ignorance and carelessness as well as by accident or design, that education is evidently incomplete which neglects to inform the possessor of such a body of the best means of keeping it in health and strength, especially during the period of its development. Many a man and woman carries about for a lifetime an enfeebled body, because of the ignorance or vice of themselves or their progenitors. There is a closer connection between physical and mental power than we are wont to suppose. If we would have sound minds in sound bodies, we must educate the young to properly care for those bodies, and therefore I plead for the introduction into our schools of some work treating in an intelligent manner on the "Science of Life."

WEST HARTFORD.-Henry Talcott, Acting Visitor.

What is Reading?-Is it after years of painful labor to be able to pronounce the words of a book somewhat in accordance with approved rules of punctuation, accent, emphasis, inflection, etc., but with faint and uncertain realization of the thought and emotion which filled the mind of the writer? Yet is not this a fair statement of the attainment of the average scholar in our schools? It is recorded of John Milton that he taught his daughters to read to him Latin, Greek and Hebrew authors without their understanding them. That is, in his hearing to pronounce, in a proper manner, the words, to them without meaning, in which those mighty men of ancient times successfully sought to immortalize their thoughts. These words were without meaning to his daughters, but to Milton, with eyes now forever deprived of beholding the light of the sun and the beauty of nature, there arose, in strong and clear reality, the scenes depicted by the ancient poets, quickening him by their inspiration to write by the hands of these daughters that poem unequaled in the English language:

"Of man's first disobedience and the fruit

Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into our world and all our woe."

Who really read? The daughters, who only pronounced the words with distinctness and propriety, or Milton, who reveled in and was strengthened and inspired by the scenes and sentiments vividly brought before his mind?

We are now prepared to answer the question, What is reading? Reading is the getting thought by means of words properly arranged according to their relations in sentences. In perfection, it would reproduce in the reader exactly the thoughts, imaginations and emotions of the writer; everything that the writer saw and felt the reader would see and feel. In this, as in many other things, perfection is unattainable. may ever, forgetting that which is behind, press forward to that which is before, and shall never have occasion, like Alexander, to weep for new worlds to conquer.

We

Reading aloud is the vocal expression of the thought thus gained, which, though of small consequence as compared with the first, viz: getting the thought of the writer, is yet a very desirable accomplishment, success in which will surely follow proficiency in the former, for he who enters fully into the thoughts and emotions of a writer, making them his own, cannot fail in the attempt to express them. The skillful teacher instantly perceives from the vocal expression of a scholar how fully he understands and appreciates an author whom he is reading or reciting, and seeks to improve him, not by any rules of vocalization, but by bringing before him more vividly the thoughts and emotions of the writer.

Reading and its correlative writing are, when properly taught, by far the most important of any means of education. The great object of reading is getting thought, and of writing expressing thought. If reading is properly taught, the best practical knowledge of orthography or spelling, of geography, history, and, to a limited extent, of arithmetic, will follow incidentally. In nothing is more strikingly shown how far our schools have wandered from the true objects of education than in the character of our reading books, particularly those intended for the older scholars, constructed almost exclusively with a view to improved vocalization, fragmentary compilations of a very varied character, some of them selections from the best writers, many of which can only be appreciated by minds both cultivated and mature. Hence lessons from these should be alternated with supplementary reading treating continuously of subjects in which the community, particularly the younger portion of it, are now interested.

Printed Reports were received from Bethel, Bridgeport, Bristol, Chatham, Colchester, Columbia, Cornwall, East Hartford, East Haven, Enfield, Essex, Franklin, Glastonbury, Goshen, Greenwich, Groton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Litchfield, Mansfield, Manchester, Middlebury, Middletown, Milford, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Haven, New London, North Haven, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Plainville. Plymouth, Portland, Preston, Salisbury, Saybrook, Seymour, Sharon, Southington. Sprague, Sterling, Stonington, Suffield, Vernon, West Hartford, Willington, Winchester, Windham, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Woodstock. Total, 54. The other 113 towns appear to have had no printed School Reports.

A LIST OF THE BOARDS OF SCHOOL

VISITORS,

OR BOARDS OF EDUCATION, IN ALL THE TOWNS OF THE STATE.

