Resident Editors' Cable. GEORGE ALLEN, Jr.,.... Boston. Dedham RESIDENT EDITORS. ELBRIDGE SMITH, Cambridge. WE present in this number of the "Teacher," accounts of meetings held in various counties in the State, for the promotion of the cause of education. It is thought by some that such accounts are of no practical use. We dissent. The fact that Associations of Teachers are held in various parts of the State is good and cheering news, and should be chronicled in a teachers' journal. We admit that much is said and done at teachers' meetings that can have only a local interest, and that the reports are often burdened with useless matter. In mentioning this, we would urge it upon those who are so kind as to favor us with reports, to bear in mind their legitimate objects, one of which is, to record the public efforts of teachers in behalf of the cause; another, to convey information which shall be of practical benefit to teachers in the discipline and instruction of their schools. Reports of this character should be concise, as graphic in description as possible, and so correct in Rhetoric, Punctuation, &c., that the composition of the teacher shall not have to be corrected by the printer. It should be fully understood that the Local Editors have not time to revise these reports, although they occasionally feel constrained thereto. Most of those which we have received have been entirely satisfactory as to style and contents, and to some of them we should not presume to touch a pen. We trust we shall be excused if we, in all kindness, intimate that there has been an occasional exception. Trusting that no one will take umbrage at our remarks, as, with a little reflection, the difficulties under which we labor will be fully understood, we would now express our thanks to those gentlemen who have been so kind as to furnish us with the proceedings of the County Associations, and would solicit a continuance of the practice. But there are several counties not yet heard from." We believe that Essex and Norfolk take the lead in the Association movement. In these counties, since their respective Associations were formed, there have been semi-annual meetings without a single failure. We speak from personal knowledge in regard to Norfolk, and have been informed that such has been the fact in Essex. The most inclement weather has never prevented a successful meeting. With each meeting the interest of teachers in one another has increased, and their professional enthusiasm has been rekindled, and has spurred them on to more worthy deeds. Other counties, as Plymouth, Hamp den, Bristol, Barnstable, Nantucket, Dukes, Franklin and Berkshire have sustained their Associations, and experienced the same advantages. But where are Worcester, Suffolk, and Hampshire in this movement? We have had no accounts from them. Middlesex has lately formed an Association, and we have received an official report. There are local obstacles in Hampshire which prevent the success of an Association in that county; but not so in Worcester or Suffolk. A morbid feeling of opposition to Associations of this kind prevails in Boston, and some of the ablest and most successful teachers' discountenance them. This is much to be regretted, as it is from such that practical education could derive the greatest advantage. These gentlemen will tell you what the world knows by heart, that "experience is the best teacher." But this is ig noring the fact that the example of others is of practical efficiency in a cause in which philosophy has not yielded all her stores. We hope at some future day to be able to report the existence of greater professional enthusiasm in Suffolk County. May we not hear from some of our friends in Hampshire and Worcester? The Secretary of Essex County Association will please excuse the deferment of his report to this number, as there has not before been room for a full insertion. ARTHUR ELLERSLIE; OR, THE BRAVE Boy. RED BROOK; These are the titles of the first three volumes of "My Uncle Toby's Library: " by Francis Forrester, Esq. The little folks must have entertaining books,-something to which they may have recourse in the intervals between school hours, when their sports or occasional duties are over. Books which in pretty stories convey wholesome moral lessons are the most useful, and are of great aid to parents, as they silently, but powerfully, coöperate with them in the great work of moral training. We have read the last mentioned volume, the only one of the series we have received, with much satisfaction, and find it as charming as we had anticipated from the title, and a beautiful specimen of the class of books above referred to. "Uncle Toby's Library" consists of twelve volumes, handsomely bound, and illustrated with upwards of sixty engravings, and each book is printed in large and splendid type, upon superior paper. Teachers will find it safe to recommend this series. Read number three. Published by G. C. Rand, and for sale by Wm. J. Reynolds & Co., 24 Cornhill, Boston, to whom all orders should be addressed. KNAPP & RIGHTMYER'S TWENTY-FIVE WORKS ON PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL PENMANSHIP. This is the most complete and comprehensive system of Penmanship that has yet been published in this country. It is complete in every branch of the art, embracing specimens of all the forms of mercantile and ornamental penmanship in use; of the German Text, Old English, Roman, Italian, Marking Italics, and Print Letters in general use among the first class artists; specimens of off-hand flourishing and embellished capitals, suitable for copies for those who wish to instruct themselves in the higher departments of Chirography and Calligraphy. It is just the work for teachers who may be in quest of specimens for their guide in practice. The proof of the third article in the November number of the Teacher was not corrected by the writer, and the following misprints have been noticed: : Page 356, line 9, for majestical, read magisterial. 