The commercial value of politeness.

virtue of true courtesy, both in theory and practice.

The law of good manners and politeness is the duty of being kind and agreeable to others. By means of this test, pupils may be made to discriminate between rudeness and politeness, and so to form an ideal of conduct. Cases in illustration may be cited by the teacher and discussed by the pupils, such as boisterous conversation in public places, smoking in cars where ladies are sitting, whispering and giggling during concerts or lectures, etc.

The young should be shown the commercial value of politeness, and taught that nothing pays better in the conduct of business than uniform courtesy to all with whom we have dealings. I once reached a town at night, and made my way to a hotel for refreshment and rest. It was with no little difficulty that I finally gained the ear of the clerk, who graciously permitted me to register my name. The next night I sought the hospitalities of another hotel. The clerk spied me from afar, took my hand-baggage, promptly ordered a supper, and conducted me to one of his best rooms. He seemed to have been awaiting my arrival! I would go many miles to shun the first place, and as many to gain the second. The dif ference in the two cases was that between rudeness and courtesy. We patronize the tradesman who treats us kindly and courteously; and we instinctively shun one who is rude and ill-natured.

Punctuality.-Dismiss punctually.

PUNCTUALITY. This, as a habit, is essential to the teacher. He should be punctual in every thing. He should always be present at or before the time for opening the school. A teacher who goes late to school once a week, or even once a month, can not very well enforce the punctual attendance of his pupils. I once knew a man who, for seven long years, was never late at school a single minute, and seldom did he fail to reach his place more than five minutes before the time. I never knew but one such. I have known scores who were frequently tardy, and sometimes by the space of a whole hour!

A teacher should be as punctual in dismissing as in opening his school. I know that some make a virtue of keeping their schools beyond the regular hours. I have always considered this a very questionable virtue. If a teacher wishes to stay beyond his time, it should be either with delinquents, who have some lessons to make up, or with those who voluntarily remain. But, after all, if he has been strictly punctual to the hours assigned for his various duties in school, there will scarcely be the necessity for him, or any of his pupils, to remain beyond the time for dismission; and, as a general rule, a regard both for his own health and theirs should forbid this. It is better to work diligently while one does work, and not to protract the time of labor, so as to destroy one's energy for to-morrow.

This habit of punctuality should run through

Regular study.-Time for it.

every thing. He should be punctual at all engagements; he should be studiously so in all the detail of school exercises; he should be so at his meals, at his private studies, at his hour of retiring at night and of rising in the morning, and also at his exercise and recreation. This is necessary to a truly exemplary character, and it is equally as necessary to good health.

5. HABITS OF STUDY. Unless the teacher takes care to furnish his own mind, he will soon find his present stock of knowledge, however liberal that may be, fading from his memory and becoming unavailable. To prevent this, and to keep along with every improvement, he should regularly pursue a course of study. I say regularly; for in order to accomplish any thing really desirable, he must do something every day. By strict system in all his arrangements, he may find time to do it; and whenever I am told by a teacher that he can not find time to study, I always infer that there is a want of order in his arrangements, or a want of punctuality in the observance of that order. Human life, indeed, is short; but most men still further abridge the period allotted to them, by a disregard of system.

What has now been said, upon the teacher's spirit, the teacher's responsibility, and the teacher's personal habits, will embody, perhaps, my views upon the character of the individual, who

A high standard.-Excelsior!

may be encouraged to engage in the work of teaching. Nor do I think the requirements in this department have been overstated. I know, indeed, that too many exercise the teacher's functions without the teacher's spirit as here described, and without the sense of responsibility here insisted on, and with habits entirely inconsistent with those here required. But this does not prove that such teachers have chosen the right calling, or that the children under their care are under safe and proper guidance. It proves, rather, that parents and school officers have too often neglected to be vigilant, or that suitable teachers could not be had.

Let none think of lowering the standard to what has been, or what may even now be, that of a majority of those who are engaged in this profession. Every young teacher's eye should be directed to the very best model in this work; and he should never be satisfied with bare mediocrity. EXCELSIOR, the motto of the Empire State, may well be the motto of the young teacher.

CHAPTER V.

LITERARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER.

I

AM now about to enter an extensive field.

Since the teacher is to be the life of the school, it is of great consequence that he have within him the means of sustaining life.

As the statutes in many of the states prescribe the minimum of attainment for the teacher, I might, perhaps, spare myself the labor of writing on this point. Yet in a thorough work on the Theory and Practice of Teaching, this very properly comes under consideration.

The profession of teaching is advancing. The present standard of acquirement demanded of the teacher, excludes many who were considered quite respectable in their vocation ten years ago. This may well be so; for within that time quite an advance has been made in the compensation offered to teachers. It is but reasonable that acquirement should keep pace with the reward of it. Indeed, the talent and attainment brought into the field must always be in advance of the rate of compensation. The people must be first convinced that teachers are better than they were years ago, and then they will be ready to