This list is prepared from returns received from the several towns. The name of the Chairman of the Board, when known, is placed first, that of the Secretary generally stands second. Acting Visitors are usually designated by a *. The P. O. address is given (in parenthesis) when it differs from the name of the town.

ANDOVER, A. H. Lyman, Henry Dorrance, *E. D. White, C. H. Loomis, Walter Abbey, C. L. Backus.

ASHFORD, *J. T. Greene:-*H. R. Woodward, (Mansfield,) Nelson Hammond; -G. E. S. Amidon, (East Willington,) S. E. Paine, (Westford,) J. A. Brown, (Warrenville.)

AVON, D. D. Derrin, *Rev. N. J. Seeley, *M. C. Woodford, J. S. Woodford, C. H. Miller;-Rev. P. R. Day, (West A.)

BARKHAMSTED, Sheldon Merrill, *Rev. J. B. Clark ;-E. J. Youngs and Daniel Youngs, (Pleasant Valley,) H. C. Brown, (Riverton.)

BEACON FALLS, J. B. Hubbell, D. T. Sanford, Buel Buckingham.

BERLIN, S. F. Talmadge, E. C. Woodruff, Francis Deming:-Theron Upson and James Roche, (Kensington,) Geo. L. Taylor, (Meriden.)

BETHANY, L. F. Morris, S. R. Woodward, Geo. B. Hotchkiss.

BETHEL, G. M. Lyon, G. B. Andrews, *William Brown, Rev. G. F. Waters, E. T. Andrews, F. Shepard.

BETHLEHEM, F. S. Curtis, *M. S. Todd, *W. K. Harrison, Geo. C. Stone, M. E. Beecher, S. P. Hayes.

BLOOMFIELD, Rev. W. A. Hallock, *Dr. Henry Gray, F. G. Barber, L. G. Filley, W. J. Gabb, F. E. Burr, N. F. Miller, John Wilcox, F. B. Miller.

BOLTON, Orlando Sperry, *Dr. C. F. Sumner, W. C. White, E. D. Alvord, F. E. Williams;-Rev. C. Hammond, (Quarryville.)

BOZRAH, C. A. Gager;-*C. H. Lathrop, (Yantic,) A. D. Herrick, (Bozrahville.) BRANFORD, L. H. Nichols, Wm. Regan, *Dr. W. H. Zink, D. F. Haumer, J. W. Lay, John McNamara, Daniel O'Brien, J. H. Hutchinson, R. Bartholomew, Thomas McDermott;-Roger Hall and J. H. Northrop, (Stony Creek.)

BRIDGEPORT, (All A. V.) J. S. Hanover, F. W. Zingsem, (Vice Pres.,) E. W. Marsh, David Ginand, Geo. N. French, Nathaniel Wheeler, James Staples, P. W. Wren, G. C. Waldo, Dr. A. H. Abernethy, Rev. T. J. Synnott, W. B. Hincks;H. M. Harrington, Superintendent.

BRIDGEWATER, Peter Wooster, *Eli Sturdevant, H. N. Sanford, Burr Mallett, A. H. Gillette, H. D. Gillette.

BRISTOL, *Rev. D. De Wolf, B. F. Hawley, Rev. M. B. Roddan, Gad Norton, Geo. R. Barbour; -Anson Bingham, (Forestville.)

BROOKFIELD, *Rev. A. C. Pierce, *Rev. E. L. Whitcome, Geo. C. Jones, Charles Stewart (all B. Centre,) A. H. Taylor, (Hawleyville,) B. T. Jackson.

BROOKLYN, Willard Day. *Frank Day, H. H. Green, (all Danielsonville,) *Rev. E. S. Beard, J. B. Stetson, Dr. A. H. Tanner.

BURLINGTON, Romeo Elton, D. N. Griffin, S. A. Keeney;-L. B. Pond, (Unionville,) Rev. B. O'R. Sheriden, (Collinsville.)

CANAAN, (Falls Village P. O.,) D. E. Dean, *Dr. C. B. Maltbie, *Rev. D. M. Moore, M. H. Dean, J. D. Clemons;-E. B. Gillett, (Huntsville.)

