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The Better Way. Vinicius, in Quo Vadis, greatly feared the gentler way of managing slaves as urged by the Christians in Nero's time. He tried it one day, and to his intense surprise was met with warm thanks and generous professions of loyalty. In writing to Patronius shortly afterward, he said he was almost convinced that the new way was better than the lash and torture. If thus for servants and slaves, why not also for the children in the schools?

The One Great Need. To this query of our friend, Ada C. Baker, we answer quickly, Yes and amen!

"I have spent many pleasant days with my little friends here, but I often feel discouraged at the thought of how little I can do to minister to their needs. Their greatest need is that of worthy examples—but is that not the great need of children everywhere?-examples of uprightness, purity, gentleness of manner, and grace of speech?"

Morals as is Taught! Puck has evidently been eavesdropping, for the following is not all fiction:

Mother: Now, Willie, you told me a falsehood. Do you know what happens to little boys who tell falsehoods? Why, a big black man with only one eye in the center of his forehead comes along and flies with him to the moon and makes him pick sticks for the balance of his life. Now, you will never tell a falsehood again, will you? It is awful wicked!

This old-fashioned way of imparting instruction is, we hope, not among those over whose displacement by the new education some of our fathers mourn.

What Makes It Kick? I gave a kicking Brownie to a little friend of mine and he enjoyed it immensely for weeks, but his desire to know "how in the world that funny kick came in," as it rolled over at the foot of the incline, possessed him sorely. One day he tore open the Brownie's coat and found "only a ball" inside. He was satisfied, however, and was wiser than before, though he was minus a plaything. That boy is a philosopher, for he wants to know the cause of things. The Brownie was worth nothing compared with the knowledge and experience it gave him. The truth is, every boy ought to be encouraged to go to the bottom of things. That he has such a desire is cause for rejoicing. Do everything to keep it alive. In fact, never permit him to leave anything he is investigating until he has discovered what makes it kick.

In the Pantry. One day Eugene Field was found by a returning mother, in the pantry with the children making way with some victuals. All were in high glee. Enquiry developed the fact that he had called a few minutes before and finding the little people alone, proposed a foraging party for their entertainment. Just how he wriggled out of the affair I have never heard, but possibly he compromised on "apple pie and cheese." Of one thing I am assured, the children defended him. He ought to have known that the pantry might not have been in its usually tidy condition, that there was nothing there "fit for visitors," that the children never went there without the express permission of mother, that it is wrong to eat between meals, that it was hardly the proper thing for a caller

to do; but the boy that was in him forgot all of these things and off they all went for roast lamb and cold slaw. It was his ability to become a little child, mischievous, daring, merry, and then to rise up in an instant, a big warm-hearted man, that made all the children his friends. It would be a dangerous experiment for a schoolmaster to lead the children into at least one pantry I could name, but there are other ways in which he might endear himself to the whole household if he but possessed the true spirit.

Father Superior. The position and the function of the superintendent or principal are not very well-defined in many schools. In one. I recall, the superintendent hardly knows that his soul is his own, for the school board gives him orders about the minutest details, elects and assigns teachers, adopts text-books, fixes salaries, changes courses of study, buys apparatus, and makes repairs, without consulting him in any way whatever. In another, a few subordinate teachers run the superintendent and the entire system of schools. He never thinks of taking a stand on any question until he knows just how much support he can have from the cabal; indeed, he does not seem to know that there is any position to take until they speak. Both are dummies. In a third, the superintendent keeps well in touch with both the board and the teachers. He strives to know their views and to give them respectful consideration. He is conscious that the responsibility for the success of the schools rests in large measure upon his own shoulders, that his position gives him a better view of the field as a whole than any one else; that as superintendent he must be the leader of his force of teachers and must be permitted to plan and direct their work. But each of them, as a

