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little girl's eyes had been injured by sickness, and she, being timid, did not inform her teacher of her defect, but in her reading class held her book, according to regulations, fifteen inches from the eye, where she could not see a letter. To do this she was obliged to commit her lesson to memory and actually recite it, instead of reading it. Her father hearing her repeating her reading lessons to her aunt, questioned her and found out the hardship she was compelled to undergo, and wrote to her teacher requesting a change to be made in her favor.

I once heard of a woman, who, to harden her babies, used to dip them into ice water. The result was the death of two or three of them. But while we should be careful not to overdo matters, we ought to require our pupils to take enough of rugged exercise to secure that happy balance of physical and mental development, so necessary to a complete education.

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DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC.

TOPEKA, KANSAS, July 13, 1886.

Minutes of Department of Music, N. E. A.

Meeting called to order. Vice President Westcott of Chicago, Illinois, in the chair.

On motion, Mr. Herbert Griggs of Denver, Colorado, was elected Secretary pro tem.

Mr. Holt called to the chair during the reading of dent Westcott, on Music in the Public High School. discussion.

paper by Vice Presi Subject opened for

Mr. N. Coe Stewart, Cleveland: It is assumed that High School pupils are beginners. They are not. There comes a time when a point should be left, even if not conquered. Absolute pitch controversy should be done away with. We are coming to a time when the regular teacher shall be competent to teach music.

Mr. Aaron Gove, Superintendent, Denver, Colorado: We want to know more how to manage the music in the High School when music plans have been often changed. When pupils come in from lower grades and when they come from other schools.

Mr. Seward, N. J.: The only way out of the problem is to take the "tonic sol-fa" system. Music has two sides, art and language, also two sides from another aspect, instrumental and vocal. Eight keys for the instrumental and but one for the vocal. The "tonic sol-fa" is more a philosophical than a mere child's system.

Mr. Holt, Boston, Massachusetts: All teachers know that the easiest place to teach music is in the primary grade, the most difficult in the high school. Music in the schools must be a growth. The trouble is, the high school pupils have not had the proper training from the bottom up. They must think the sound before they see the representation. Pupils at present find themselves in the high schools without preparation or ability to sing music that is appropriate for the grade.

Paper: What the average teacher can do in musical instruction, by Sara L. Dunning, Malone, New York.

Subject opened for discussion.

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