44 Original Articles. [Jan., 



Calculations with numbers form to the reasoning powers of the 

 young deaf such a source of embarrassment, that this branch of their 

 instruction demands from the tutor a more than average amount of 

 patience and perseverance, and enjoins on him the obligation to give 

 preparatory exercises with practical illustrations. Indeed this method 

 has to be resorted to whenever the pupil is brought to a stop, which is 

 by no means a rare occurrence. This pupil discovered her difficulties 

 when she attempted to work examples like the following : — 



Write in numbers six thousand and thirty. 



Add together 198 ; 74 ; and 87. 



Find the difference between 214 and 96. 



Multiply 908 by 70, &c. 



Problems similar to the two last could only be done after three 

 years' schooling ; and division presents difficulties of a nature that 

 doubtless perplex many of the deaf of any age. Facility being ob- 

 tained in the mechanical working out of such questions on a more 

 extended scale, the useful practice of mental arithmetic was com- 

 menced. A few examples of the character of those which are given to 

 her (and her class), twice a-week, we subjoin : — 



1. Suppose a lady bought 7 yards of calico at 8d. a yard, and paid 

 60 pence. What had the shopkeeper to return to her ? 



2. Six children got 41Z. from their parents and 11. from their 

 uncle. The whole was divided between them. What had each child 

 to receive ? 



3. If John bought 9 marbles and Willie 5, how many marbles more 

 had Peter if he had 17 ? 



The following is a verbatim conversation held with this pupil while 

 out on a walk. 



Teacher. (With tablet in hand, searching for his pencil.) 



Pupil. " Have you lost your pencil ? " 



Teacher. " No ; I think not." 



" Master M." (met on the road just before) " told me that his 

 mamma has been to Scotland and Ireland, and will return this evening. 

 Would you like to go there ? " 



Pupil. " I have been to Ireland — I should like to go to Scotland." 



Teacher. "Why?" 



Pupil. " Because I have never been there." 



Teacher. " Where should you like to go, if you went there ? " 



Pupil. " The same as mamma went." 



Teacher. " Yes — but where ? " 



Pupil. " To Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, and Lanark." 



Teacher. " Has your papa not promised to take you to Scotland ? " 



Pupil. " Oh, yes." 



Teacher. " When will he take you ? " 



Pupil. " Papa said, when I am 14 or 15 years old." (Laughing 

 because the teacher wrote these sentences. J " Why do you write the 

 same as I talk ? " (Looking at the tablet.) 



Teacher. " Because I want to remember what you say, and what 



