map, and make a few pencil marks on the board to guide you a little. Then let the children spread a layer of clay on the board; and with a slate pencil, or something of the kind, mark off the general coast line yourself, letting them remove the extra clay. Afterward put in the details. Do not make the whole map first and teach them about it afterward; but when a child makes San Simeon Pt., have him distinctly understand that that is San Simeon Pt. Review each day before taking up the new work. Vary the review as much as possible. Occasionally play the part of pupil yourself and let one of the class play teacher; if they are not quick enough, recite yourself, and it will make them very anxious to name the various points first. After a sufficient drill on direction, we put in the rail-road and the principal towns. The rail-road was put in with colored ink, and for the towns we cut off the heads of pins and stuck them into the soft clay. In addition to the direction drill, I then gave them the distances from the nearest town to all the other towns. They were next kept busy by finding out the difference of climate in different parts of the county and the various productions. In discussing the history of the County and the size of the towns, real eslate views are often very helpful and inforesting. When the clay map had served its purjp we made some very pretty putty maps, and, lastly, the outline map. LITERARY. MODERN TREATMENT OF HISTORY. JULIA J. WASHINGTON. does not remember the time when y of history was to him a "weari ness of the flesh," when it meant the committing to memory of endless series of disconnected facts. When no appeal was made to the judgment of the student, when his reasoning powers were not called forth, nor his criticism challenged? Then any one who could read English was deemed capable of teaching history, and a volume that was reasonably accurate as to dates, and gave detailed accounts of the wars of a nation, was considered a sufficient guide to those who must one day, do their share in maintaining the government, no consideration being given to the fact that progress is the child of peace rather than of military achievement, and that the study of history, to be engaged in with profit, must be a critical comparison of events in their philosophic relation to each other, their causes, their results, and the times in which they occurred. But within the last fifty years the views of historians and educators have undergone a radical change on this subject. The magic wand of progress has touched their sleeping eyelids, and awakened them to the fact that they have been feeding husks to those who hungered for meat. They have come to realize that the unprecedented development of the popular side of national life during the present century calls for explanation, that if they would answer the ever recurring "why" of the rising generation they must deal with the nature and organization of nations rather than surface activities only. They must show the relation between cause and effect in national life, and lay bare "the forces by which nations are moved along in their course of improvement." "The internal history of a nation now demanded," writes Prof. Brenard Moses, "includes not only the phenomena of trade and industry, money and taxation, but the whole body of facts from the life of the people, which constitute the data of economics." To meet this demand of the times, which they have, in part, created, our great universities are gradually enlarging their departments of history, both in extent and scope, until, to-day, Harvard leads with twelve special instructors and forty different courses in historical instruction, grouping under these, studies in political and social science and international law. The relation between these subjects is too obvious to dwell upon. They are by nature inseparable, mutually dependent. Lieber says, “History is past politics, politics is present history." At Cornell social science is considered of such value in assisting the student to gain a comprehensive idea of history that it is studied by what they call the laboratory method. Pupils are taken to visit institutions for the care of paupers, criminals and lunatics, led to examine into the causes of the existence of such classes, and thus set thinking as to practical ways of dealing with them. "The best modern practice in European countries in the settlement of social questions is now a matter of history of quite tions is now a matter of history of quite as much importance, perhaps, as the dy nasties of Egypt or of Babylon." The recognition of the true spirit and the educational value of history has led to the rewriting of the histories of many nations, especially those prominent for commercial enterprise or advancement in the arts. Among the resulting mass of books, the student stands bewildered, and the questions, "What histories will best repay the reading?" "What shall I recommend for our school library?" are so frequently heard that it may not be unprofitable to note, in this connection, a few written in the broader spirit, and yet brief enough to be read in the limited time of even the busy man. To Mr. Justin Winson, librarian of Harvard and President of the American Historical Association, we owe the" Critical and Narrative History of America," one of the most valuable historical works ever produced. When complete it will include eight volumes, its scope going beyond what we are too apt to consider all of America, and embracing Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the West Indies. In it events are treated in two ways, descriptively for the general reader and critically