districts may feel that the very darkness and discouragements which surround them, afford the strongest reason for self-denying efforts, and such efforts rendered in the right spirit will bring a rich reward. ED.] GOOD HOPE MISSION HOUSE, MY DEAR FRIEND: } HERE in the wilds of Africa, far away from all the sweet associations of my native land, I often find it pleasant to review past scenes,-and in these backward glances at the days I have spent at Teachers' Institutes and educational meetings, form some of the brightest memories. I love the teacher's work, and I shall always "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" over its triumphs and its failures. From this Southern land, across the waters I send an earnest God-speed in their noble work to the noble teachers of Connecticut. After a long, weary voyage of fifty-six days, we landed at Freetown, July 18th. We experienced much difficulty in reaching the mission, which is a hundred and twenty miles down the coast from F., being twice driven back and subjected to much of discomfort and danger. This part of our journey occupied more than three weeks, and was full of anxiety and trial; yet the good hand of God led us safely through, and as we are arrived at our longed-for field, we all felt to exclaim, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name." . I expect, very soon, with Mrs. Whiton, to leave Good Hope, and take charge of the Avery station in the Bargroo country.. This is a new station on the Mahno river among beautiful hills, and I think it will prove more healthy than the low lands nearer the coast. The soil is rich, and there is a profusion of the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics. Our mission-farm will produce cotton, rice, cassada, yams, coco, ginger, sweet potatoes, and all the tropical fruits. Nothing is needed among these luxuriant hills and vales but the gospel and its blessed influences to make them Eden spots. The people around A very are, almost all, in the deep darkness and VOL. XII. 2 superstition of heathenism, and yet they are anxious to have a missionary come and "sit down among them," and teach them "God-palaver." My work will consist of both preaching and teaching, the former, of course, through an interpreter, and the latter upon the foundation stones of education. The town of Mahno is near the mission-house, and is ruled over by king Barmen. A part of my work will be to go to the native towns around, and tell the "story of the cross” through an interpreter. We shall have several children in our family, and Mrs. Whiton will perhaps gather some of the little ones from the adjoining towns and teach them to read in English. Both the Sherbro and Mendi languages are spoken by the people, though the Sherbro predominates. We shall be thirty miles from the nearest missionaries or white neighbors, and so shall know well how to appreciate letters and papers from home. While waiting, we find an abundance of interesting work here at Good Hope. We have a boarding-school in the mission house, numbering at present some sixteen,-there were formerly more. I have been in this school a portion of the time, and find it well advanced. Much attention is paid to the common branches, though the higher studies are pursued to some extent. The ages vary from eight to seventeen. When out of school, the girls are taught to sew, cook and do housework, and the boys are employed about the mission-grounds and in our carpenter shop, where some of them manifest great ingenuity. The boys also do the typesetting and press-work of our little mission-paper, "The Early Dawn." Many of the children have fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, still in heathenism, and in our school prayer meeting, they never forget to pray for the conversion of these relatives. At Yandahoo, a native village near us, Mr. Jewett, a native assistant, has a school of young children. The schoolhouse is built in the usual style of country-houses-walls formed of sticks driven into the ground near together, then inwoven with bamboo, and thickly plastered outside and inside with clay mud,-roof consisting of poles running up * A few Earnest Words to Teachers. 19 to a point, and thatched with palm-leaves. The floor is the ? bare hard-trod earth. Here he labors day after day, teaching the little ones to read and spell, and doing a most excellent work. 1 Yours, very truly, S. J. WHITON. For the Common School Journal. A FEW EARNEST WORDS TO TEACHERS. LET us reflect on our duties as teachers, and act as reason dictates. Let us inquire: Have we a proper idea of our responsibilities as teachers? When we entered the teacher's profession, we stood on holy ground. We took upon ourselves the training of that which only Infinite Wisdom could create. The capacity of the mind for enjoyment and progression is almost infinite, and yet its growth and development depend almost entirely upon the training it receives. He The lapidary who would cut and polish the diamond and develop its inherent beauties, must be an expert artizan. He must qualify himself for his work by long and patient labor, before men will trust their jewels in his hand. 