CANTERBURY, Nathan Allen, (Westminster,) *George Sanger, W. S. Adams, C. B. Hicks;-*C. S. Burlingame and Henry Kendall, (Brooklyn,) L. D. Bennett, (Westminster,) Oscar Peck, (Hanover,) J. H. Peck, (Versailles.)

CANTON, *Rev. D. B. Hubbard, (C. Centre,) *W. W. Bidwell, J. H. Bidwell, D. C. Holbrook, (Collinsville,) *B. O. Higley, James Case.

CHAPLIN, Rev. C. E. Griggs, Rev. F. Williams, Joseph Foster, W. N. Webster; -Wm. Martin, (Clark's Corners.) M. A. Bates, (North Windham.)

CHATHAM, *Rev. J. S. Ives, *H. D. Chapman, A. H. Conklin, J. C. Shepard, H. B. Brown, Dr. L. F. Wood, (all East Hampton,) Rev. D. Denison, (Middle Haddam,) A. O. West, (Haddam Neck.)

CHESHIRE, Rev. Dr. S. J. Horton, *Geo. R. Johnson, F. N. Hall, J. H. French, J. P. Beach;-*C. T. Hotchkiss, (West C.)

CHESTER, Dr. Ambrose Pratt, *Dr. S. W. Turner, W. F. Wilcox.

CLINTON, Luke E. Wood, A. H. Stevens, *Geo. E. Elliot, *J. B. Wright, W. H. Kelsey, H. L. Wellman, A. W. Sturges, J. L. Davis, J. A. Spencer, J. H. Hurd, W. J. Brooks, E. E. Wright.

COLCHESTER, Dr. R. R. Carrington, *Rev. S. G. Willard, A. A. Baker, B. W. Bray;--*Rev. Dighton Moses, (Westchester,) Demas Carrier, (North W.)

COLEBROOK, L. D. Benham, *J. A. Moore, J. A. Deming, (all Robertsville,) *S. A. Cooper, A. J. Terrell, L. O. Bass;-R. D. Baldwin, Wm. G. Kinney and Jas. McCaffrey, (C. River.)

COLUMBIA, C. E. Little, *N. K. Holbrook, Rev. F. D. Avery, W. H. Yeomans, N. H. Clark, J. P. Little.

CORNWALL, J. T. Andrew;-L. J. Nickerson and A. D. Warner, (West C.,) *W. F. Harrison, (C. Bridge,) *C. H. Preston, (Falls Village,) Rev. S. J. White.

COVENTRY, A. S. Hawkins, (Willimantic,) Dr. M. B. Bennett, Andrew Kingsbury;-A. B. Kingsbury and F. S. Sweet, (South C.,) John Brown, (Merrow's Station.)

CROMWELL, Albert Dowd, *Rev. H. S. Stevens, W. A. Stickney, W. E. Hulbert, H. A. Ely, Edward Como.

DANBURY, W. F. Taylor, *A. B. Holley, *Rev. J. W. Hubbell, *Rev. B. J. Hall, *Rev. A. C. Hubbard, *Rev. M. P. Lawlor.

DARIEN, Charles Brown ;-Rev. Louis French, (Noroton,) C. A. Andrews, C. S. Whitney, W. H. Bates, James Curzon, J. B. Selleck, A. H. Scofield, C. A. Bates. DERBY, *John Lindley, (Ansonia,) *G. H. Peck, *Rev. O. Witherspoon, Dr. G. L. Beardsley, Rev. P. Kennedy, (Birmingham,) J. M. Whitlock, Rev. H. T. Brady and J. H. Whiting, (Ansonia,) C. N. Rogers.

DURHAM, S. W. Loper, (D. Centre,) N. 1. Parsons, A. P. Roberts;-J. E. Francis, J. E. Bailey and S. A. Seward, (D. Centre.)

EASTFORD, Rev. C. M. Jones, *S. O. Bowen, C. E. Barrows, E. W. Warren ;H. P. Bullard and S. A. Wheaton, (Phoenixville.)

EAST GRANBY, W. H. Gay, *H. L. Clark, B. E. Smith, R. H. Phelps, T. W. Griswold;-F. F. Stevens, (Copper Hill.)

