:

Mr. Cowdery, on the relations of Superintendents to Boards of Education and Teachers; Mr. Rickoff, on School Reports; Mr. Duncan, on Teachers' Meetings; Mr. Nelson, on Courses of Study and Classification of Schools.

The Salary Committee of the Cincinnati School Board, have recommended that Teachers' salaries be increased after next June. Male Principals of Intermediate Schools, to have from $1200 to $1500 per annum; female Principals, $100 to 600; Intermediate District School, male Principal, from $900 to $1200; females, from $300 to $420.

- A number of warm friends, who consider it their duty to remain subscribers to the Ohio Journal of Education as long as they live, have been cut off from receiving the same since December, when Mr. Smyth applied the rule "pay as you go." Send on the names friends-the Journal will be mailed to your address if ordered.

-Very kind words of congratulation have been expressed towards the Editor entrusted with the care of your Journal, Teachers. The Press have spoken of his efforts and of the Journal, in such terms as to lay him under increased obligation to strive yet more sincerely, and with more ability, to elevate the standard of Teaching in Ohio, and make the State Teachers' Association a worthy instrumentality in bringing about "the good time coming."

ASSOCIATE EDITORIAL.

GEOGRAPHY.

66

The amount of capital now invested in the publication of works on this subject, is enormous. Within a few months nearly half a dozen new series," and as many non-serial works have appeared, and the cry is, still they come ! This avalanche of new works-as one has expressed it-evinces a great dissatisfaction with the results attained by their predecessors. From some defect, either in matter or method, the great amount of time spent in the study of Geography has proved on the whole too poor an investment.

Nor do I think the difficulty has yet been wholly removed. In many important particulars, some of the recent works are great improvements on the old; yet they alike partake of the nature of dictionaries or limited cyclopedias. This we believe to be the radical defect. In no elementary work, with which we are acquainted, is Geography treated as a science. On the contrary, their classifica tion is meagre, their principles undeveloped, and in some instances, their facts almost infinite!

The lower works of some of the more recent series contain, it is true, very much less matter than similar works previously published, but with no more claim to scientific arrangement. The High School Geographies, as they are termed, are still burdened with a multiplicity of facts. Nowhere in the seriesPhysical Geographies excepted-are the climate, productions, &c., of different countries presented in the light of fixed principles. Nearly two hundred polit ical divisions or states, are treated as isolated and independent. The scholar passes from one state or country to another, committing-only to forget at close of recitation hour-the same endlessly varied repetition of "the soil is generally fertile "-"the principal products are wheat, corn, oats and barley," or "rye, oats, wheat and barley."

The above remarks refer more specially to the descriptive than local matter of these works, for upon this point rests the difficulty. The great defect in the old works was in descriptive matter. Scholars examined a few weeks after laying aside the study, were found to possess only general and often indistinct notions, which they had gathered from the theory of zones, &c. Beyond this their knowledge extended only to local Geography, or a knowledge of maps; and this too as a result of "going through the book half a dozen times."

The question naturally arises, if, as a matter of fact, scholars retain little of the descriptive matter of our Geographies, should much time be spent upon it? Our position is, that a knowledge of Maps, and a familiar acquaintance with the names and location of important places, should be the first and principal object of primary training. Ideal Maps with prominent features in bold relief should hang upon the walls of the scholar's mind. Such knowledge forms a basis for the successful study of descriptive Geography and for intelligent reading. In a country, the keels of whose ships part every navigable water, and whose trade is enriched with the products of every clime, the practical nature of such knowledge cannot be questioned. The intelligent reading of the daily paper even depends upon it. It is indispensable and the schools must furnish it. Of course some knowledge of descriptive Geography should be thrown in, to fix and interest the mind. Indeed we do not object to the descriptive matter of

our introductory books. This matter should doubtless be read and used by the scholar. We only object to the committing of page on page of this descriptive text. Some portions of the descriptive matter of the primary book should doubtless be recited.

When, however, the scholar is prepared to enter upon the great field of descriptive Geography, we contend the work should be a scientific one. He should be taught the laws of climate, the distribution of animals and plants, climatal zones, the continental systems of relief, &c. The scholar will thus be prepared to describe particular artificial divisions of the earth's surface in the light of scientific principles. Geography thus taught, becomes a noble science, and one of the most interesting and important of the sisterhood.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH, 1857.

E. E. WHITE.

MATHEMATICAL DEPARTMENT.

PROF. W H. YOUNG, ATHENS, EDITOR.

QUESTIONS FOR SOLUTION.

No. 1. Find the difference between 1 fur. 2 inch., and 39 rds. 5 yds. 1 ft. 9 inch., by Compound Subtraction.

A. A. K.

No. 2. FOR MENTAL SOLUTION.-A and B purchase a melon, paying 5 and 3 cents, respectively. C joins them in eating it, and pays 8 cents for his share. On the supposition that each eats a third of the melon, how shall the 8 cents be divided between A and B ?

No. 3. What is the length of the longest straight, inflexible rod, that can be put up a chimney, whose height from floor to mantel = : 4 feet, and whose depth from front to back

=

2 feet?

E. M. S.

REMARKS. No. 1 is not inserted as a difficult problem, but as presenting some obstacles in subtracting not usually found in our arithmetics. All communications for this department should be addressed to the Editor, "Ohio University, Athens, O.," and, to be in time, should be mailed by the 1st of the month preceding that in which they are expected to appear.

ERRATA. At the foot of the first page of Mathematical Department, last Journal, the word "apply" should read supply; and on the next page, "teaching a chain of sequences," should read tracing a chain, etc.

OHIO JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.

A nation's sorrow has been manifested by all the visible testimonials honorable to the distinguished dead. The Arctic Explorer, and scarcely less distinguished historian of his Expedition, Dr. Kane, is no more!

The funeral cortege, accompanying his mortal remains, from the balmy shores of Cuba, where declining health terminated in death, has just passed through the cities and towns of various States on the route from New Orleans, by Cincinnati to Philadelphia, where his ashes are urned, and was attended and escorted by the populace and civic authorities at all points, in great numbers, marking in a noted manner, the heartfelt homage paid by all classes to the moral hero.

Deeming that Teachers may desire to hold up this worthy exemplar of many noble virtues, to their pupils, we have availed ourselves of the proffer of the directors of the Cincinnati Gazette, who have afforded us the opportunity of presenting to the readers of the Journal, a likeness of Dr. Kane, engraved by Mr. Cocheu, Wood Engraver, Cincinnati.

Dr. Kane was born in Philadelphia, on the 3d of February, 1822, and died in

Havana.