for the scholar. In its preparation, the co-operative method has been employed-in which, under one directing head, the different periods of history are written up by men eminently fitted for the work assigned them; still hand, it is no less the offspring of his though not the work of Mr. Winsor's brain, for it was he that devised the plan, selected the specialists, and and added many of the brilliant touches that give the work vigor and grace. This tendency to special lines of work in historical research, which has made history, is the direct outcome of the rapid possible the co-operative plan in writing history, is the direct outcome of the rapid making of history in the present century making of history in the present century and the growing distrust with which scholars regard works not based upon individual examination of original documents. Side by side with the "Critical and Narrative History" stand the works of Schouler, McMaster, and Lossing. The first of these treats of American history from the War of Independence to the great civil conflict in 1861, and aims to give in a true sense the history of the American people, "their virtues, errors, and wonderful development. In his preface the author pledges an honest purpose to deal impartially with men and events, and claims that the chapters on Monroe are enriched by valuable material from sources never before explored. In the judgment of scholars this end has been reached. There is probably no safer narrative in existence from which to draw the later record of our country's career. McMaster's "History of the people of the United States," in five large volumes, covers the same ground that Schouler does, and, as the title indicates, its chief theme is the people. The author realizes that, in a country where the people are sovereign, it would be but a partial and insufficient history that did not emphasize their interests and enterprises, hence the purpose of the work is "to describe at every stage of progress the dress, occupations, amusements and literary canons of the times; to note the change of manners and morals; to trace the growth of that humane spirit which abolished punishment for debt, which reformed the discipline of prisons, and which in our own times destroyed slavery and lessened the miseries of dumb brutes." Perhaps the most valuable work in this line is Benson J. Lossing's "Encyclopædia of American History." Upon all disputed points it is, next to original documents, the highest authority. The work is well indexed and so arranged as to afford easy access to what the reader wants, being designed as a "labor saving implement for busy people." A unique embodiment of the tendency of the times is the Sheldon-Barnes Studies in American History," by Mary Seldon Barnes and Prof. Earl Barnes, a Stanford University. This book, pub and meant for use in the Sources that is the fac p ords of eye-wise ans and mis of each period be stades of this innovation the authors y is only by dealing with the she past history that our propolis mane taur trained to deal with the stint sitte of his own time" and again else our young people will benne, a zens they must be, and the m constantly be forming iniments of the historic sort which can only be based In using upon contemporary sources. the sources the pupil mass feeling and thinking: no one tells in that Drake was a pirate, or that the last days of Columbus were pathetic and k ter with ingratitude: he has the chance to see these things for himself, his spinions are formed, his sympathies aroused by the nearest possible contact with the man and the deed." Among the later English historians Green stands pre-eminent. In his hands the history of England becomes a “History of the English People," which, of all points touching the Saxon period, is probably the most trustworthy authority we have. Fine character sketches of great English men and women, of Elizabeth and James I., of Milton, Shakespeare and Bunyan, are a noticeable fea ture. This, in its entirety, comprises three volumes, but under the title of "Green's Short History of the English People" is condensed into one. Knight's "English History" is thoroughly reliable, and very much after the style of Green's, but more voluminous. In the front rank of ancient and mediæval histories we find Rawlinson's "Ancient Monarchies," John Lord's "Beacon Lights of History" and, crowning all, the "Story of the Nations" series -a set of works intended to give a graphic description of nations prominent history. Combining scientific accuy with a graceful, readable style, they sent the "story of each land, illumiing it with the side lights that poets 1 novelists have cast upon it." mong the best of these may be menned the volumes on "Chaldea," "The ws," "Greece," "Persia," "Egypt" ad "Norway." So far but one caressly written book has crept into the eries, and that will, no doubt, soon be evised. Histories written especially for chilren are a noteworthy feature of the modern treatment of the subject, and one which follows directly in the train of the New Education." Of this class of books Dickens' "Childs History of England" is the pioneer, though most unworthy representative. A modern critic says, "If you want your child ever to have a clear comprehension of English history, keep Dickens' out of his way," for his exaggeration and mingling of the true and the half mythical can only result in confused ideas. Some of the most attractive, and at the same time reliable, children's histories are Bonner's "Greece" and "Rome," Yonge's works of the same title; E. S. Brooks' "Chivalric Days," Historic Boys, and Historic Girls; Mara L. Pratt's "American