Mother Inferior, has of course certain rights and a certain individuality which must be respected. In cases of differences of opinion, free and friendly discussion will often find a solution satisfactory to all, but when the decision is made, deference should always be given to the views which the superintendent finally urges. Somebody must yield, and if the views of each of the individual teachers obtain, there is nothing but endless confusion. It is true that a subordinate has responsibility as well as the superior, but as an assistant hers is not so grave as his. If the result be unfortunate, the blame lies with him, but only with him in case she has faithfully striven to follow out his plans and methods. A poor method with a proper spirit will accomplish much more than a good method without an understanding and cooperating spirit. But the true relation that should always exist between superiors and inferiors is found only as they work together as Brothers and Sisters All! If each is recognizing the duties and responsibilities of his fellows, if each is conscious of his own need as well as of the needs of his coworkers, if each is thinking less of his own advancement than of the advancement of the schools as a whole, is ready to yield nonessentials gracefully and to strive for harmony on essentials, is ready to bear and forbear with old and young, is as jealous of the good name of every teacher on the roll as of his own, is, in fact, always possessed of the true spirit of love and cooperation, there will be neither need nor desire for the father superior to exercise his authority, nor for mother inferior to bend the knee to an exacting lord. If some teachers were to work half as hard in their efforts to promote harmony and to strengthen the hands of their leader as they do to arouse discord, they would often be greatly surprised at the result. And, again, if some superintendents would only strive a little to understand their teachers and to assist them to understand the plans which they wish followed, the reward might not be less satisfactory than from the course they now pursue. Each teacher is a whole in himself, but he is also a part of the greater whole, the schools in which he labors.

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THE next term opens January 31, 1898. Are you coming? PROFESSOR HILL spent a few hours with the Southwest Teachers' Association at McPherson, Thanksgiving. He made a quick trip and had a most enjoyable time.

PROFESSOR BOYLE and Doctor Chrisman attended the Thanksgiving meeting of the Southeast Kansas Teachers' Association at Paola. Both presented papers and they report a delightful Cherryvale * time. Manchester

..... Beloit

928 Union

832 Merchants

218 West Twelfth Avenue 1515 Highland Place 909 Mechanics

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806 Mechanics 813 Mechanics .714 Constitution

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Assistant, Mathematics. Assistant, Natural History. Assistant, Physics and Chemistry. Assistant Critic Teacher, Model Intermediate.

Assistant, Model Department.

ISABEL MILLIGAN
JENNIE WHITBECK
HATTIE COCHRAN
E. E. SALSER
E. ANNA STONE
EDWARD ELIAS..

1006 Exchange 927 Congress 1029 Congress 1315 North Merchants

Manuscript Assistant, English. Assistant, Bookkeeping and Penmanship.

1028 Congress 1315 North Merchants 823 Mechanics

Second Assistant in Piano. Special Teacher, German and French.

Clerk and Bookkeeper.
Stenographer.

ALLEN S. NEWMAN...
PEARL STUCKEY
NELLIE STANLEY..
BESSIE KNAPPENBERGER..

Assistant, Library and Office. Assistant, Library.

1013 Merchants

422 Market

1123 Congress 1123 Congress

THE N. E. A. goes to Washington, D. C. this time. We had hoped that it might go to Omaha or some western point, but our turn will come by and by. Let us begin to save our pennies at once.

Ar the preliminary contest in essay on the evening of December 7, the following named persons were selected for the contest on December 22: Misses Maud Walter and Edna L. Roberson, and Mr. T. P. Detamore.

PROFESSOR WILKINSON met many old and new friends at the Southwestern Kansas Teachers' Association at its Thanksgiving meeting at Winfield. He reports the discussion on many subjects as unusually interesting and profitable.

Professor KELLY has taken charge of the work as superin tendent of the purely educational side of the reform school at Jeffersonville, Indiana. He does not find the position interfering with that of his city superintendency. He seems to relish the combination.

PRESIDENT TAYLOR served as one of the judges on thought for the oratorical contest in the Missouri Valley College, November 13. The other judges on thought were President Fuller and Dr. D. M. Harris, of St. Louis, Missouri. The winner, Mr. G. H. Mack, was marked first by the entire six judges.

