EDUCATIONAL BRIEFS. 
“It is, indeed, a characteristic of fruitful ideas, that they as a 
rule are developed only in connection with a patient and penetrating 
investigation of some subject ; nevertheless, such an occupation can- 
not be successful without some guiding theory.” — Lange. Hist, of 
Materialism. 
It has been calculated that a shock sufficient to bring the earth 
to a stand-still in its orbit would evolve as much heat as the combustion 
of fourteen earths of solid carbon and result in a reduction of all the 
earth’s elements to a fluid, if not mostly a gaseous condition. Moral : — 
If the earth moves, don’t try to stop it. It is easier and safer to guide 
a natural tendency than to attempt to suppress. 
In Chicago the writer once stood within the wonderful cyclorama. 
The Battle of the Merrimac and Monitor, when his attention was 
diverted by a group consisting of a burly, beer-imbued German 
of the lower class with his two children fresh from school. The chil- 
dren were full of eagerness and enthusiasm and were discussing this 
and that feature of the scene as appreciatively as a boy and girl only 
can after recent study of the history involved. Suddenly the father 
awoke to the fact that his age and position imposed upon him the 
office of cicerone. He accordingly pointed his stick, and with tipsy 
dignity began : “Now children, dose is not mans, dose is schust 
make-believes, dot is not air, de glasses make it look like it vas.” 
“But father, isn’t that the Merrimac?” broke in the boy. Vy no, 
dot is a boat, don’t you see, dot is make-believe water, de glasses 
make it look dot vay. Dot is not vay off ; Chicago is out dere, de 
glasses round here all makes it large about.” 
The pathetic humor of the incident could not prevent me from 
reflecting that much of our teaching is as faulty through ignorance 
and false estimate of the needs of the pupil as that father’s description. 
