In her attic window the staff she set, To show that one heart was loyal yet.' "What does 'loyal yet' mean?" "She liked her country yet." "She loved her country and didn't intend to have her flag pulled down.

"Up the street came the rebel tread, Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.'

"Sometimes they called Gen. Jackson, Stonewall Jackson. He wore an old hat pulled down low on his head and he looked this way and that till he saw the flag." How did he like that?"

66

"Fire!"-out blazed the rifle blast.

It shivered the window, pane and sash : It rent the banner with seam and gash!'

"When he said 'halt,' the dusty soldiers with their brown suits on, all stood still, and when he said 'fire,' they fired their guns at the flag." What did he want to shoot just one little flag for?"

66

'A shade of sadness, a blush of shame Over the face of the leader came; '

"What does that mean?" "Then Jackson was ashamed of himself." "Yes, when he saw her waving the torn flag and heard her brave words, he was ashamed and sorry and made up his mind not to shoot again, but told his men to go on.

"The nobler nature within him stirred To life at that woman's deed and word :

Who touches a hair of yon gray head Dies like a dog! March on!" he said. All day long through Frederick street Sounded the tread of marching feet. All day long that free flag tost Over the heads of the rebel host. Ever its torn folds rose and fell On the loyal winds that loved it well; And through the hill-gaps sunset light Shown over it with a warm good-night.'

"So the soldiers marched through the town all day long and the flag stayed just where she fastened it, till the setting sun was shining on it to say goodnight, and there it kept watch over the town all night. All this happened some

and there are no more rebel soldiers, but we feel very proud of the brave, old woman and we even feel kindly toward Stonewall Jackson when we think about her.

666

Barbara Fritchie's work is o'er And the rebel rides on his raids no more. Honor to her! and let a tear

Fall, for her sake on Stonewall's bier.'

"'Bier' means the place where he is buried, and we hope that the Union flag, our flag, may always wave over Barbara Fritchie's grave, and we hope that where the flag is, there may always be peace and beauty.

"Over Barbara Fritchie's grave Flag of Freedom and Union, wave! Peace and order and beauty draw 'Round thy symbol of light and law. And ever the stars above look down On thy stars below in Frederick town!' "What does that mean, Arthur?" "The stars in heaven look down on the flag stars."

"Bertha, why did Whittier write down that true story of Barbara Fritchie?" "I don't know, was it because he wanted us to love our country?" my dear, that was just why."

"Yes,

(It is a proof that such poems are within the easy comprehension of children, that these comments or answers purporting to come from children, are really their own words jotted down verbatim, unknown to them, as they have listened to the reading. In each of the Mother Talks," the children's words are children's words.)—SUSAN P. CLEMENT, Racine, Wis.

IT has been the custom with many mothers to spend the hour before bedtime with their children. A young lady told me with tears of pleasure in her eyes,

but recently, of her recollections of this twilight hour with mother. She is today a successful musician, and unhesitatingly refers her exceptional feeling for music back to those sweet times. She says the singing in which the mother and brothers and sisters all joined on such occasions, made the deepest impression upon her, and was to her childish mind the most beautiful music that had ever been expressed.

This hour might be made the most restful, happy hour of the day to the mother herself; it could be the one time of the whole day when she could take time to hear her children's experiences. tell her own, and with a story or a song close the day most sweetly. It could be an enlargement of the old baby time, of rocking the little one to sleep, when mother hummed her lullaby and thought her most sacred thoughts,-only now these might be spoken and the babies themselves join in the singing.

AN active Child Culture Study Circle has been formed by the women of El Paso, Tex. This Department in the MAGAZINE affords to many mothers far removed from local workers a fine opportunity to unite in the scientific study of nursery education. We wel come all reports of such circles formed.

TO MY VALENTINE.

I know a little maiden,

She is n't far to seek
No dainty wild-rose petal

Is pinker than her cheek.
There is no shining hazel nut

That's browner than her eye.
Look in the glass, dear little maid,

My valentine you'll spy. -HELEN M. PERKINS, Amherst, Mass.

EDITORIAL NOTES.

WE regret to omit this month the article on "Play with the Limbs," in the series of interpretations of the "Mutter und Kose Lieder," by Miss Fisher. The author's indisposition necessitates its postponement to the March number.

These

A CANADIAN subscriber questions: "Is it at all customary, either in the eastern or western states, to omit the Fifth and Sixth Gifts in Training Classes? I am told that it is customary, but it seems to me strange." two steps are certainly not generally neglected in the higher and better training schools of the states. This statement may have been founded on the fact that many incompetent teachers are abroad in the land, who have taken partial and half courses of study and too soon turn their poorly equipped brains to account at the expense of the illinformed public.

The "Gift Play" articles in this journal are developing into the higher material and prove that the matter is not being entirely neglected.

PROF. JOSEPH H. CHAPEK, whose compositions have appeared for several months in our pages, is a native of Bohemia, being a product of the celebrated Conservatory of Prague. He is giving especial attention to the musical culture of children, and compositions for the young, being director of the violin school of the Apollo School of Music, where he is making some interesting demonstrations with a score or more of very young pupils. He works in connection with Prof. Wm. L. Tomlins' children's classes.

April 17.-Miss Locke,

April 24.-Annual Meeting.