66 357, line 44, for fear, read pear. 66 358, line 27, for word, read vowel. 66 66 line 28, for command, read consonant. 66 line 31, for Anglos, read Angles. 359, line 6, for well known point, read well known fruit. ABOUT one hundred and fifty scholars, who had been members of Hopkinton High School within the past six years, assembled in the Chapel Hall, Hopkinton, a short time since, and presented their former teacher, Mr. Daniel J. Poor, fifty elegant volumes of scientific and classical works. The presentation was accompanied with some very appropriate remarks by one of the scholars, and followed by an address by Mr. Poor, in which it was stated that four hundred scholars had been under his instruction, during the six years he had charge of the school; and thirty-two of these had been engaged in teaching other schools. AMONG all the societies formed for the promotion of the rights of men and women, of clergymen, physicians, teachers, &c., I know of no combination for the defence of the rights of the girls and boys. We are a numerous and important class, and yet are at the mercy of our superiors in regard to all the rules and responsibilities of life. We presume this is all right, but yet we cannot help thinking that sometimes, even in the school-room, we are subjected to some treatment which it would be difficult to vindicate or explain. Now we humbly beg to have some things explained. This we claim as one of our rights. Or is it true that we have no rights? Pray tell us, then, when we begin to have them. Is it at the age of 15, or 18, or 21? Now my teacher flogged me horribly the other day, for chewing gum, while at the same time he had in his mouth a quid of tobacco so big that my bit of gum could hardly begin to compare with it. I suppose I had no right to tell him what I thought of it, though he did not hesitate to speak pretty plainly what he thought. I wish only to know how old I must be, before, instead of being whipped for chewing a neat bit of gum, I shall enjoy the right of chewing such dirty stuff as tobacco, and of flogging all the younger chaps about me for presuming to eat anything at all. Again, the regulations of our schools say that both teachers and scholars shall be in their proper places at nine o'clock in the morning. Now I am obliged to obey this law to the very letter, while some of the teachers of our school make no pretence of obeying it, except when convenient. How old must I be before I can assume the dignity of violating rules without punishment? I think I respect my master, but I verily believe that if I made as much noise at my bench as he does at his table, in banging about his chairs, books, &c., I should be flogged for it every week. * * * When I make a promise to my master, I am obliged to keep it, but I get more than half my floggings because my master seems to feel under no obligation to keep his promises to me. The way it happens is this: My master gets out of patience and bristles up, and says, "Now the first boy, and every boy that I see eating apples in school, I'll flog him." Well, this seems all right, and I am careful to keep my apples in my bench till recess; but, in a day or two, I see my friends, Tom, Dick, and Harry, and half a dozen more, all about me, chewing away at their apples as freely as you please. My master sees them, but says nothing, and I conclude that he made the rule because he was out of patience, and did not really intend to do what he said. So I practise accordingly. However, after I have eaten a few apples unmolested, before my master's face, and am engaged very happily in munching another, he happens to get into one of his fretful moods, and I suddenly hear him exclaim, "Peter, come out here. Didn't I tell you I would flog you for eating apples? Hold out your hand. There, now, take your seat, and mind your book, or you'll get a worse flogging next time." Well, I feel horribly provoked at him, for whipping me because he has lost his temper, and make up my mind not to be quite so green the next time. So I watch him, and when I am sure that he feels pretty well, I take out my apple and eat at my leisure, keeping an eye out all the time, mind ye, lest the master should happen to get his "dander up "before I chance to notice it. When that happens, I assure you I am pretty shy; but I get into the habit of munching in school, and I have so many fine chances for it when my master is in a pleasant mood, that the inducements to hold on to the practice are so strong that I can't make up my mind to leave it off. So it is with all So it is with all my other bad habits as a scholar. If my master would keep his word, and stick to his rules in regard to them, I should save a great many whippings and be a better boy. But as it now is, we are permitted to have just enough fun to bait us on, and keep us nibbling, and dodging, and getting whippings. And so it goes. When our master is in a quiet state of mind, we are in fun up to the eyes; but woe to the boy who don't dodge him, and keep pretty shy, and draw on a long face when he raises his |