IO THE NEW METHOD 



impresses upon the mind of the questioner every fact 

 upon which he interrogates the class, and thus tends 

 directly to make thorough scholars. Whenever the 

 class fails to penetrate and develop a principle in the 

 lesson, I am always present to do such work as they 

 fail to do. A principle of educational science is in- 

 volved in this method. It is well expressed by 

 Thomas Eubank, in the following lines : 



No fact is more prominent, in the economy of the world 

 than that man was to have nothing — absolutely nothing — 

 done for him which he could possibly do for himself. This 

 was essential to the development of his character. Had it 

 been otherwise, metals had been dug up in the forms of use- 

 ful instruments, and articles of furniture had been the nat- 

 ural fruit of trees. Vegetable fibre had grown in hanks of 

 thread and in woven garments, glass and stone ware had 

 been quarried, and articles of furniture had been the natural 

 fruit of trees. All substances would have been found in the 

 most useful form. 



To speak of a want of interest in the class when 

 this method is pursued, is extreme folly, and is in 

 direct opposition to the testimony of every candid ob- 

 server of our recitations. I have been unable, as 

 yet, to practice this method completely in the lowest 

 class as that class has been the receptacle of scholars 

 coming every term from schools in which they have 

 had no normal training. The model classes are fully 

 under way in this method, and the only part of the 

 school which does not please the committee is that 



