I commenced my labors in a remote part of the city, thinking to use my experience, and the facility which generally follows in its train, on the quarters of denser population.

At the first house, the lady announced that she was the mother of nine children. Thinking to myself that the work began well, I had stammered through the legal questions, and written down the answers in the most exact manner. As I was turning to go, the mother remarked, incidentally, that four of her nine children were dead. Now what was I to do with the dead children?

Very much to my relief, I learned from headquarters that I had nothing at all to do with them; for I was repeatedly entertained with long lists of corpses.

Let not the careless reader think that I did not sometimes see something besides stupidity in the mother whose affectionate remembrance of the dead caused her to enumerate them with the living.

One day I called at a house from which one of its inmates had just been borne away forever.

"How many children have you, Madam ?"

"Three-no, two!" and she burst into tears.

Time had had no chance to bridge over the chasm in the mother's heart; and, walking for a moment in forgetfulness on the brink, she had fallen into the depths of grief.

If we can not hope much for the Mongolians of our city, they certainly hope enough for themselves. In fact, I may set down the Chinese ladies of San Francisco as the most hopeful class of people I ever went amongst. They always invited me to come around next year, stating invariably, as an inducement that they would then have more China babies.

Disputes often occurred between husband and wife as to the ages and number of their offspring. The wife sometimes contended that, though she had given a correct report of hers, the husband had more children than he had accounted for. In this instance the husband generally explained that he was unaware of the whereabouts of his progeny-which seemed to satisfy the wife, as per force it did me.

But imagine my embarrassment when a lady of Irish extraction told me that she had four children, and her husband said she had

"nary one'. He had been married to her for fifteen years and was impressed with the idea that he ought to know.

They both persisted in their assertions; but neither side would show any proofs. How was I to decide between them? Solomon was a wise man; but no sword-and-baby business would have answered in this case-especially as I saw no sword or children either to appeal to.

'I did what, in my humble opinion, was wiser and had more human nature in it than any thing recorded of Solomon-I appealed to the neighbors. And I may here make a general remark that during my experience as a marshal, I invariably found the neighbors better authority on any family matter (not concerning themselves) than the husband, or wife, or any body else who ought to know.

The neighbors all pronounced themselves in favor of the no-children side of the question. They had seen marked indications of insanity in both parties to the dispute; but had never seen or heard any indications of children. The testimony was too strong against the woman; and I was obliged to decide, her impressions to the contrary notwithstanding, that she had never been a mother. On one occasion I asked a man whether he had any children. "I don't know," was his answer..

If

you

do n't, who does ?" exclaimed I, bewildered.

The man looked uneasy.

The pause ensuing was broken, at last, by a voice which any one would recognize as that of a young baby.

"There! what's that?" I asked..

"Wait, I will go and see."

Before the door shut on him I caught a glimpse of several mysterious old women, who were rushing around somewhat excitedly in the next room..

Returning, the new father said he believed he had one child. "Is it a boy or girl?"

"I don't know; but I'll-"

"Never mind," said I, taking my departure.

And thus daily, the work went nobly on-the school census, I

mean.

It is finished now for the year; but there is a peculiarity in the climate of California which warrants me in the assertion that, in

this state, no census will stay taken. In two houses in succession I found three pairs of twins. As Bilkey Brown says, in the play, "There's nothing like it."-Allaquiz, in California Teacher.

Hard Study not Unhealthy.

Ir is frequently supposed that hard study is very unhealthy, and it is even supposed, by some, that young people kill themselves by hard study. I wish to say, emphatically, that all these stories are monstrous fabrications: that no child, girl, boy, man, or woman, ever died of hard study; and that all complaints made against schools, of injuring the health of students by hard study, are utterly calumnious and false; and that among the most healthful exercises, the exercises that most promote vigor, strength-physical vigor, physical strength-is the exercise of the human brain-which is itself a physical organ-only it must not be exercised alone. But the pale and puny student, who flatters his self-conceit that he is suffering dyspepsia, and all the ills that come with it, because he is so intellectual, may not 'lay that flattering unction to his soul' any longer; it is because he is a fool, it is because he is a fanatic, it is because he has not exercised his brain, and neglected the other parts of his system also. With a sound system of physical exercise, and healthy modes of living, that same pale and self-fancying intellectual being would accomplish twice, four times the intellectual work that has brought him to death's door-and he prides himself on being in that very pleasant position.

