Stevenson's Introductory Bookkeeping. Professor Stevenson's bookkeeping series is proving very popular with the public school men of the state, as shown by the following testimonials:

Stevenson's Introductory Bookkeeping is used in the public schools of this state, and I understand that it is giving good satisfaction. The book is in line with the most practical business principles. It combines the theoretical with the practical in a very fortunate manner, and thus makes the subject most interesting and valuable to the student. The progressive feature of the work commends itself because it cultivates self-confidence in the student. It affords me pleasure to give this testimony to Professor Stevenson's work

FRANK NELSON,

State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Stevenson's Introductory Bookkeeping is the best published. I take great pleasure in recommending it.

INSLEY L. DAYHOFF, Sup't of Public Instruction, Reno Co., Kans.

The

I have had the pleasure to use the Stevenson's Introductory Bookkeeping, and have found it eminently satisfactory. principles of bookkeeping are presented in a practical, systematic and concise form, well suited to the use of public schools. E. G. FOSTER,

Principal Harrison School, Topeka.

We have used Stevenson's system of bookkeeping in our schools for two years and have found it satisfactory in every respect. The system is eminently practical, giving the student thorough knowledge of the principles of bookkeeping. I know of no system for which I would be willing to exchange yours. THOMAS W. BUTCHER,

Principal Sumner County High School. Stevenson's Introductory Bookkeeping has been used in our city schools for the past two years and has proved entirely satisfactory. It combines the practical and theoretical in a manner that leads to the best results. I consider it one of the best of the series of books selected by our state text-book commission. E. T. FAIRCHILD,

Superintendent of Public Schools, Ellsworth, and President Board of Regents, Kansas State Agricultural College.

The Whipping Schoolmaster.

John Hawtrey is still remembered as one of the famous whip ping schoolmasters of England. He achieved his reputation at Eton, where he early made the birch his sovereign remedy for moral ills, and where his doses were never homœopathic.

It was autumn, says Alfred Lubbock, who has a vivid remembrance of Hawtrey's methods, and we small boys used to buy chestnuts and roast them over the fire in a shovel. One day a boy named F., who was a great favorite of Hawtrey's, had a lot of chestnuts, and as a special favor, was allowed to make use of the pupil-room fire, while pupil-room work was still going on. Hawtrey was going in and out of the room while we were working, and on one occasion, coming in rather quietly, he caught sight of F. kneeling over the fire arranging his chestnuts. The boy's position was irresistable to any lover of the art of chastisement. Not seeing his face, and supposing it was one of the other boys stealing the chestnuts, John Hawtrey quietly took his cane from his desk, and creeping forwaru on tiptoe, gave the wretched F. a most tremendous whack.

The boy jumped up with a yell, his hands clapped behind him. Then the tutor saw who he was, and said, embracing him: "Oh, my poor boy! I am so sorry! I thought it was another boy stealing your chestnuts."

We, of course, were all delighted, and roared with laughter.

Vol. XII.

"It is sometimes a very good thing to be crowded." We are accustomed to think that genius can expand only in a large atmosphere, that talent must have a clear field. Not so; the hardships of the frontier breed sturdy character; the river penned within narrow channels runs deep, not shallow. Come to close quarters with your fellow men; find your life filled deep and full with perplexities and either a Man or a Nondescript is the inevitable result. If you are brave you will not long for leisure, you will not seek paths where no other feet are crowding; you will put yourself alongside, in the thick of struggle, and valiantly push!

L. E. C.

On this, the gladdest night of all the year, Some stricken ones with sad and weary faces, To whom the thought of Chrismas brings no cheer. For these, O Father, our petitions hear, And send the pitying Christ-child very near. And there be tempted souls this night still waging Such desperate warfare with all evil powers; Anthems of peace, while the dead strife is raging, Sound but a mockery through their midnight hours; For these, O Father, our petition hear,

And send the tempted, sinless Christ-child near. Lord, some sit by lonely hearthstones sobbing, Who feel this night all earthly love denied. Who hear but dirges in the loud bell's throbbing For loved ones lost who blessed last Christmas-tide. For these, O Father, our petition hear, And send the loving Christ-child very near. -Phillips Brooks.

T. M. I.

I think he conquers all who wins content.
Take what you may

Of proffered good; accept life as it stands,
And make the most of its swift-fleeting days.

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No. 3

If thou wouldst fashion to thyself a seemly life,
Then fret not over what is passed and gone;
And spite of all thou mayest have lost behind,
Yet live as though thy life were just begun.
What each day wills, enough for thee to know;
What each day wills, the day itself will tell;
Do thine own task, and be therewith content;
What others do that ye shall rightly judge;
Be sure that thou no mortal brother hate,
Then all beside leave to the Master's power.-Goethe.

M. L. S.

Never was idea more

"Christmas comes but once a year." misleading. We will never know what Christmas means if we attempt to shut it in between sunset and sunset. The true Christmas spirit is a rainbow that spans the year with its benediction, reaching from holy birthday to holy birthday; and at both ends are to be found, not the fabled pot of gold, but an overflowing measure of human love and divine blessing. And this measure fills our lives with sweetness during the days that come between. Ah! Christmas would be poor indeed if it began and ended with December 25. Its richest joy is that the memory of the one just past and the promise of the one to come make every day a holy day.

