in which it was written. Some of the girls marked on the black board the typical trochaic and iambic feet, and a few of the variations from the type. Then questions were asked on the composition and on the nature of sentences. These were followed by the recitation of some short passages from the poem, which were given without much expression. This lesson seemed to me on the whole very good, but not masterly. The students were all exceedingly attentive.

In the programme of studies in this institution, I did not find hygiene mentioned. It would, however, I venture to think, be well to add it, if for no other purpose than that of calling attention to the laws of ventilation. Not here only, but very generally in the schoolrooms of Berlin, Dresden, and Weimar, I really suffered from the oppressiveness of the air. In no one of them did I observe any system of ventilation whatever. The usual plan seems to be this-first, to shut all the windows and doors quite fast, so as to keep out every breath of fresh air; to go on enduring the accumulated misery naturally arising from this arrangement until it is quite intolerable; then to open the windows for about, three minutes, and when

these have expired, to go on again as before. I was, and still am, at a loss to understand the remarkable objection to fresh air that Germans almost universally manifest, but I am sure it acts injuriously on the school children; and I could not help noticing how much fresher and healthier the children of the Kindergartens (in which the air-excluding tendency is rarely shown) generally looked than those of the schools. These remarks have, of course, no application to the case of the Girls' Gewerbeschule of Hamburg, where (as I have already remarked) the arrangements for ventilation are most elaborate and complete.

In spite, however, of this drawback, I was strongly impressed with the excellent spirit (if not the excellent air) of Professor Köhler's institution. All the members of it, as far as I could judge, teachers, students, and children, seemed in a healthy mental condition. All were busy, earnest, and advancing, and testified in various ways to the powerful influence of the presiding genius of the place, ostensibly embodied in the person and character of the Professor, but really in the principles and practice of the great master whom he so ably represents. The benevolent and intellectual spirit of Fröbel pervades the place.

H

Here, to a greater extent than anywhere else within my experience, his principles serve as the broad continuous basis of the system of instruction and education; and the results, as far as I could judge of them, do great credit to the system.

EISENACH.

ON the 12th of September I found myself in Eisenach, where there is one Kindergarten of seventysix children, admirably conducted by Miss Traberth. This lady, an original pupil of Fröbel, was, I believe, a learner in his school at Keilhau, and was trained as a Kindergarten governess under his direction. Hers, therefore, may be looked upon as an original Kindergarten of the true type. When I entered the room, I found a division of the children (about forty) engaged in a game, in which one, who was blindfolded, was attempting to ascertain, by feeling the dress and features, who the child was to whom she had been led up. When she succeeded, which was

not always the case, great joy was manifested by the rest.

Another division was engaged in Netzzeichnen— drawing doors, pumps, chests of drawers, etc., very neatly. One little girl, whose drawing was incorrect, when the fault was very kindly pointed out, cried. This was the first tear I had seen shed in a Kindergarten. The soothing words of the teacher, however, speedily dissipated the clouds, and sunshine appeared again.

The rest of the exercises were such as I had frequently seen before. They were well performed in an earnest manner; and indeed everything was well done in this Kindergarten, under the direction of the very kind and intelligent Miss Traberth, who was assisted by two young teachers.

In the course of this day I looked in at the 'Seminar,' or normal school for elementary schoolmasters, the arrangements of which seemed very complete. There was a practising school in the same building. I just entered three of the classes, each consisting of about seventy boys and girls, evidently very poor, many of them without shoes and stockings. The rooms were very close and stuffy, and, as a consequence (so at least it appeared

to me), there was less interest and earnestness both in teacher and children than I had witnessed in some other institutions. The teacher in each case was a young man. I did not stay during the lessons, for the atmosphere oppressed me.

I next proceeded to the Bürgersschule (No. 2), where I found in the class I entered sixty-four girls (ages six and seven). The teacher (a man) was giving them a lesson on birds. They all looked much interested, and put eagerly and well. the birds named, and pearances, habits, etc.

answered the questions he They seemed familiar with gave particulars of their apThere were, however, neither

birds nor pictures then in view.

In another class (of about seventy children, of nine or ten years of age) the teacher was giving a lesson on the geography of Germany, a noble map of which was before the learners. He was asking the names and position of places, and tracing (or rather asking them to trace) the courses of the rivers. He occasionally drew pictures of the rivers on the black board, and asked what towns were placed at the points he indicated. Neither he nor the children had any book. They answered his questions promptly and well, especially when the state of