EAST HADDAM, Rev. S. McCall;-W. C. Greene and E. C. Brownell, (Moodus,) Rev. G. H. Rumney;-S. R. Holmes, (Hadlyme,) N. W. Rathbone, (Millington.) EAST HARTFORD, Patrick Garvan, F. R. Childs, *J. O. Goodwin, Elijah Ackley, Rev. J. T. McMahon;-A. W. Eaton, (Burnside.)

EAST HAVEN, C. H. Fowler, (New Haven,) Jonathan Dudley, *S. W. F. Andrews, *D. W. Tuttle, W. H. Bradley, G. J. Tuttle.

EAST LYME, E. L. Beckwith;-Rev. J. T. Benton, Dr. E. Munger, Geo. Huntley, C. S. Davis, (Niantic,) Dr. Daniel Calkins.

EASTON, *Chauncey McCarty, (Stepney,) *C. F. Silliman, *J. A. Wheeler, W. H. Grumman, C. H. Rowell, G. S. Gillette.

EAST WINDSOR, *J. S. Allen, (Broad Brook,) *O. S. Wood, (Windsorville,) *J. B. Noble, G. S. Phelps, S. Terry Wells, J. F. Fitte, H. S. Allen;-Rev. E. Goodridge and M. H. Bancroft, (Ware House Point.)

ELLINGTON, *C. T. Morton, *Sylvester Morris, Dr. J. A. Warren, C. R. Sadd, Edwin Talcott, Robert Patton :-D. F. Lull, (Rockville,) H. C. Aborn and M. H. Dimock, (Square Pond.)

ENFIELD, Rev. D. P. Sanford, F. A. King, Rev. C. L. McCracken, Dr. E. F. Parsons, (all Thompsonville.) *Rev. G. W. Winch, *J. N. Allen, A. S. Booth;— Edward Prickett and John Law, (Hazardville.)

ESSEX, Giles Potter, Dr. C. H. Hubbard, J. P. Southworth, Thomas Chrystal, A. M. Wright, Edwin Pratt, A. L. Gladwin, R. H. Mather;-L. D. Webber and R. Griswold, (Ivoryton,) F. A. Tiffany and Lorenzo Beckwith, (Centre Brook.)

FAIRFIELD, *Rev. John Warren, (Bridgeport,) *J. J. Jones, *Rev. J. D. Cremmins, Rev. J. K. Lombard;-*Dr. M. V. B. Dunham, (Greenfield Hill,) *J. F. Jennings, (Southport.)

FARMINGTON, *Rev. T. K. Fessenden, Julius Gay, *Thomas Cowles, Jr., Edward Norton, C. L. Whitman;-*Rev. T. E. Davies, Samuel Frisbie, Rev. J. A. Smith, Geo. W. Allen, (Unionville.)

FRANKLIN, *H. W. Kingsley, *G. H. Griffing;—*G. L. Ladd and A. W. Hillard, (North F.,) Henry Bellows, (Baltic,) John Herrick, (Yantic.)

GLASTONBURY, Rev. W. S. Wright;-Jno. W. Hubbard and A. A. Babcock, (South G..) Rev. A. Gardner, (Buckingham,) Edwin Crosby, (East G.,) W. H. Griswold.

GOSHEN, F. A. Lucas, *M. D. F. Smith, J. D. Barton, (all West G.,) Henry Norton, S. A. Bartholomew, J. H. Wadhams.

GRANBY, *Lucian Reed, (West G.,) *Rev. J. B. Cleveland, W. L. Hayes, F. J. Jewett, L. C. Spring, L. I. Holcomb;-A. L. Loveland, (North G.,) B. B. Alling, Geo. O. Beach, (West G.)

GREENWICH, (all A. V.,) A. A. Marks, (Sound Beach,) M. L. Mason, Dr. J. H. Brush, T. H. Delano;-Dr. J. L. Marshall, (Mianus,) Wm. S. Craft, (Glenville.) GRISWOLD, J. E. Leonard, (Jewett City,) D. R. Keigwin;-E. C. Keigwin, James Finn, Samuel Barber, (Jewett City,) J. D. Eccleston, Alex. Lewis, B. C. Keigwin, Geo. Boardman, (all Glasko.)