Not the great organ's voice of fire,
Nor poet's fantasie.

But lilt of some low lullaby,

The twilight music of the world; The soldiers singing peacefully

When battle-flags are furled.

The heart's eternal melody,

Singing amidst all grief and wrong, Because Lord Jesus loveth thee;

This is our Christian song.

Oh, little town of Bethlehem
How still we see the lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And gathered all above.

While mortals sleep the angels keep Their watch of wondering love.

L. S.

F. B. A.

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given, So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven.

No ear can hear His coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still, The dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy,

Pray to the blessed Child, Where Misery cries out to Thee Son of the Mother mild.

Where Charity stands watching,

And Faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray!

Cast out our sin and enter in-
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel!-Phillips Brooks.

C. M.

They

As a

Every reader of the Gospels has marked the sympathy of Jesus with children. How He watched their games! How angry He was with His disciples for belittling them! How He used to warn men, whatever they did, never to hurt a little child! How grateful were children's praises when all others had turned against Him! One is apt to admire the beautiful sentiment, and to forget that children were more to Jesus than helpless gentle creatures to be loved and protected. were His chief parable of the kingdom of heaven. type of character the kingdom was like unto a little child, and the greatest in the kingdom would be the most child-like. According to Jesus, a well-conditioned child illustrates better than anything else on earth the distinctive features of Christian character. Because he does not assert or aggrandize himself. Because he has no memory for injuries, and no room in his heart for a grudge. Because he has no previous opinions, and is not ashamed to confess his ignorance. Because he can imagine, and has the key of another world, entering in through the ivory gate and living amid the things unseen and eternal. The new society of Jesus was a magnificent imagination, and he who entered it must lay aside the world standards and ideals of character, and become as a little child.-Ian Maclaren.

But dearer than the best of gifts
That e'er by mortal hand was given,

The gracious charity that lifts

Our human nature nearer heaven. Love, heavenly love on earth below! Let all things go if love abide! Forget no friend, forgive each foe,

M'. L. J.

For Christ was born at Christmas tide.-Benham.

Be glad, be gay at Christmas time! The Saviour brought a new regime. A brighter hope was born that day, For care and grief shall pass away;

Faith whispers of a fairer clime
At Christmas time!- Woodruff

Be merry all, be merry all.
With holly round the festive hall,
Prepare the song, the feast, the ball,
To welcome merry Christmas.-Spencer.

The hushed earth waits beneath the stars
While swift hours come and go,
She waits to hear the Christmas bells
Ring out across the snow;
She waits to hear, O, blessed time,
The angels sing again

Of peace and joy, and of the child

Who brought God's love to men.-Libby.

E. E. C.

I cannot refrain at Christmas time from thinking of the children I have so often seen in cities, flattening their noses against the show windows, looking at the Christmas things displayed inside. Some are in anticipation of receiving some of the very things they are gazing upon and can scarcely wait till the happy day arrives. Some have no idea what they will receive but must wait till Santa Claus can get around to leave them such things as he thinks they need or wish. Still others are not just sure if they will receive anything or not, so they don't know whether to laugh or cry. Yet another class know that the only feast they will get is what can come to them from the warm window inside and this so cruelly makes the outside cold all the harder to bear.

O. C.

At first, Christmas was movable. Its institution is attributed to Pope Telesphorus, who died A. D. 138. It was first called "the childrens' festival." The idea of the "Christmas Tree" came from the Germans; of Santa Claus, (St. Nicholas) from the Dutch settlers of New York. In early times the nobles appointed a "Lord of Misrule" whose duty was merrymaking, and his power lasted from All Hallow Eve, (October 31) to Candlemas day (February 2). In Scotland, before the Reformation, the "Abbott of Unreason" was appointed. The conversion of the Franks was celebrated in Rheims Christmas, 496. Clovis and over three thousand Franks were baptized. Charlemagne was crowned Emporer of the Romans, Christmas, 800. William of Normandy was crowned King of England, Christmas, 1066. The English Parliament invited William, Prince "Still of Orange, to be King of England, Christmas, 1688. Christmas", 1525. Henry VIII was sick. No carols were sung, no bells rung, nor was there merry-making of any kind. Under the Protectorate of Cromwell"SilentChristmas" was proclaim'd. Heralds passed from street to street, crying "No Christmas! No Christmas!" Santa Fe was probably the place where the first Christmas anthem was sung in our land. The "Yule log" of the Celts and Germans finds its representative in the "backlog" of our Southern slavery days. In Valparaiso, Christmas comes in summer and is a great religious festival. Champlain died in Castle St. Louis, Quebec, on Christmas, 1635. In Switzerland, Santa Claus is a woman. She is called Madame Noel. In Italy, Christmas is celebrated with fire-works. Fire crackers and bombs are heard all night long.

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M. A. W.