niggardly in the extreme, in its pecuniary appropriations to woman; and perhaps it is wisely ordered that it should be so; for if that sex were as well paid and prosperous in the single state as reformers would have them, it may be, they would never decline the verb To Love, with such easy and graceful emphasis as they do now. Nevertheless this has always seemed to us a matter that needed reform, and we plead for woman's rights decidedly, till this abuse is corrected. It would seem that the same work performed by the weaker sex equally well as by men, ought to be as well paid. And we believe that it may be set down as one of the indications of reform, that the compensation of female teachers has been raised throughout most of the Commonwealth. Still, it is a well authenticated fact in Massachusetts, (and other States are not more free from the reproach,) that women have kept hunger at a distance at less than a dollar a week and boarded around." And it has been handed down by tradition that some enterprising districts have expected their instructresses to split a meal of victuals, if not bisect a night's lodging, to make the board come out even! If there are any teachers employed in this or a similar way now, they should at once be handed over to the Humane Relief Society; as objects of pity they certainly stand next to Sir John Franklin.

"

But we confidently believe that the reproach is in a measure, passing away; and though teachers as a class are not paid as they should be, their compensation is far more respectable than formerly. The time is fast approaching, if not already come, when good teaching will command good pay.

Perhaps we have treated this subject, which is really a matter of sober concern to many, with less sobriety than we ought. But we cannot close this train of thought without adding a few considerations of a practical, and perhaps to some a painful,

nature.

First; In the cry of too small pay, it must not always be taken for granted that the blame is wholly on one side. They are common maxims, that it requires two to make a bargain, and that every story is good, until another is told. Perhaps teachers have sometimes in their vanity over-estimated their merit, and it is very possible that the much defamed community has paid them all that their service was really worth!

We remark again, that perhaps the same amount of talent and enterprise in other kinds of business would not have made progress towards wealth any faster than here. We have as much vanity as a teacher ought to possess, and as much pride of profession; but we will not attempt to conceal the fact that in some instances, surprisingly little tact and intelligence have been exhibited in connection with the ruler. It has long since

acquired the force of a proverb, that talent and skill will command success; but we find no promises of competence and wealth to the opposite qualities anywhere. We have seen teachers, and if we remember correctly, have "cried at the sight," who in our opinion received all they were worth. They had never expended a shilling in qualifying themselves for the work; they seemed to be walking illustrations of the idea of the poet,

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!"

Their chief merit evidently lay in their perfect orthodoxy; for they believed with Solomon, that to "spare the rod" was to "spoil the child"; and as one says, they" thinned the forests all the way down from Vermont" in demonstrating their belief! The increasing light of this century, however, put a very emphatic period to their vocation long ago. We would always speak well of the dead; but we have no idea that they left any unsettled claims upon the world for insufficient pay!

Again: It may be at least a comforting, though perhaps not a palliating, thought, that the world has never been in the habit of rewarding labor according to its real merit. The standard of its prices, as well as of its morals, needs reformation. We know some persons who never spent a dollar upon their education, and whose sole business is to disseminate whips and cigars over the map of the world-in a small wagon, who receive more compensation than the most fortunate teacher we wot of. They could outbid the wealthiest clergyman in Western Massachusetts and supply half a dozen pulpits every Sabbath, with their weekly pay! So in ancient times this abandoned world had the same peculiarity, though perhaps in a more exceptionable way; buffoons dwelt in courts, saints dwelt in caves. There was a strange propensity to construe benefactor and malefactor in the same case, as we read near the close of the gospels. And if by a special dispensation of charity, earth's best heroes have escaped crucifixion, it has been too often only to be handed over to starvation;

"Seven cities fought for Homer dead,

Through which Homer living begged his bread,"

and begged it without receiving it, as we have too much reason to believe. So if teachers, after the most ample services, should be neglected and underpaid, they at least are in good

company.

Still it seems to be generally true in these times and places, that merit will have its reward. Hence we might sum up what we have to say farther to teachers on this subject, in one short sentence: If you wish more pay, make yourselves worthy of more! Be not willing to teach this year, with the same quali

fications as you did the last. Remember that he that would lead others forward, must progress himself. Improve your leisure hours. It is a remark of Dr. Johnson, that he that would become familiar with the best use of the English language, must give his days and nights to the study of Addison. So it may well be said that he that would excel as a teacher, must give his days and nights to the work of self-improvement. Mend every defect of education or manners; seek every possible excellence; gather increasing stores of knowledge on every subject within your reach; discipline your intellect; refine your taste; control your temper; "covet earnestly the best gifts;" be more and more conscientious and devoted in your work, and we believe you will in the end be, not only loved and respected, but competently PAID!

A RESPECTFUL SUGGESTION TO SCHOOL
COMMITTEES.

THE Massachusetts Teacher is in some eminent sense a State Paper. It is authorized and issued by the State Association of Teachers. It is conducted and sustained by a large board of Massachusetts teachers, and may be supposed to express the sentiments of Massachusetts men upon the subject of Education. Is it too much to say that it should be sustained by Massachusetts patronage?

