and Erdré * extend quays, which, planted with trees and backed by warehouses and balconied terraces, present not only a very beautiful appearance, but are handsome and favourite promenades. Nantes is admirably situated for commerce, having communication with the interior of France both by means of water and railways. Vessels of 200 tons can ascend to the city, but those of larger burden are obliged to load and unload about 24 miles below it. The manufactures consist of coarse woollen cloths, printed cotton goods, blankets, flannel, refined sugar, &c. There are also extensive chemical works, potteries, copper foundries, brandy distilleries, and ship-yards for the building of merchant ships, and smaller vessels. The chief articles of export are, brandy, wine, vinegar, woollen cloths, refined sugar, prepared meats, ship biscuits, &c. The principal imports are, sugar, coffee, and other colonial products; timber, hemp, pitch and tar, cotton, indigo, &c. The countries with which she chiefly trades are the French West Indies, South America, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and the north of Germany. There are many vessels, also, engaged in the whale, cod, and pilchard fisheries. Nantes possesses large magazines of provisions and ammunition, from which the ports of Brest, Rochefort, and L'Orient obtain their supplies. Steamboats go up the river to Angers and Orleans; down to Paimboeuf, to Bourdeaux on the Garonne, and to many other towns. Population, 87,000. Nantes is noted in history for the edict issued in 1598, by Henry IV., and hence termed the Edict of Nantes, which guaranteed to the Protestants the free exercise of their religion. The revocation of this edict, in 1685, by Louis XIV. was the means of driving from the kingdom great numbers of his most industrious subjects. About 50,000 of these, most of them weavers and other craftsmen, settled in Spitalfields, which became the seat of the silk manufacture in England. PRACTICAL HINTS FOR THE SCHOOL ROOM. SPELLING AND DICTATION. WHATEVER importance we may attach to other branches of school instruction, must apply with equal and even greater force to correct spelling. This is a sine quá non in the professional and commercial world, and in the middle and lower ranks of life it is a valuable if not an indispensable attainment. Writing, without a knowledge of spelling, is simply ridiculous, and unintelligible symbolism, as any one will testify who has had much epistolary intercourse with the humble tradesmen of the country. But every pedagogue will admit that it is no easy matter to teach correctness in spelling, even under favourable circumstances, to those who are proficient in reading and writing, but where there happens to be a deficiency in these two particulars, the task is doubly difficult. The words in which we are most likely to slip are the homonyms of the language, and such words as have nearly the *The Erdré is an affluent of the Loire. 66 66 But pronunciation but a different orthography and meaning. As for instance, in the words "there," and "their; "where," wear," ware," and " were ; "has," and "as," and in words ending in "ceive," and "lieve," as receive," and "relieve." In writing the last, many tolerably educated persons will often pause in doubt. they need not if they would only bear in mind that the words which have the "c," come from the Latin capio (I take), and invariably take "e," before " i," as 66 conceive," "receive," " perceive," "deceive," while those which have an 1,"as invariably take "," "before" e," as "believe," " belief," " relieve," and "relief." Now in order to impress these homonyms upon the minds and memories of a class, it is advisable that the teacher should contrive to bring them into juxta position by working them into simple sentences and then cause the children frequently to write these sentences on their slates as a dictation lesson. By dint of a little thought he might also contrive to vary the phraseology of the lesson, and by this means the eye and hand would soon become acquainted with these perplexing little words, and the class would at the same time acquire some knowledge of their meaning, and of the way to apply them. LESSON I. (To be written.) you Don't you think that a bear's skin is better in cold weather than a bare skin? Can you tell me where the clothes we wear were purchased? No, How should I know. Well, they came from Ware in Hertfordshire. He alone is holy, who is wholly free from unholy thoughts and actions. If coals were scarce, would wood be valuable? He is quite as weak to-day as he was yesterday week. I thought those two men too wise to