ed, desires the appointment from the general government, of custom house officer. A friend of his solicits certificates of his general fitness for the office, and also of his good moral character. For many years I have known him to be an industrious, enterprising, and obliging neighbor; but find that, in making a bargain with him, I need to be very watchful lest he should gain an advantage over me. I know, also, that the man is in the habit of using profane language. Shall I certify to his good moral character?

124. If a student in whom I have confidence as a scholar, calls upon me for a certificate of good moral character, may I give it, knowing at the same time that he has privately, yet intentionally, many times violated the wholesome regulations of school?

125. Shall the teacher certify to the good moral character of a young man whom he knows to be disobedient to his parents, although in every other respect he may seem to be entirely worthy of confidence?

126. Knowing that one thousand dollars in cash and one thousand dollars in property are about to come to me by inheritance, and that the property consists of popular, but decidedly immoral books; and further, that a choice is left me to take five hundred dollars of other good property or the books, what shall I do? 127. If, in inheriting two thousand dollars' worth of property, one thousand of it should come to me in popular, but decidedly immoral books, and this without any agency or control of mine, what shall I do with the books?

128. Believing that the circus is decidedly immoral and degrading in its tendencies, may I allow a circus troupe to perform on a vacant city lot of mine, twenty-four hours, for the sum of fifty dollars ?

129. What shall I do, in case my partner in business, having an equal interest in the vacant lot with myself, desires to let the circus company use the lot for their performance, for the rent of fifty dollars?

130. In case I own one-third, and my partner two-thirds of the lot, (it being undivided,) and his controlling interest has given the decision in favor of occupancy by the circus company, what am I to do when the fifty dollars is received for the rent?

131. If I have a horse for sale, which I have owned for some years, which I estimate to be worth seventy-five dollars, and no more, but which my neighbors judge to be worth one hundred dollars, for how much may I sell my horse, if I am offered one hundred dollars by my neighbor, or by a stranger?

132. In case I estimate my horse to be worth seventy-five dollars, and no more, but do not wish to sell him, and my neighbor says that he has a horse which he wishes to match, and will, on that account, give me one hundred dollars for him, how much may I take?

133. In case I hold my horse for sale, as at first, judging him to be worth only seventy-five dollars, but that I know that a certain horse dealer, by purchasing my horse, and matching him with one of his, can sell the pair for two hundred and fifty dollars, if he should offer me one hundred and ten dollars for my horse, how much shall I take? *

* Persons desirous of examining further this arrangement of subjects and questions, can obtain, in pamphlet form, 48 pages, one-fourth part of the course contemplated for our High School, and embracing between three hundred and four hundred questions, by sending 20 cents in money or postage stamps, to Superintendent of Public Schools, Sandusky, Ohio, after 1st January.

Questions relating to social and public duties, the whole embraced under about sixty topics, and similar in arrangement to the foregoing, are daily presented to the members of our High School Department. The most entire freedom of opinion and freedom of expression are always encouraged during the exercise, each pupil being desired singly, for himself or herself, to strip every question of all its disguises, to sift it of all its elements of fraud, deception, injustice, or selfishness, and then to announce the result of his or her convictions. As before intimated, we have nothing to say of the success of this method in our own system, under this or any of the remaining topics which we propose, in future, to discuss; but we may say, that we very firmly believe that a daily general exercise, on the plan above indicated, and connected, at the same time, with other good influences that should pervade the school room, bearing, constantly, upon the present and future practical duties of life, will, with certainty, be attended with the following advantages:

First: As a purely intellectual exercise, it is worthy of attention. Other faculties are called into active exercise, in order to bring to the moral sense those facts and conditions upon which its decisions must be based.

Second: The moral sense itself must certainly be called into exercise, to some extent, however feebly or imperfectly; and we regard any methods, and all methods, which do this in a practicable, systematic, unexceptionable manner, as of infinite moment to the teacher. The pupil who has learned, in a single case, to make clear and just moral distinctions, is better prepared, if not thoroughly prepared to do so in another; and constant repetition of this exercise must essentially aid him to hold the moral balance even and steady, in any future contingency in life.

Lastly: Regular daily exercises of this kind, with questions carefully arranged, and extending over the wide range of social relations, business pursuits, and public and professional life, have a direct and powerful tendency, thoroughly and unchangeably, to commit each and every pupil to the true line of duty, before the hour of temptation and peril actually arrives. In many, very many cases, a clear apprehension, simply, of true governing principles, is of unspeakable value; while, in others, a distinct, unhesitating, unconditional previous committal to the right, is not only a sufficient fortification against wrongdoing, but it may often extinguish the temptation to do so.

There are, of course, other methods of a highly important and practi

cal character, for carrying forward the work of moral culture in the school-room, which are worthy of the careful consideration of every teacher. Among these may be mentioned the daily presentation to children and youth, of authentic incidents, living illustrations of devotion to principle in the face of severe trials and temptations. This method can be employed to great advantage in connection with the preceding one, and yet may be employed entirely apart from it. But all minds need encouragement, need confidence in the strength of virtuous principles. If we would be allured to pay our homage to virtue, we need, as often as possible, to behold her fair proportions, and to see exhibitions of her loveliness and beauty all around us.

