Ixiv * DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 



days, one on Thursdays and one on Fridays, and in two sections on Saturday 

 mornings for work in elocution and set declamations. Monroe's Vocal Gym- 

 nastics was used as a hand-book, and the exercises for vocal training were prac- 

 ticed as vigorously and thoroughly as the contiguity of other classes would allow. 

 This was the first time systematic instruction in elocution had been made a j)art 

 of the course, and it was gratifying to witness the enthusiasm of the students. 

 Each member of the class declaimed three times, making 450 individual exer- 

 cises. The selections were mostly from approved American orators, and poetry 

 and nonsense were given no place. 



On Thursday evenings, during the term, the juniors met in my class room 

 and read Shakespere, critically, under my supervision, the play chosen being 

 Othello. The seniors met with me Wednesday mornings for the reading of criti- 

 cal essays on the poems of the romantic school, specially Scott, Byron and 

 Burns, and on the works of the contemporary American poets. The class num- 

 bered thirty-two, each presenting two essays. These essays were discussed in 

 the class with reference to both form and matter, and the manuscript was after- 

 wards carefully corrected by myself. During this term most of the seniors and 

 juniors presented their public orations, all the details of which, from choice of 

 subject to rehearsal of the speech, were worked up under my direction. 



The English work of the sophomores was divided between Professor White 

 and myself. The class numbered 56, each declaiming once before me, and 

 presenting two essays on subjects previously assigned, to Prof. White. A class 

 of ill prepared students, numbering 35, were given instruction in grammar 

 during the term, by Mr. J. B. Cotton, under my supervision. The essays of 

 the juniors were under the direction of Professor Bailey, and were on subjects 

 assigned in connection with their study of horticulture. 



The size of the sophomore class made it necessary, during the spring term, 

 that I should be relieved from most of the work of the department, except the 

 advance rhetoric and the written work connected with the instruction of the 

 class room. In addition to traversing the text of A. S, Hill's " Principles of 

 Rhetoric," each of the 58 students presented three argumentative productions, 

 and the class met once a week, afternoons, for the study of Webster's Speech 

 in Reply to Hayne. The juniors met Thursdays, as in the previous term, for 

 reading Shakspeare ; this term reading The Tempest. The public speeches of 

 the seniors and juniors were continued as last term. The essays of the juniors 

 were in the charge of Dr. Abbot, and those of the seniors in hands of President 

 Willits, and on historical subjects assigned from the work in Constitutional 

 Law. The elocutionary work of the freshmen was done at a great disadvan- 

 tage, being scattered among several officers. Professor Nelson, President Willits,. 

 Prof. Pattengill and myself. It is greatly to be desired that hereafter this 

 term's work of the freshmen, which is an important one, be turned to good ac- 

 count. 



A large accession, nearly 60 members, was made at the beginning of this 

 term, to the freshman class. None of these students were prepared to ad- 

 vance with their class in English work. They were, therefore, excused from 

 the afternoon labor, and I met them daily for eight weeks, giving them practi- 

 cally the same instruction given to the class the previous term ; most of them 

 were then able to pass their examination and advance with their fellows one 

 term older. A few, specially in need of help, were instructed the entire term 

 by Mr. Cotton. 



During the summer term I had the junior class, numbering 28, in English 

 Literature. Stopford A. Brooke's "Primer of English Literature" furnished 



