THE SERIES METHOD. 541 



dictation. He will receive the new speech through the sense of 

 hearing; it will then be communicated to the sight, and then to the 

 touch. In this manner a class of twenty girls of about thirteen years 

 had been taught English. After about thirty printed lessons had 

 been mastered with the anecdotes, riddles, etc., which had occupied 

 about half a German school year, they were not only able to read and 

 write without many mistakes, but showed a strong desire to express 

 themselves in the new tongue, and were, indeed, able to do so very 

 satisfactorily, as compared with the results obtained by the gram- 

 marian after a seven years' course. 



"Who first thought of combining the two original methods of 

 language teaching in this way? A Frenchman, named Frangois 

 Gouin. He gave it the name of the " Series Method," because each 

 lesson contains a Series of actions. After the pupil has learned to 

 express himself in regard to his immediate surroundings he continues 

 to learn in series in regard to the lives of animals and of plants, 

 the processes of housekeeping, traveling, trade, etc. It is all pre- 

 sented simply, but each has its own appropriate words and expres- 

 sions. As soon as the pupil has mastered the rudiments he will also 

 have the subjective matter presented in a series; in one lesson the 

 teacher will be inclined to mirth, in another to (mock) anger, in an- 

 other to hope, in another to (mock) despair. 



The most important result of education being the evolution of 

 the character already present in the child, let us not consider him 

 a little empty jug to be filled with knowledge; rather let us seek to 

 draw out the riches of his character. When he is able to live in a 

 new language, he will be ever broadened, refreshed, and renewed. 



This method, resting on a psychological basis, is, with modifica- 

 tions of manner, which it remains the duty of the teacher to recog- 

 nize, just as good for an adult as for a child. Rules of grammar will 

 be earlier given to the adult, because he will notice correspondences 

 and differences sooner than the child. But no rule will ever be given 

 to a pupil of any age till he himself can appreciate its value, till he 

 is mentally beginning to ask " why? " This questioning state of 

 mind is one highly to be desired, as it is a state of receptivity. 



The highest point yet reached by a kite was attained by the leader of 

 a tandem sent up from the Blue Hill Observatory by Messrs. Clayton and 

 Ferguson, August 26th, 12,124 feet above the sea, 277 feet higher than had 

 previously been reached by any kite. The five miles of line weighed 

 seventy-five pounds, and the weight of the whole was one hundred and 

 twelve pounds. With a temperature of 75° and wind velocity thirty-two 

 miles an hour on the ground, the temperature was 38° and the wind velocity 

 thirty-two miles an hour at the highest point reached, while the highest 

 wind velocity recorded was forty miles an hour at 11,000 feet. 