ARE the State Normal School people to have a reunion during the State Teachers' Association? Certainly! Do not forget that the roll will be called in the Senate Chamber immediately after the close of the lecture on Wednesday evening. Keep in mind, also, the fact that the chief clerk's room at the left of the speaker's desk will be the headquarters during the session. Please come and register.

THE New Psychology just published by the Scribners, with Dr. E. W. Scripture as author, is on our table. It is a complete exposition of the latest and most advanced psychology, particularly in an experimental way. We have seen nothing anywhere that presents so satisfactory a view of the whole problem, and commend it most heartily to teachers and investigators who may be interested in this particular subject. The book is issued as one number of the Contemporary Science Series.

PRESIDENT TAYLOR lectured at Onaga on the evening of December 3 and spent Saturday afternoon and evening with the boys and girls at Valley Falls. Superintendent J. M. Nation is ably assisted in the city schools by Mr. Lakin and Misses Maud Myers, Kate Bell, Lillian Smith, Anna Murray, and others. Colfax Harmon is busy every hour as editor of the Valley Falls Vindicator, a paper with nearly two thousand circulation. He and his partner employ twelve or fifteen men and women in the office constantly and the force is nearly doubled at times on account of extra orders for printing other periodicals. Doctor Marks, a prominent student in the eighties, is one of the most successful physicians in the city and is already in great demand, even outside of the county, as a surgeon. The President reports a delightful call on Miss Vivian Nation, now ten months old, and one of the brightest little birds among all the granddaughters of the State Normal School. Mr. and Mrs. Nation have one of the coziest homes in Valley Falls and their Normal friends are always welcome.

THE STATE NORMAL MONTHLY.

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HAVE you sent in your subscription to the MONTHLY? MR. EDGAR B. GORDON, of the Wichita Conservatory of Music and Art, has been appointed to succeed Mr. Keene as teacher of violin and other stringed instruments. Mr. Gordon has had superior advantages in his musical education, having spent three years with Professor Jacobson at Chicago, in specializing. He has had several years' experience as a teacher, is a young man of good presence, a member of the Baptist church, and will be given a hearty welcome by all lovers of music in this locality.

PRESIDENT TAYLOR lectured at Marysville on the evening of November 26. The court house auditorium was well filled and the meeting of the county association the next morning was most interesting and helpful. J. E. Cook, of Axtell, is president of the association. Of course, the State Normal School reunion was held in the evening after the lecture. Among the prominent Normal people teaching in the county are Principals Bogar, Long, Gorow, Rundle, and Landers. Many others are doing excellent work in their various positions and the school has friends in every part of the county.

PRESIDENT TAYLOR visited the Northern Teachers' Association at Junction City at its Thanksgiving meeting. He reports a pleasant time. His train arrived so late in the evening of Thursday that he failed to reach the opera house until the audience was going home. Going inside the door, he heard in the distance the echoes of "Rip! Rah! Ren!" and following the direction suggested, he soon found himself in the main auditorium, and as he was emerging from the crowd, the full yell from forty or fifty boys and girls in the northeast corner greeted him. Ranks were broken instantly and a hearty handshake all around made him feel at home at once. The meeting was in every way a success. Much of it was due to the president, A. B. Carney, and the secretary, Bertha Read.

OUR George C. Wakefield, here in the early '90's, has been appointed to a position in the Sumner County High School at Wellington, Kansas. The editor had the pleasure of a day visiting the Sumner County High School in November, and was surprised to find the attendance already reaching about two hundred sixty. The classes are filled to overflowing and it is seldom that a more enthusiastic and earnest body of boys and girls come together. Professor Butcher is proving eminently satisfactory to the friends of the school and is devising great plans for its future. V. E. Creighton is in charge of the natural sciences and has already made a warm place for himself in the affections of his pupils. The formal dedication of the building took place at that time and a large company of friends were present. The editor lectured in the great hall in the city high school building in the evening on "The Education that Best Fits for Life."