History Stories," the "Boys of '76" and "Boys of '61," by Coffin. Their authors make no claim to scholarship, but treat the subjects in a sprightly, attractive manner sure to interest the child, arouse his curiosity, and cultivate the habit of reading history by creating a taste for it, thus laying the foundations for the enjoyment of more scientific. works in future years. Those of us who obtained our first taste of history from Scott's delightful pages, will not feel disposed to underestimate the value of historic novels. We have all read Kingsley's "Hereward," Thackeray's "Virginians," Bulwer's "Harold," and wept over that most touching story of the French revolution, "The Tale of Two Cities." but with the later works of Ebers we are perhaps less familiar. Through his efforts, many who would otherwise have remained in ignorance of ancient oriental civilization have been enabled to penetrate the "secrets of these nations, and talk the very language of their people." In "Narda" the reader is iniatiated into the mysteries of the Egyptian priesthood, and gives a general view of the institutions of the country during the reign of Rameses II. "Serapis" pictures Alexandrian life in the fourth century, dwelling upon the principal events of the times the change of the people from idolatry to Christianity, and "An Egyptian Princess" emphasizes the superstitions of that nation during the Persian rule. For a spirited and faithful account of Jewish history during the time of Christ, we turn to Wallace's "Ben Hur.” This list of books might be continued almost indefinitely, but enough has been given to show that the handling of history at the present time is such as to appeal to almost every grade of intelligence. In its philosophic representation we feel that the keynote of progress has been sounded, and, however the future may modify this treatment, the old routine has been overthrown and history can never degenerate into the dry enumeration of battles lost and won, which characterized the old regime, but will continue to deal with "the deep, grand principles that breathe in every page of the world's history." The scholar without good breeding is a pedant; the philosopher, a cynic; the soldier, a brute; and every man disagreeable.-Lord Chesterfield. SCIENTIFIC. EARTHQUAKES. In this century of progress, it is no longer the province of Science to roam in a desultory way over a field of research. This is an age of specialists, to none of whom are we more deeply indebted for their discoveries than those whose attention has been directed to the phenomena of earthquakes. Prof. Joseph Le Conte says, "Only very recently, and mainly through the labors of Mr. Mallet, of England, our knowledge on the subject of earthquakes has commenced to take on scientific form. This slowness of advance has arisen not from any want of materials, but from the great complexity of the phenomena, their origin deep within the bowels of the earth and therefore removed from observation, and, more than all, from the surprise and alarm usually produced, unfitting the wind for scientific observation." An earthquake has been described as an unfinished volcano. The long-believed theory that the interior of the earth is in a liquid state, is now considered erroneous. Its fallacy may be proved by two important principles of science. Liquids under pressure yield equally in all directions. It must, therefore, be seen at once, that if the interior of the earth were in a liquid state, all the openings in the crust, such as volcanoes, would be in action at the same time. Again, were the earth liquid at the center, the crust being comparatively thin, tides would be caused by the attraction of the moon, and the liquid within would be piled up, then recede, just as on the surface, so that instead of being and even, the ground under our ld be in a state of constantly undulations. The enormously high temperature which the interior of the earth is known to possess is sufficient to reduce it to a molten mass, but under sufficient pressure liquids become solid. Another foundation for the theory of the solidity of the earth's center, is the supposition that originally the earth's mass consisted of elementary substances. At the surface, these elements, coming in contact with the outer air, resolved themselves into compounds having a less specific gravity than the interior. By natural arrangement, the most dense would remain at the bottom. As elements part with their heat more readily than compounds, we may think of this highly heated solid interior ball as constantly giving off its heat, which is radiated from the surface. This continual radiation causes a contraction or shrinking of the interior, which gradually becomes smaller than the crust or shell that envelopes it. molecules that compose this arched crust are thus deprived of their support, and being continually drawn toward the center by the force of gravity, lateral pressure pushes them against their own resistance, causing folds or wrinkles on the surface. At a certain point, the resistance is overcome suddenly, and a snapping of the surface occasions what we call an earthquake. This folding process is necessarily slow, and naturally occurs at those places on the earth's crust where there is the least resistance. This accounts for the fact that mountain ranges follow the line of the sea, where sedimentary deposits are more yielding than the more solid parts of the land. The west coast of North America, the islands of the Pacific, and Japan, are all earthquake regions. So active has been the eruptive force recently in Japan, that fourteen hundred and seventy-seven earthquake shocks |