'The teacher has jewels of infinitely more value intrusted to his care. has gems of "countless price" whose beauty can be developed, by skillful hands, to angelic loveliness and proportion; or they may be marred and disfigured by improper training, till all their harmony and inherent beauty seem to be gone forever. Who is sufficient for these things? Who will dare to lay rude hands on God's image in the spirit of the little child? Who but would tremble at the idea of marring that image? Who, then, is a safe teacher? Certainly not he who says or feels that he has no need of help or improvement. Is there any other profession whose members need to be more earnest for their own improvement, and make greater efforts for the good of their profession? The most successful teachers are those who are ever striving to make themselves more efficient and to elevate their profession to its proper position in the world. Among the best means for elevating our pro 20 Send your Pupils Home Happy. fession is the hearty support of proper educational publications. In those we have the benefit of the experience of others, many of whom are the ablest educators in the land and well qualified for the work of instruction. It is the duty of every teacher to use his means and talents to give efficiency to such publications. Fellow teachers, we have a school journal, and the support it receives indicates the standard of the profession in this state. It needs more of our efforts for its support, and we need its wise counsels. Its monthly visits are heartily welcomed by many of the best teachers in the state. It is doing a good work, but it might be made more efficient if every teacher in our state would become a paying sabscriber and a regular contributor to its pages. Then it would receive a hearty support, and there would be plenty of good articles from which the very best could be selected. Now will not every present subscriber try and obtain one more? Every live teacher can do this, and those who become subscribers and readers will be amply rewarded. We should feel it to be a great disgrace to our profession if our Journal should have to be suspended. We need it to make us better, to make us more earnest, to make us more faithful, to elevate our profession, to awaken an interest in the public mind, to diffuse correct views on the subject of education, and to put in every teacher's hand the improved modes of instruction that are from time to time developed. Can we dispense with it? The answer we give this question will indicate the interest we have in the great work in which we, as teachers, are engaged. T. K. P. SEND YOUR PUPILS HOME HAPPY. - TEACHER, if possible, make all the hours of school pleasant and cheerful hours. Hard work there must be in every well ordered school, both for teachers and pupils, but you may do much to make the work pleasant by exercising a cheerful spirit yourself and uttering kind words of encouragement. Especially aim to have the closing exercises of Words and Their Origin. 21 the day such as will cause your pupils to be happy. Strive to send them away with cheerful spirits and so that all their thoughts of their school may be of a pleasant nature. Too many teachers so manage their schools and so constrain their pupils that they look forward to the hour of dismission as to the time that will release them from a sort of thraldom. We would recommend teachers to devote the last five or ten minutes before dismission to some pleasant general exercise in which all the school may take part. THE student will find much to interest and instruct him in the study of words, and an investigation into their origin and meaning. The teacher, too, will find the study peculiar. ly profitable and helpful to him in his efforts to interest and teach his pupils. With the hope of awakening or increasing a spirit of inquiry on this subject we purpose to give a few examples in each number of the Journal. In tracing out the origin of some words and phrases, there will be found a force or beauty of signification not often appreciated by the careless reader. To those who desire to make investigation for themselves, we would commend such works as " Marsh's Lectures on Language;"« Trench on the Study of Words ;" Dwight's Philology;""Swinton's Ramble among Words;" the unabridged "Dictionaries of Webster and Worcester," etc. Adieu. To God; or, I commend you to God. Afler. A comparative of aft. The aft of a ship is the hind part. After of a ship would be beyond the aft. Alderman. Originally elder man, from the fact that men somewhat advanced in years were elected to offices of trust. Our word Senator, from the Latin senex, meaning an old man, also indicates the same fact. Alofl. On loft; lifted up. Alone; All one; by one's self entirely. Also. So all. |