WALWORTH CO-We are indebted to Mr. G. W. Heath, the Secretary, for an accout of the Institute at East Troy, held the 2d week in October, by Supt. Cheney, the teachers present generally also taking an active part. Rev. S. Steele, of Whitewater, lectured Monday evening, on the "Hidden Lite of the School Room," and Mr. Cheney, Tuesday evening, on the "Improvement of our Common Schools." Wedne-day evening was devoted to the discussion of the general subject of Theory and Practice," and of the questions found in the "Box." An examination was held on Thursday aud Friday, for the Inspection District of that part of the county, and the teachers of the District formed an As-ociation-an excellent move. The above Institute was attended by 60 "live

and working teachers," says our informant.

RACINE CO-The Institute was at Burlington, the 3d week in October, and was conducted by Mr. Levens, the County Supt., assisted by Mr Thompson of Burlington, and on the last day, by Mr. Peabody of Racine; also probably by other teachers. The session we learn was spirited and profitable. The Lectures were by Rev. Messrs. Montague, of Allen's Grove Academy, and Wilson, of East Troy, Peabody, and Colt, of Rochester. There was also a reading from Shakspeare by Mr. Beach of New York. The attendance we believe reached

about 60.

KENOSHA CO. We have several interesting items from this pioneer county in educational improvement: first an interesting account of the three month's Institute held under Mr. Gaylord and Prof. Sill. In addition to the account furnished by a friend last month however, we can scarcely find room for another. Suffice it to say that warm expressions were used in regard to the services of the above named gentlemen, and the efforts of Supt. Dodge in providing such aid to the teacher's work. Says the writer in conclusion, we earnestly hope that next year will see another school established, of the same character and with the same Professors in charge. We need such a school, not in order to pass an examination before the County Superintendent, but that we may be fitted for that far more rigid examination, which every teacher must undergo when he appears before his L. W. B." pupils.

FOND DU LAC Co.-The Institute was at Ripon the 3d week in October. Mr. H. J. Brown, Principal of the Ripon High School, and Mr. J. Austin, Principal of the School in Ceresco, conducted most of the exercises, under the general direction of Mr. Root, the Supt. of the County, who made many valuable suggestions from time to time, the result of his long experience in teaching, and study of educational interests. Lectures by Rev. Mr. Richards of Berlin, and Prof. Merrill, of Brockway College (which we were pleased to find re-opened, in the Preparatory Department). We talked to them a little one evening about Insti. tutes, Normal Schools, &c., and endeavored to make them believe that the best use that could be made of Brockway College at present, would be to convert it into a thorough going Normal Academy. Mr. Allen gladdened us much by his presence on Friday, and in the afternoon gave the teachers one of his happy and

useful talks on School management. The Essays by Mrs. Austin, and Misses Hosford and Tracy, (the two latter, teachers in the College) should not be forgotten; still less the Poem by Miss Daffendorff, and the fine "Shakspeare Reading," from the Merchant of Venice, by Mr. Beach, or the closing Sociable in the College Hall, Friday evening. The interest seemed to increase to the last. The attendance was about 45-which would have been more, but for bad roads and the one-cornered position of Ripon in the county.

A County Association was organized, in connection with which Supt. Root proposes to carry out some well conceived plans for giving new interest to the cause of Common Schools. In this connection we call attention to a timely article from Mr. Root, on a former page, on "Morals and Manners in our Schools."

We have already made this notice a little episodical, but we must not close without recording that nearly half the teachers present subscribed for the "Wisconsin Journal of Education." Such an Institute we regard as eminently "sound."

WINNEBAGO CO.-A very successful four week's Institute was held we learn at Omro. Mr. Munger, the County Superintendent, is an old teacher, and at home in the school-room. The order, punctuality and onward moving character of the work done, are spoken of by a visiting friend as highly commendable. Quite too often there is a lack of these things, and a frittering away of valuable time in little disputes upon non-essential points. Prof. Sill was present a week and contributed of course very much to the interest and value of the session. The attendance we hear reached about 100. Lectures were delivered by Mr. Craig, Prof. Fallows, (formerly at Galesville, now a Chaplain in the army), Mr. Purmort, of Omro, and we think others.

WAUPACA CO.-We are pleased to extract a paragraph from the Waupaca Spirit, furnishing another indication that that frontier county appreciates the work of educational progress: "The Teachers' Institute closed its session on Friday last. A larger and more beneficial Institute was never held [in this part of the State]. Prof. Allen, who by the way is one of the best teachers you can find, expressed a high degree of satisfaction at the full attendance, and also at the interest manifested. Superintendent Wernli was untiring in his efforts for the teachers, and under his guidance the schools of our county will reach a high standard."

The members of the Institute testified their appreciation of Mr. Allen's services we learn, by sending him a present of valuable books.

Tho foregoing are all the notices of Institutes received in season for this number. We hope to continue them next month.

OHIO.-Prof. W. D. Henkle, a prominent teacher of that State, and quite favorably known in the Mathematical world, is the candidate for the State Supertendency, on the Union ticket.

-The teachers of Ohio resolved, at the State Association, to erect a monument to LORIN ANDREWS, late President of Kenyon College, who nobly led a regiment to the field last year, and fell a victim to disease.

MATHEMATICAL DEPARTMENT,

Some fine solutions of Problems, designed for insertion this month by Mr. Coryell, are omitted for want of time to get up" the requisite diagrams. There being a vacant space, we have appended to the Mathematical Department a communication on Subtraction, and a selection.