WE take pleasure in showing our friends the genial and interesting face of our friend, Pres. E. B. Andrews, of Brown University, who speaks to the State Teachers' Association on Thursday evening, December 30. President Andrews is regarded as one of the best thinkers in this country, and we look for a rare treat on that evening. Our thanks are due Silver, Burdett & Company, Publishers, of Boston, for the use of this excellent cut.

THE State Teachers' Association gives free reserved seats to its members for the Jordan lecture in such a way that it is important all should pay their fees and dues to the treasurer not later than eleven o'clock, December 29. Professor Wilkinson, the treasurer, is already receiving many enrollments by mail, and will be ably assisted to do business with accuracy and dispatch at Topeka.

Annual for 1898.

The student editors of the STATE NORMAL MONTHLY are preparing an Annual to be issued late in the year. It will be much after the fashion of the best college and school annuals issued in this country and will contain a great variety of interesting material. It is the design of the editors to continue the history of the State Normal. School from the date of the issue of the Quarter-Centennial History in 1889, including, however, a general review of the first twenty-five years of the institution's development. The following is a general synopsis of its

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About the Building.

The faculty members are deriving much benefit from their discussions on Hinsdale's "Teaching the Language Arts."

The postgraduate class is wrestling with the intricate problems of Herbart's "A B C of Sense Perception."

The latest acquisition of the museum is the gift of Mrs. Josephine Patty, '69. It comprises an interesting collection of ores, rocks, and fossils from California.

Miss Hattie Bassett has been added to the number of assistants. She will assist in the department of elocution, at least for the remainder of the current term.

The psychology class might probably be benefited by the small boy's definition of apperception-"The power to 'catch on' to the meaning of something without any trouble."

While outer nature is turning brown and sere, many of the classrooms are becoming beautiful with their windows of growing plants which have been transferred within doors from the grounds.

The eighth grade of the model department is becoming a little school by itself. It has now seventy earnest, hardworking boys and girls who are exerting themselves in anticipation of Sub-Normal honors in the near future.

A new desk has been added to the furnishings of Professor Iden's class room. It runs nearly the entire length of the platform and has places below for the storage of such pieces of apparatus as are used for experiments performed in class.

The natural science department has lately received some valuable apparatus in the shape of class supplies for use in botany and zoology; reagents, staining fluids, a pair of finely sensitive scales, bell jars for culture methods, and museum jars are among the supplies, and have long been needed.

The kindergarten little people have just passed through the joys of their giving to the poor at Thanksgiving time, and are now busily at work upon their Christmas gifts. With all their tasks of learning and doing, these little people yet find time to think that others need to be made happy. beautiful thought for the child mind!

What a

"If our feet are not in the way everlasting, when the breaking-off time comes, our life will not match with God's plans and purposes for us. See to it that you are building for eternity. If you are not so building, call a halt and begin right." These earnest words came to us from Rev. Mr. Horner, of Howard, Kansas, one of our visitors during the month.

Professor Stone, of the physical training department, was introduced to the Normal boys and girls at large through her lecture on the subject of "Food Values," delivered on the morning of November 29. This lecture had a peculiar appropriateness, coming as it did immediately following the season of turkey and pumpkin pie. The many thoughts given will prove of great value to the student body if put to practical use. The first faculty lecture of the season was given by Professor Gridley, of the art department, on the subject, "The Place of Art in Education." It was thoughtful and strongly written and contained much of practically æsthetic value for all. She said: "Drawing is a means of expressing thought, or truth, with regard to form, and every truth expressed ennobles and purifies him who gives it form. The arts should be studied for individual and social development, not for wage-earning, not for an economic aim. In the true teaching of art, the child is made to be more than an imitator, a follower, 'a copyist,-the meanest thing except a hypocrite that can be made out of a being created in the image of God.'”

Mrs. Boyle has been made happy by the addition of two beautiful new pianos for her office in the music department, a Knabe Grand and a Vose & Sons' Upright. She intends organizing a duet club among the advanced pupils of the music department for the purpose of drill in sight-reading of difficult music. Then, also, music which would not be undertaken in solo form can be taken up in this manner, and skill in interpretation and in harmony of thought and action thus be attained.