do it. Though we cannot pare pears, we never talk of a pair of pears. If you wish to know the weight of your luggage, wait and see it weighed. The tale of a tub is about the tail of a tiger. If you were to see the sea in a storm, would acknowledge it to be the most imposing scene you had ever seen. The scent he sent me is worth fifty per cent. more than yours. A soft smooth ruff often covers a coarse rough skin. He will never get the prize for attending to his own concerns for he pries into every body's business. I will ask Hugh Smith whether those little ewe lambs which lie under the yew tree belong to you. Is air in airbladders, hair-brooms, hare-skins, and heir-looms spelt in the same way? Well, if he rode the horse, I rowed the boat, and there is more than one road to the same place. He bored all these holes in this board with an awl. In the course of the day the sailors wrapped the corse in a coarse sail cloth, and threw it into the sea. There is a great fire in the fire-grate. What shall I give you to shew me the peepshow? Beech trees, I suppose have no more to do with the sea-beach, than the key of the cupboard has to do with the quay on the wharf. He learnt his lesson by rote, and then wrote it from memory. The boughs bow beneath the piercing axe, and the leaves leave the parent tree. Our maid made the pie; and when we need bread she kneads the dough. Is there any tax on tin-tacks? I know a place in Lon don where you can purchase as much salmon and plaice as you please. I am in doubt whether this cold wet weather will much improve my wethers and lambs. Pray tell me what is meant by lawful prey. The wind blew the clouds o'er the clear blue sky. We set forth on the fourth of August. I've bruised my heel and heal it I cannot. In a thick November mist I once missed my way. We wish him to sing the hymn. Who was deprived of a throne, and thrown through a window? They fought desperately around the tower and fort. He has won one; it is his. With a little thought all the homonyms in the language may be grouped together in this way, and arranged into lessons of convenient length for "dictation." And when these have been thoroughly mastered, other words of peculiar orthography may be arranged in a similar manner, either for dictation or for lessons in composition. The way to apply them in composition is to select half-a-dozen words, monosyllables to commence with, and to write them on a black board, with the meanings, if uncommon, opposite. Then let the pupils mould these half-dozen words into sentences of their own constructing. I have had frequent opportunities of testing the advantage of this method of instruction, and must confess that it answers in most cases admirably; as an instance of what I mean I take the following words, being peculiar in the spelling, and I write them, or any number of them, on the board: "Tough," chalk," "awful," "chasm," "palms,"" thyme," "balm," "myrrh," "lyre," " psalms," "hymns," "isle," 29.66 ooze, "," "athwart," "cooing." Every boy then with slate before him does his best to incorporate these into his sentences, and some after a little practice will frame them both quickly and elegantly. The following is a sort of specimen of what a youth twelve years of age may do in this respect. "By the tough roots of hazel saplings, I mounted the chalk cliffs, and had then an awful view of the yawning chasm below. In a vale of palms, or where the wild thyme, balm, and myrrh perfume the breeze, would I pitch my tent, and tune my lyre, mid these sweets of solitude, to the psalms and hymns of the sanctuary. From a grotto in the isle, a little rill oozes, and steals athwart the meads. Listen to the wood-doves cooing in the elms." Such words as the following may serve well for a similar purpose: "signs,"" pears," "debts," "ghosts," "scythes," "knells," "gnats," 66 vogue," yacht," "knife," "sighs," "aches," " qualm," and others of like description. MENTAL EXERCISES ON THE FIRST FOUR RULES THE number of scientific terms employed in these fundamental rules of arithmetic are very perplexing to most children. The consequence is that they seldom care to understand their meaning; they have some vague undefined notions about them, which only serve to mislead or confuse them. The terms to which I allude are these :-Amount or agregate sum in addition; the minuhend, subtrahend, and difference in subtraction; the multiplicand, multiplier, and product in multiplication; the divisor, dividend, and quotient in division. Now the only way to obviate this difficulty is first to give a clear definition of the terms as they occur, and then to follow up the explanation with a few practical examples by way of illustration, in some such form as the following. Suppose we take first the four terms in common use, amount, difference, product, and quotient. The numbers of course in the examples refer to the rules. Each question is merely a model by which to frame a number of questions of the same kind for class purposes. 