The Club meets on Saturdays at 10:30 a. m. at the Athenæum except on the second Saturday of each month, when it Teachers' Association, at adjourns to meet with the Cook County Methodist Church Block, corner Washington and Clark streets.

MUSKEGON, MICH., is quite a pioneer city in the matter of Kindergartens. Seven years ago Kindergarten was made part of the public school system, and there are now eight flourishing ones housed in buildings called "Kindergarten Cottages." They are one-story, two-room brick buildings, and are all the most exacting could ask; roomy, sunny, and beautiful without and within. The Kindergarten Superintendent this year is Miss Stella L. Wood, formerly of Chicago. Kindergarten methods are in active operation in the First Grades, and Kindergarten and school are so in har

mony that the usual gap between them is entirely absent. The Board of Education is an exceptionally liberal and progressive one, and Muskegon certainly occupies advanced ground in educational affairs. Kindergarten matters in Michigan are marching ahead.

MOTHERS' MEETINGS OF CHICAGO FREE ASSOCIATION.-As suggested last month, the object of these meetings is, first to give the mothers as clear an idea as possible of the work of the month in the Kindergartens, and to secure their co-operation and secondly to give them some instruction in hygienics, simple remedies and kindred topics, and also some of the more theoretical part in education, management, etc. The general, underlying thought of the plan for the month, how we are developing it, and what is the significance of the work made and carried home by the children, is explained. In all this, we find the mothers generally much interested, and with a little encouragement and questioning, they can be induced to talk freely. Mothers are all alike, in that they enjoy whatever touches their children, and hearing what they have said; their eyes sparkle when work illustrating what has just been explained is shown them. In one of our Kindergartens an arrangement has been made by which a physician is to come in to the meetings, and give each month a talk on symptoms of disease, hygienic measures, simple remedies, etc. This is quite a new departure, and promises to give great help to the mothers. It may not be out of the line of thought to mention in this connection, a talk given to the Training Classes, by Dr. Hatfield, on "Symptoms of Disease in Children." This was not only most practical and

helpful, but inspiring. helpful, but inspiring. In another Kindergarten, the mothers, seeming to be especially interested in music, have been given talks on its importance, and have learned the music and words of several songs, that they may sing them with the children. The fathers are reported everywhere as being much pleased to hear the songs, and many little home concerts are given after the evening meal. In another Kindergarten, the Principal gave a talk on the abuse of "Don't!" the moral effect of its frequent repetition being brought out. Still another Principal added to her general talk the psychic reasons for the constant inquiry and investigation of the children on all known and unknown subjects, bespeaking for the restless seekers, patience and yet more patience.

UTICA, N. Y., has been impressed with the importance of the Kindergarten in connection with the school, and her commissioners have engaged Miss Fannie C. Boardman, of the training class at the State Normal College at Albany, to take charge of their first Kindergarten which opened in November, 1891. Gradually, others are to be established in connection with the public schools.

MRS. J. B. WYLIE, of Brantford, Ont., spent some time last month in Chicago, meeting some of our Kindergartners here. She accompanied her daughter thus far, who proceeded to Vinton, Iowa, to take charge of the work with the blind in the State institution there.

AT the January meeting of The Philadelphia Society of Froebel Kindergartners, Professor Batchellor gave a lecture upon "Revolution and evolu

tion," leading us reverently, yet thrilled with joy by the recognition of this march of existence, through a study of the development of the child, physically, mentally and socially, to that of all human kind, to which Doctor Taylor added that, while we must be a part of the unconscious evolution going on, it depends upon our wills whether or not we join in the conscious evolution of the day-the great, progressive movements. -M. GAY, Sec.

MRS. PAGE, the principal of the Training Classes of the Chicago Free Association is looking up work in Philadelphia, New York and Boston and is gaining thereby much food for thought and refreshment of spirit. She visits the new field of work in Buffalo upon her

return.

NATIONAL FLOWER.-The Pansy Society of America, devoted to the culture and advocacy of the pansy, the children's flower for the National Emblem of the United States, has a display of flags and floral emblems at 351 N. Clark St., Chicago. It is a patriotic display both interesting and instructive, made with the design of awakening interest in the subject of a national flower, and in hopes of securing the adoption of a suitable floral emblem in time to make it a notable feature of the Great Fair

in 1893.

THE C. C. S. C. department is open to questions and discussions from mothers, of such a nature as come strictly in line with child culture.

SEND for THe KindergARTEN Circulars for distribution. Every Kindergartner should keep them on her desk to hand to visitors.

BOOK NOTES.

Rather than review so stupendous a compilation as is Mrs. Ellen Russell Emerson's "Indian Myths" we give this extract from the preface: (Houghton, Mifflin & Co.)

By the compilation of these myths, I seek to make more evident the capacity of the Indian race for moral and intellectual culture.

The oneness of the origin of diverse races is not less apparent than the singleness of the origin of the rainbow light broken upon a cloud.

The human race is a product of those processes of Divine energy by which are evolved all phenomena of existence, its color and form being the result of the segregation and "elective affinities," as opalescence and crystallization of mineral substances are the result of chemic and "natural selection." Complex influences meet, swathe, and impress the growing individual, specific character is formed, special selection is made, and the law of heredity carries forward the accumulating changes, until from a single type diverge the many varied species.

In the Indian race of the fourteenth century is seen the primeqal type of man slowly emerging from a sylvan state, uninfluenced by any save the moulding processes of change and development.