The

Still this Journal struggles hard for a respectable existence. The Editors have the delightful consciousness that they are working simply for the common good. The first dollar has not yet been disbursed for matter to fill these pages. Nothing would surprise a member of the Editorial corps so much as to hear that an appropriation was to be made for his relief; but alas! the only place where editors are mentioned after their election, is in the "deficiency bill." And even our worthy Publisher is no more than competently paid for his services, and perhaps without complaining, he might say, hardly that. fault does not seem to be that teachers are generally unwilling to subscribe and pay; but they are deeply embued with the democratic doctrine of short terms and frequent rotation in office. Does the "Teacher" pay its monthly visits to a subscriber in a certain district this year? the next year a new incumbent is in office, who, though a successor, is not a subscriber. Unless an agent pays him a special visit, he never knows how much he loses by not receiving our paper. But the price of subscription is too low to enable the Board of Finance to sustain agents; that class of persons are never so self-sacrificing as Editors. Hence our list is constantly falling off.

Now we wish to say to Districts and Committee-men that they might well subscribe for the Teacher and make the little mite a part of the contingent expenses of the year. Then let them say to the candidates for employment: We will give you so much and the reading of the Massachusetts Teacher! We are certain that such a course will never ensure poorer instructors, and we are really persuaded that they will become better while in office! How many districts will try the cheap and hopeful experiment? Will all teachers who are now subscribers, and are soon to leave their present field, press this matter upon the attention of the Committee and District? We shall then have what we now feel the want of, a more permanent subscription list, and more teachers would have what one in another State says all live teachers need, the reading of the "Massachusetts Teacher."

COURSE OF STUDY

PURSUED BY THE ADVANCE CLASS AT THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, FRAMINGHAM (LATE WEST NEWTON.)

Extract from the Semiannual Report of the Principal to the Visiting Committee of the Board of Education, made March 28th, 1854.

I SHALL also have the pleasure of presenting to you to-day, an advanced class of seven pupils, who have completed a full term of three years of study and training, with special reference to the wants of the High Schools.

The importance of training a small number of pupils for the office of principal or assistant teachers in these schools, has been long urged upon us by School Committees and teachers in these schools, and becomes still more pressing when it is considered that there are already 64 Public High Schools, supported by taxation in the State-that this number must very largely increase and that the towns not only feel that these have equal claims on the patronage of the State with the lower grades of schools, but demand and expect that their claims be recognized, if nothing further, in these State Institutions. It was with reference to these facts, that nearly four years ago, the Board authorized us to form and instruct classes who should pursue a three years' course of study and training.

The first advanced class graduated July, 1852. Their course was of necessity to a great extent an experiment,. for there was not then in the country, and never had been in any institution, a protracted, liberal, thorough course with these objects in view, and conducted on what were felt to be the true principles here, for females. On this account, every step in the progress required to be made with extreme caution, and every movement was watched with a most anxious solicitude.

In the case of the second advanced class, whose term of three years was completed Nov., 1853, there has been more system possible, and on the whole a better progress has been made.

As at present arranged, the advanced class is made up of graduates who have honorably and successfully passed through the course of four terms, and who, under the instruction, disciplining and testing of that course, have given us such proof of intellectual ability, of aptness to teach, and of those moral and other higher qualities of mind and heart, as to abundantly justify the expectation of great and commensurate usefulness.

It would be impossible, without overstepping the limits proper for this report, to describe in detail the principles which have guided their instruction and training. It may not be out of place, however, to give an outline of the strictly literary part of their course.

The term of three years includes the undergraduate course -the advanced class of to-day have studied with special referance to general development and culture, and to qualification for the High Schools—a critical and extended course in English literature-History and its philosophy, ancient and medievalMental Philosophy-Geology-Natural History in many of its branches-Astronomy-the Latin language-the French language-Constitution of the United States and of Massachusetts -Algebra-Geometry-Trigonometry-Conic Sections-Analytical Geometry-the Calculus, Differential and IntegralLogic-Reviews in the more elementary studies, and neither first nor last, but constantly in some form, the theory and art of teaching; so that whilst these grand studies have been pursued, each and every one has had a professional direction, and been pursued rather as means for an end, than as intrinsically valuable merely. It will be seen that this course includes the most important, and the most severe studies of a college course. In English literature it is more extensive and valuable; in history also; in pure mathematics it is the same course pursued at Harvard University.

Of the comparative practical cost of these pursuits, and the zeal and thoroughness with which everything has been mastered, it perhaps becomes those who are familiar with our colleges and who have witnessed the five or six examinations of this class to speak rather than me.

That this course is perfectly adapted to the wants of the high schools, that it does not require and will not receive essential modifications, I do not for a moment contend. So important a measure cannot be perfected at once. It is just possible that I may have been influenced a little by the fact that a rich and liberal State, the patroness of the agriculturist and the artisan, the professed cherisher of learning and of all seminaries of