Every teacher may, if he will, carry out this method. Read history, read papers and periodicals of all sorts, learn all you can of every pursuit, and treasure up in your memory, or in your scrap-book, all the instances of loyalty to principle, of devotion to duty, that you can gather, as you would gold dust from the sands.

We must, reluctantly, dismiss this general subject for the present. Allow us, in conclusion upon this topic, to remind our teacher friends that the only way to cultivate the moral sense-the way, long since well understood in theory, and the way long very thoroughly neglected in practice, is, to exercise it,—exercise it in every form that you consistently can-in some form at least. Test its existence every day. Test its activity every day. Test its sensitiveness, test its tone, its strength, its power, EVERY DAY, until not only your pupils, but yourself, shall stand in reverence and awe, when this "Divinity within us utters its sovereign, irreversible decisions. SANDUSKY, November, 1854.

M. F. C.

PROFESSIONAL.

Duties of Teachers to their Profession.

In order that teaching may take rank in any community as a distinct profession, it is necessary that those who design to engage in the employment, should first pursue a suitable course of study; second, that they should select it as a permanent occupation, enter upon its duties with zeal and earnestness, relying upon it not only for a livelihood, but for whatever of respect or consideration they seek, of honor or fame they hope to win, or of usefulness they aim to achieve in this world; and third, that there should be in the community such a demand for

the services of persons so qualified, and thus devoted to this work, as will warrant them in incurring the expense of preparation, and secure to them a comfortable and respectable maintenance.

It must be obvious to all the observing, that teaching has already begun to be regarded as a profession in Ohio, and that there are a considerable number of persons, both male and female, who are, by common consent, enrolled in its ranks: that some half a dozen gentlemen are now receiving salaries of $1.500, that an equal number are paid $1.200, and that twice or three times that number receive $1.000 or more; and that a large number of ladies are teaching at salaries of from $300 to $800; these facts show conclusively in what estimation the profession is held by our people.

The character of this, like that of every other profession, must of course depend upon the intellectual and moral worth of its members. In relation to their profession, the American Medical Association use the following language: "Every individual, on entering the profession, as he becomes thereby entitled to all its privileges and immunities, incurs an obligation to exert his best abilities to maintain its dignity and honor, to exalt its standing, and to extend the bounds of its usefulness." That there are similar obligations resting upon those who engage in teaching, will doubtless be admitted by all.

The following may be named among the duties incumbent on those who would rank as Professional Teachers: First, to study thoroughly and constantly the theory of the profession, and to contribute something to its continued improvement, both as a science and an art. No matter how thoroughly one may have studied it before commencing the practice, he needs constantly to improve his acquaintance with the theory of teaching; and he is but a poor member of the calling who can content himself with laboring from year to year without any attempt to improve the methods used in his childhood or by his cotemporaries.

Second, every one should own as many as he possibly can of the standard works on teaching. We judge the professional man by his library. If we and the community would look with distrust, if not with contempt, upon the man who should commence the practice of law without having in his possession a single treatise on law, are we not justified in withholding respect from one who attempts to teach without the opportunity of daily reference to the excellent works which have been prepared to aid teachers? The teacher should have a professional library, and should replenish it yearly, as regularly as he does his wardrobe, and as liberally as circumstances will allow.

Third, no true teacher of any grade will think of doing without one or more of the Educational Periodicals, eight or ten of which are published in the Union. And every teacher should endeavor to communicate something from his reflection, observation or experience, to enrich these valuable aids to the profession. It is gratifying to learn that School Examiners, in nearly every county in Ohio, are beginning to regard the reading of the books and periodicals here named as an essential part of the preparation for teaching. Those teachers who have invested money in the purchase of such books and papers, and have faithfully studied them, regard this as the most profitable investment they could make.

Fourth, beside the papers just named, every teacher should be a subscriber to some one or more reliable newspapers. The teacher should be a man of general information: to become well informed, he must read as well as converse. It is always expected that the lawyer and the physician will take the papers published in the town and the county in which they reside; if they wish to be ranked as professional men, should not teachers do the same? Several years since, a teacher remarked in our hearing that he had always made it a practice to take and read all the papers published in his own county, one at least published at the capital of the State, and one from New York or Washington. He is now President of a College. Another has for years paid not less than $15 or $20 per year for choice papers and periodicals; he has for some time received a salary of $1500. Of another, then quite young in the profession, a gentleman said, in recommending him for a subordinate situation: "You will find him posted, for he has always a pile of textbooks on his table, and a good supply of professional works and books of reference at hand." That man is now Principal of the Normal Department in one of our largest Colleges.

These are only a few of a multitude of instances which might be named. Comment on them is unnecessary.

The Teacher a Student.

A. D. L.

Were a certain class of the community perfect, were certain individuals gifted by Heaven with the power of fathoming at once all the mysterious depths of science, and of perceiving at one glance all the intricate relations of things animate and inanimate, eternal and ephemeral, then such persons might, with propriety, assume to become the