The D social seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part in the exercises or attended as guests. More prominence was given to the program than to the social part of the occasion, and many quaint and amusing figures floated out of a dim past or roseate future and lent to the scene their weird charm. Maud Muller 'mid the new-mown hay and the judge riding by on his prancing steed needed only to be seen to remind one of the "might-have-beens” of a sad and luckless existence.

Professors Iden and Wooster attended the meeting of the Kansas Academy of Science, held at Baldwin, October 27 and 28. A paper prepared by Mr. Otis, of the State Agricultural College, on "Root Tubercles and Inoculation," was especially interesting, as was also a paper on signaling to vessels at sea, by Mr. Blake, of the State University. The second paper was a detailed account of experiments made in signaling to ships at sea by means of electricity, without completing the circuit, a thing which has always been thought necessary to the conduction of an electric current. Doctor Williston's address as president was also interesting. He strongly urged larger requirements of candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts-more science and less Latin and Greek. In this respect, he criticised not only the other Kansas institutions which grant such a degree, but also the State University.

The Senior girls of '98 planned a most delightful surprise for the Senior boys on Hallowe'en. An invitation in rhyme was sent to all of the boys to assemble at the home of President Taylor for "further information." Immediately on entering, they were provided with peanuts, each one of which contained further instructions. At the end of a quarter of an hour, the rendezvous of the girls was finally discovered, and a few minutes later the boys were filing into the new gymnasium between two lines of candles, held aloft by gypsy girls in costume. The gymnasium had been completely transformed in the afternoon into a home of elves and witches. Hanging from overhead was a score of jack-o'-lanterns done up in the highest style of the jack-o'-lantern art. Evergreens and foliage of various kinds draped the walls. The Normal skeleton arrayed in white occupied the center of the room, and a silent ghost slowly moved up and down the room raising the shivers everywhere she went. The fortune teller's tent, the culinary corner, the rugs on the floor, the other "furniture," completed the picture. No chairs were provided and the whole company rested on mats.

The program of games was thoroughly Hallowe'en in its nature and kept the company in uproarious laughter until a late hour. When the story-telling began, the few flickering candles that had helped the jack-o'-lanterns to illuminate, were blown out, and, as each story was finished, it did not take very much imagination to see other figures than those already mentioned. The effect of the black witches and their grewsome song will not soon be forgotten.

The committee on arrangements, as well as the other committees to whom special duties were assigned, cannot be praised too highly for the royal evening given the boys. If anybody ever had any doubt about the ability of the class of '98 to entertain, it was removed on Hallowe'en.

Belles-Lettres Society.

Rickety, Rackety, biff! boom! bah!

Whickety, Whackety, whiff! whoom! whah!
Belles-Lettres, Belles Lettres, rah! rah!! r-a-h!!!

This is what we yell now, and what we expect to yell at the contest in debate and dramatic art next March. The representatives from our society, who will, we hope, lead us to victory in that contest, are: in debate, Mr. Stroup and Mr. Brown; in dramatic art, Miss Hall, Mr. St. Clair, and Mr. Dickerson. The cuttings for the play have not yet been made, and therefore, while there will probably be one or two more contestants in dramatic art, they have not yet been elected.

On the evening of the nineteenth of November the BellesLettres girls entertained those assembled with a program prepared by themselves especially for that evening. The girls have received many compliments on their successful effort to make this an exceptionally pleasant evening.

The "bran new" piano in our hall is one of the attractions of the month. In fact there seems to be a sort of fad for new things; besides the new piano and new yell, there is new enthusiasm, "lots" of new members, and a new list of officers, viz., Mr. Arthur Powell, Carrie L. Kelson, Agnes Philo, C. M. Rose, A. B. Stroup and C. M. Myers.

Philomathian Society.

The last month in society has been replete with good things and it would be useless to attempt to give honorable mention to all who deserve it.

The autumn program was such a success that the Philomathian girls may give another program soon. Original thinking, short, spicy articles, and such gems as were the impersonations on that evening, were healthful literary exercise, overburdening none and entertaining all. The evening was all the more profitable and delightful because Professor Jones was our visitor.

