miserable accommodation, in the instances to which I refer, was, that it was impossible in large towns to have suitable rooms except at an enormous rent. I cannot, of course, controvert this plea, but it certainly did occur to me as very desirable that the Fröbel Verein, consisting of a large number of most respectable ladies and gentlemen, might, with great probable ultimate advantage to the children, take a course of lectures themselves on hygiene.

Having thus given some idea of the present position of the Kindergarten in relation to the general arrangements for primary instruction in Germany, I proceed to my personal narrative.

Furnished with many letters of introduction to persons of education and influence in Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, Weimar, Gotha, and Eisenach, I arrived in the first-named town August 23, 1874.

HAMBURG.

Y first visit was to the noble institution which

goes by the name of 'Gewerbeschule für Mädchen' (Girls' School for Technical Instruction), established by a voluntary society for the promotion of women's occupations (Verein zur Förderung weiblicher Erwerbsthätigkeit). The stately building a beautiful specimen of architecture— was opened for use in December 1873, and is now a complete hive of busy bees. I regret that I have no time to describe it in detail. I can only say that I have never seen an establishment of the kind-hardly of any kind-in which the arrangements are so complete. The twenty-five class-rooms (adapted to the accommodation of 750 students), lofty, spacious, and admirably ventilated "by the best American system, which has not before been applied on the Continent," appear to be everything that could be desired, while the apparatus for heating in winter is as complete as that for ventila

tion. The arrangements have in view instruction not only in the practical arts of washing, ironing, cooking, sewing with needle and machine, cutting-out, and general housekeeping, but also in geometrical and free-hand drawing, lithography, porcelain painting and burning. But this is far from all the establishment contains (1) a high school for girls who have passed through the upper classes of the ordinary school. Here instruction is given in the German language, arithmetic, book-keeping, physics, geometry, &c. (2) Classes for the training of Kindergarten teachers. (3) A Kindergarten for children of from three to seven years of age, open from 9 to 1.1 This is the merest outline of the broad features of a very remarkable institution which well deserves the attention of those who are now interesting themselves in the question of finding occupation for women, and who sometimes appear to forget the preliminary

The reader will observe in the fact that Kindergartenism' is adopted as an important—rather the important-basis of instruction in this grand institution, a noticeable testimony in its favour. The founders and supporters of the Gewerbeschule and of the Verein are persons deeply interested in education, who, in providing for the training of Kindergarten governesses, and in establishing a Kindergarten, commit themselves, of course, to the recognition of its principles.

question of preparing women for occupation. Nothing is more certain than that one of the great difficulties in finding employment for women is in finding them competently equipped for undertaking it. I have Miss Emily Faithfull's authority, as well as that of others, for making this assertion. Miss Faithfull is besieged daily with applications for work from women who do not know what work is, nor how it should be done so as to be worth paying for. The object of the Hamburg institution is to train women for doing good work, which must always have its value in the market.

Having taken a general view of the institution under the bright and intelligent guidance of the head-mistress, Frau Dr. M. Glinger, I stayed behind in the beautiful rooms given up to the Kindergarten.1 I saw nothing afterwards at all comparable in fitness for their purpose to these rooms, so lofty, large, airy, and full of light. There were three long low tables,

'I extract from the report of the institution a paragraph which represents in a few words the theory and practice of the Kindergarten system. 'The purpose of the games and occupations of the Kindergarten is the harmonious development and cultivation of all the intellectual and bodily powers of the child. They lead him to become conscious of those powers, and to make use of them—to exercise the eye

with forms corresponding, and at these were seated what seemed a mere handful of children (there were only fifteen) busily engaged not in feeding their minds, but their bodies. It was just past eleven, and they were taking what was called their breakfast, which they had brought with them, and which consisted of bread (possibly with butter on it) and milk— each one being supplied with a plate and jug. When this slight refection, which could not have burdened the system much, was over, they rose up to march and sing, all looking very rosy and happy. Marching to the beat of the songs they sang (Tritt und Gesang) was, I found in all the Kindergarten, a frequent occupation of the children; and a very noticeable feature of this exercise was the accuracy with which it was generally performed. Sometimes it consisted merely in stepping one after the other with a single beat of the foot; at other times it was varied by an accented stamp thus:- | | | |, etc.; but I

in the observation (Anschauung) of suitable forms, the hand in works which he performs as plays, the ear through simple melodies which delight him, the understanding through stories, narratives, and games which rouse his attention and fix in his mind accurate (Vorstellungen) and general concepts (Begriffe). Lastly, in his intercourse with his little companions he learns to become happy, sociable, and peaceable (heiter, gesellig, und verträglich).'