ALBION ACADEMY.-Having lately visited this Institution, we were pleased to find nearly 100 students busily at work, in a quiet healthful location, and making evidently good progress. Albion furnishes yearly a good quota of teachers, and has sent very many students, old and new to the war.

NEW SPELLING BOOK.

We would call especial attention to the advertisements of the Writing Speller and the Speller and Pronouncer, on subsequent pages. Teachers will do well to give a careful perusal to the Testimonials presented.

GENTLEMEN'S LINEN.

The connection between this subject and that of books is not so very remote; for after fulfilling its original purpose, our linen contributes, through the papermaker, to our intellectual well being; and it may fairly be presumed that the ghosts of well made and perfectly fiting garments, such as Ballou Brothers furnish, will seek to dwell in those good books, which fitly clothe aud adorn the mind. We therefore recommend our readers to patronize these gentlemen, whose work we have tried and find to be superior. See advertisement on last page, and send for a Circular.

BOOK NOTICES

SHERWOOD'S WRITING SPELLER, and SHERWOOD'S SPELLER and PRONOUNCER ; Published by Geo. Sherwood, 118 Lake St., Chicago.

We have already called attention to the well conceived plan for securing accurate spelling and pronunciation embodied in the two little books named above. The pupil who is faithfully taught in this way, under a competent teacher, and who preserves his work, will effectually secure himself against bad spelling. The high testimonials to the merits of the plan, presented in the advertisements on the next two pages, will be sufficient to commend it to every teacher's attention. The books naturally go together; and more neatness and uniformity will be secured, if the "Writing Speller" is procured for Classes, as well as the "Speller and Pronouncer."

NORTHEND'S DICTATION EXERCISES. Barnes & Burr, New York; Geo. Sherwood, Chicago.

This book is pretty well known, but the more recent edition embraces some important new features, particularly the ingenious little work called the Orthoepist which presents some 1400 words of obsure or difficult pronunciation. False pro nunciation is more readily apparent than incorrect spelling, as spoken language is much more used than written. What may be called commercial spelling, is well provided for in this edition

The unexampled success of the free school system in this country, should not be suffered to blind our eyes to the evils which still mar its beauty and detract from its usefulness.

Prominent among these evils, is the exposure of children to injurious social influences, as they are thrown promiscuously together, going to and from school, and during the hours of relaxation at the school building, without the immediate oversight of either teachers or parents. Many a child here receives his first lesson in immorality. Many a youth, whose character has matured into symmetry and beauty, amid the genial and healthful associations of home, and in the society of approved companions, here gradually yields to the seductive influence of unworthy associates, and becomes in turn qualified to be the corrupter of others. Children accustomed to the associations and dialect of street life, here mingle more or less freely with those who come from homes of purity and refinement.

Society is so constituted that it is impossible to preserve children of virtu us habits from all contact with those of a different character, without subjecting them to a most unnatural restaint; and children thus secluded are wholly unprepared for the contact with the world which awaits them in after life. It is not, then, desirable that children of different grades of character should be kept entirely apart. They may sit in the same room, and recite in the same classes, with manifest advantage to both. Nor would they suffer from mingling freely together, during their hours of relaxation, in the school building and on the playgrounds, provided they were constantly under the eye of the teacher.

The genius of our institutions renders it important that different

classes of children should grow into a knowedge of each other's tastes and habits during the period of their education; and since it is both necessary and desirable that children should be thus brought together, it is all-important that teachers and parents should understand the nature and extent of the dangers to which they are exposed, and devise the best means to throw every possible safeguard around them.

The teacher who regards his duties as less responsible while the children are assembled on the school premises, out of school hours, than while they are in their seats before him, has most unworthy views of his profession. If an improper and protracted intimacy exists between a pupil of correct habits and one whose example and influence are known to be injurious, the teacher has an important duty to discharge. If pupils indulge in the use of profane or vulgar language on the play-ground, it is the teacher's duty to know and correct it. Whatever other duties are left to suffer from neglect, these must not be. The teacher should ever be a welcome observer of the sports and exercises of the children, and his intercourse with them should be such as to inspire the feeling that he is among them as a friend and protector, and not as a spy. It is during these periods of relaxation that teachers are emphatically in loco parentis, to guard the morals and manners of the children committed to their care.

But there are also important duties connected with the mingling of pupils, for which parents are directly responsible. The school-rooms are opened at a specified time before school, when all teachers are expected to be present. If a parent allows his children to leave home so as to reach the school half an hour before the arrival of the teachers, he alone is responsible for the evil influences under which the children may fall, and which are often far more serious than he imagines. The dangers connected with allowing children to remain at noon are still greater, because the time is more protracted. No duty of parents can be plainer, than that they should require their children to come directly home every noon, except in extreme cases, when the weather or distance is such that they are compelled to remain.

It is highly important that parents and teachers should confer freely together respecting the evils to which I have alluded, and co-operate in their efforts to eradicate them. I have presented the weakest points of the system, that they may hereafter be more securely guarded.

That the general standard of morals and manners in the public schools is already elevated, and the prevailing influence in a high degree salutary, is demonstrated by the statistics of ignorance and crime. It is attested in our own city by the confidence of the community in the public schools. It is beautifully shown in the thousands of examples that are constantly