It has been proved, by statistics, that among the longest livers, as a general rule, are the most intellectual. Professor Pierce, of our University, examined the subject, and he found, somewhat to the surprise of a portion of community-I won't say what portion. -that, taking classes in the average, those that are the first to die are those who are the dullest and stupidest and most irregular during their college life; while, as a general rule-of course there are exceptions, but exceptions prove the rule in this as in all other things-that good scholars, those who exercise their brains constantly, thoroughly, faithfully, and have performed all their duties conscientiously, are the longest lived. I think these are facts really worth being impressed upon the young.-President Felton.

Editorial Miscellany.

FRIENDS OF EDUCATION: It is with a great deal of diffidence that we appear before the educational public, for the first time, in the capacity of Editor. We regret, also, that our name is not better known among the Teachers of the State; for the prestige of reputation is very valuable in an undertaking of this kind.— Our predecessors have been men of reputation and ability. Under their guardianship, the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION has attained a high rank as an educational journal, and a comparison of it with journals of other and older States, has been very gratifying to Teachers of this State. For nine years the JOURNAL has lived, dependent mainly upon State aid. This aid has now been cut off, and the JOURNAL looks to another source for its main support, a source, that, we hope, will never fail-the Teachers. Never let it be said that a State with 8000 Teachers failed to support an educational journal. Every Teacher should read it just as much as every business man should the newspaper.

The Teachers'

Each one should strive to elevate his profession. reward is not wholly in dollars and cents. His ambition should not be salary. A journal of education is a kind of medium between Teachers, communicating educational intelligence, circulating choice words from the best educators, upon topics of interest to the Teacher, introducing Superintendents, Teachers, and patrons of education to one another. A journal to be successful must be well sustained by subscribers and contributors. We call upon you, then, as co-laborers in the great work of redeeming the world from ignorance, to aid us cheerfully with your money and your talents. We do not wish to feel that our old friend, the JOURNAL, is dead! it was but sleeping for a while, awaiting th great general revival of education which we now expect to see in this country, after the demoralizing effects of a civil war. ALthough we feel our inferiority, in view of the task before us, we

hope, that, by untiring zeal and perseverance, we may do our part in preserving the former high reputation of the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, and in establishing it upon a firm foundation, which legislative action cannot destroy. The older and better educated Teachers of this State are capable of writing interesting and instructive articles for young and inexperienced Teachers. We look to you then, for aid in filling our JOURNAL with good reading, and hope we may not be dependent upon other States. We shall present to you from time to time interesting documents from the Office of the State Superintendent, and we have the promise of hearty support from many of our County Superintendents. The best Teachers in this State invariably subscribe for the JOURNAL, and it is a deplorable fact, that, our more deficient Teachers seem determined to remain so. We would request each County Superintendent, at the Spring examinations, to act as agents in securing subscriptions, to urge upon Teachers their duty to, and their interest in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION. The JOURNAL can be well sustained with 2000 subscribers, and we hope we shall not be compelled to record the fact, that not one Teacher in four would subscribe for it. Rally, Teachers, to its support.

Eminent Educators Deceased in 1865.

WE have been called upon the last year to mourn the demise of the greatest American Scholar, and one of our most prominent Statesmen-EDWARD EVERETT. A professor of Harvard University at the early age of twenty-five, he had devoted nearly all of the remainder of his life to the advance of education. No person did more to found the Public Library of Boston, (one of the greatest blessings that city has ever received). No person did more for the purchase of the home of Washington. Since the war, no person, considering his means, has done more towards vindicating the supremacy of the National Government. He leaves a large circle of mourning friends. He died on the 15th of January.

SYDNEY A. THOMAS, of New Haven, one of the oldest Teachers of Connecticut, died February 5th.

REV. R. O. KELLOGG, Professor in Lawrence University, took his life in a paroxysm of insanity, in February.