The matched debates have promoted social intercourse with the other societies and have increased the interest in that line of development, and have also given the judges a chance to bestow encouragement where it was most needed.

Probably the evening of November 12 was of most interest to Philomathians, for on that evening occurred the selections for the coming contest. Every standard bearer of the blue and white was out-even J. S. O'Connor, of Madison.

Some of the nominating speeches were brilliant, the election was spirited, and finally resulted in the unanimous choice of Messrs. Thoroman and Dunbar as debaters. They need no commendatory words of introduction and their praises will be sung later with right good Philomathian energy.

Cuttings from the play of Mary Stuart will probably be given in dramatic art. Misses Neiman and Turney and Mr. Atkinson have already been chosen to take part.

Lyceum Society.

One of our former members, Superintendent Peairs, of Douglas county, now president of the Kansas State Teachers' Association, recently gave the society some interesting reminiscences. He told of his maiden effort in debate, on the Irish question. City Superintendent Davidson, of Topeka, and Tom Reynolds, of the law firm of Reynolds, Moore, Lathrop & Fox, of Kansas City, also spoke, both being loyal Lyceumites. The contrast between Superintendent Peairs' utter lack of ability at that time, as related in his graphic style, and his present attainments is indeed marked. It will serve as a spur to the bashful debater, however. The same evening the question of compulsory adjustment of labor disputes was discussed. Messrs. Bardwell and Thoroman, of the Philo

mathian, affirmed, while LaBar and Andrews, of the Lyceum, denied.

The Lyceum representatives in the preliminary oratorical contest, which is to take place on December 10, are Messrs. Gillette, Cunningham, and Jenkins.

Were the present Lyceum officers to stand in a row, it would be literally a "he-ro." Boyer is president; Gerardy, vice president; Farwell, secretary; McClurkin, treasurer; Gillette, Good, Rhodes, Shepardson, and Smith, directors; and Dean and Gordon, sergeants-at-arms.

The Lyceum Æolian Quartet, consisting of Messrs. Shepardson, Kline, O'Neill, and Colburn, makes music as charming and delicate as ever proceeded from the famed Eolian harp of old. They have been an organization but a short time, but we all feel like shouting, "Vive la Quartet!"

Literati Society.

The Literati has recorded another month of brilliant history. It has not plodded laboriously along the trodden paths of its ancestors, but has explored new fields of thought. The Literati is not a dead or a dying society, it is a pulsating body, breathing the magnanimous spirit of the nineteenth century. The Literati is not composed of, nor is it seeking humdrums; it is composed of and is seeking boys and girls eager for advancement, alive to economic interests and full of aspirations.

Present interest is centering in the coming oration contest. The Literati is jubilant over her prospects. Messrs. Bailey and Bowles each have strong orations on live subjects, and promise to make a splendid showing in the preliminary.

During the month the society has listened to able productions by Messrs. Agrelius and George, and Misses Sawhill and Taylor. The hope of winning the essay contest seems to rest with this number. If the statistical method of reasoning is worth anything, one of this number or some other Literatus will win. The Literati has never had better debate material. There is an exciting clash every Friday night. Since a year ago last March the Literati has been a firm believer in concentration, and the strong brain of the society is being concentrated on debate.

The Literati society had tabled the necessary idiosyncrasies that cluster around the nourishing and fostering of football and was pursuing its regular duties, when a challenge came from the whole school. Although the season has closed, the team has disbanded, and the school has in its possession some men "just in," the mouldering spirit burst into a flame and the crimson banner will again be upheld by the best blood of the Literati.

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-The Faribault experiment in a little different form is now urged for the New York city schools. Archbishop Corrigan proposes to turn over the property of the parish schools, with their seventy thousand children, to the city school board without any compensation whatever and without any agreement of any kind as to the future, save that the priests or their representatives should be permitted to spend one hour per day in conducting religious exercises in the schools. It is probable that the proposition may lead to something satisfactory to the church and to the public.

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