first action stated, without understanding the words spoken, to divine their meaning by the logical necessity of the action that has to follow.

"The perception of the relation of succession in time, the perception of the relation of means to an end, these are the instruments of logic, with which Nature has provided childhood." This is Gouin's leading principle, and he, therefore, bases all his object lessons on the logic of nature.

Still these oral object lessons are only of a preparatory value; they are designed to enable the pupil to understand the reading matter that follows and that presents more fully the subject discussed in the oral exercises.

The books that are at present given to the pupils, are the various readers of the common day-school. The first and second readers of this kind, written for small children, are composed of words of only one or two syllables. Their contents, of course, ill fit the intellectual status of grown-up people, while, on the other hand, the language used in readers of higher grades is too difficult to be understood by a beginner.

Besides, none of these readers contains just the words and phrases that we use in our daily routine of life, because English children are supposed to know them.

In view of these facts, I have arranged a series of compositions on the household, the body, food, daily life and surroundings, industries and profes

sions, government, animal and plant life, which will furnish the pupil the words necessary for conversation, not as mere vocables, but as elements of living speech.

These readings are to be translated by the teacher first, and then by the pupils. The teacher resolves them into questions, and the pupil gives the answer. Then the pupils themselves are required to put these exercises in the form of questions and answers, an operation that will be easy for them, as they have been accustomed to it from the very first in their oral object lessons. By this mode of treating the reading matter their facility of expression and conversation will be greatly increased.

A great number of set conversations are interspersed to show the language as spoken in everyday life.

To make the pupil acquainted with his newly adopted country, I have introduced a series of geographical readings about the United States, to which is added a short course in geography, illustrated by a map.

A short course in the history of the United States opens to the foreigner the glorious past of the nation of which he now forms a part. A copy of the Constitution of the United States and a number of patriotic songs close the book.

As a certain amount of grammar is necessary for the scholar, to serve as a guide through the various changes and combinations of words, it has been put

in the form of examples, in which certain grammatical rules are applied and illustrated.

If the teacher should deem it advisable to state the rules explicitly, which, under certain conditions, may be wise, he will find them separately printed in the Appendix.

By offering this book to the Evening School pupils and teachers, the author hopes to have supplemented a long-felt want in the system.

THE AUTHOR.