1. What is the amount of 8 and 6? 2. What is the difference between 12 and 4? 3. What is the product of 9 and 7? 4. What is the quotient of 5 in 50? 1. What is one-half the amount of 8 and 6? 2. What is one-half the difference of 12 and 4? 2. What is eight times the third of 18-3? 3. What is seven times the fifth of 5 times 7 ? 4. What is nine times the fourth of the 6th of 24? 1. Add the 6th of 24 to the 3rd of 21. 2. Take the 8th of 32 from the 4th of 28. 3. Multiply the 9th of 72 by the 7th of 84. 4. Divide the 12th of 120 by the 11th of 110. NOTES OF A BIBLE LESSON. PARABLE OF THE TARES. MATT. xiii. 24-30. HEADS OF THE LESSON. 1. Explanation of the principal words and phrases. 2. The chief points to be illustrated. 3. The application, or the practical lessons. SPECIMENS OF NOTES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THESE HEADS. the 1 Parable-kingdom of heaven-is likened-tares-blade-householder from whence-wilt thou then-root up-reapers-bundlesbarn. 2. The sea of Tiberias and the multitude-the time when this parable was delivered-the sowing of the good seed-the sleeping of the men and the consequences-the springing up of the tares-the question of the servants-the answer of the householder. 3. (a) Explanation of the symbols or natural terms. 1. The sower-the good seed-the field-while men slept-the enemy-tares among the wheat-servants of the householder-the harvest--the reapers. (b) The application, or the practical lessons. 1. That in the Church of Christ there are both good and bad; but that at last they will be separated (v. 30). 2. That Satan is a watchful enemy, and takes advantage of the negligence of Christ's servants to spread false doctrines (v. 25). 3. That God is long-suffering and forbearing towards sinners (v. 29). 4. That it is only by "their fruits" true Christians are to be known (v. 26). 5. That the good will be rewarded, but the wicked severely punished (v. 42, 43). REMARKS. After the narrative or the points to be illustrated, is found "Explanation of the symbols or natural terms." This head can only appear when the lesson treats of some of the parables of our Lord. Christ in his teaching employed outward and visible objects to represent by comparison heavenly and spiritual ones. The natural terms or symbols, therefore, require to be explained and elucidated before any attempt is made to deduce the truths or doctrines which Christ wished his hearers to draw from the parables which he delivered. The children should be required to give the spiritual meaning of each symbol, in the order laid down in the parable; if they cannot, then the teacher himself should do it. But when he has given the meaning of any term, he should always question it out of the children, and, on no account, proceed until he is convinced that they thoroughly understand what has been told them. The same remark is applicable to the practical lessons. Questions on the Parable. 1, 2. To what does the word "another" refer? Explain the expression "put he forth." What did Christ put forth? Define a Parable. What is the literal meaning of the word "parable?" What is meant by the kingdom of Heaven? How many other meanings. has this phrase? Give them. To what does Christ compare the kingdom of Heaven? What sort of seed was sown? What else was sown besides good seed? What are tares? By whom was this done? When was it done? When did the tares make their appearance? What do you mean by the "blade?" Explain them and also. To what do these refer? Who came to the householder? What did they say to him? What was his answer? What do you mean by "this?" (v. 28). What is an enemy? What had this enemy done? What was the request of the servant? Explain "wilt thou then." What do we and them refer to? (v. 28). What answer did the servants receive? Why were they not to gather up the tares? What were the servants ordered to do? How long were the tares and the wheat to remain together? What was then to be done with the tares? What with the wheat? Who were commissioned to do this? Who gave them this authority? 3. (a). Who is the sower? Who are meant by the good seed? What does the field represent? What is meant by "while men slept?" Who are referred to by "men?" Who is the enemy? What is meant by "tares?" What by "wheat?" Whom do the |
