by the gate looking after him as he trudged off with a smile on his lips. If Charlie's little jacket had been buttoned all the way down I am sure some of the buttons would have popped off, he swelled so visibly with pride when he stood up in a class to recite with the other boys. He did not forget his mother's admonition to be good and not whisper or play and at night he had the pleasure of hearing the teacher tell him he had been a very good boy. Some of the older boys thought it would be great sport to tease the little fellow so they hastened to overtake him on his way home.

There was a broad ditch at one side of the road, and one of the boys, putting his hand on Charlie's shoulder, said, "What's your hurry, youngster? Wait and have a bit of fun with us."

Charlie was flattered at being asked to stop and play with the clder boys, so he stopped willingly enough. Jack Townsend proposed that they should jump the ditch. It was easy for the large boys, but Charlie was sure he could not do it, and was not willing to make the attempt.

"Why, what a little coward you are!" said Jack jeeringly. "You had better go to a girl's school for you are n't more than half a boy." Charlie's face flushed. He had been so lately emancipated from kilt skirts that he was very sensitive to the imputation of being a girl. His round face grew redder, and, when the other boys laughed and told him he did not dare try to jump the ditch he could not bear it. Throwing down his book, he ran toward the ditch and tried to jump it. The short, fat legs quivered in the air a moment, and then Charlie went plump into the black mire, sinking over his knees in spite of his efforts to free himself. The boys helped him out, but he was in a woeful plight. One shoe was lost, the neat suit was bedraggled with mud up to his jacket, and sadly and tearfully he crept homeward.

When he was all clean again and had told his mother all the story she said;

"It was because you were a coward then."

"Why, mamma!" and Charlie looked amazed.

"Yes, dear, you were not brave enough to stand a 'dare' and so you yielded. One of the first lessons to learn in school and in the world is to say 'No' bravely and until you have learned that lesson you will always be a coward. Remember the ditch when you are tempted to yield to some taunt and it will help you to be brave."-Young Peoples' Weekly.

EDITORIAL.

THE Medical News says: "From the records of the Senior class of Yale College during the past eight years, the non-smokers have proved to have decidedly gained over the smokers in height, weight and lung capacity. All candidates for the crews and other athletic sports were non-smokers. The non-smokers were 20 per cent. taller than the smokers, 25 per cent. heavier, and had 62 per cent. more lung capacity. In the graduating class of Amherst College of the present year, those not using tobacco have in weight gained 24 per cent. over those using tobacco, in height 37 per cent., in chest girth 42 per cent., while they have a greater average lung capacity by 8.36 cubic inches." Comment is not necessary.

SHORT SCHOOL TERMS.-In a large number of the counties of the state the school terms have been shorter the past year than for many preceding years. This arose from the fact that the state levy had been reduced and the advance in the valuation of property was not sufficient to offset the difference, as was predicted. State Superintendent Vories never made a greater blunder than when he recommended to the legislature the cutting down of the state levy. The cut from 16 cts. to 11 cts. is serious and if the schools are to be kept to their former length the local levy will have to be increased.

"THE POLITICIAN AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL."

The June Atlantic contains a third paper in the series on The Case of the Public Schools. It is entitled the Politician and the Public School, and is written by Mr. L. H. Jones, superintendent of schools, Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Jones uses as the basis of his paper information received from over 1600 teachers and superintendents in all parts of the nation. This article is a striking presentation of the evils due to political influences in public-school matters. He cites the schools of Indianapolis and Cleveland as examples of the benefits of freedom from these influences. Mr. Jones writes with great earnestness, and speaking as he does from a long and varied experience in the public schools, his judgment should have great weight.

THE ILLINOIS PENSION LAW.

The Illinois legislature, at its last session, passed a special pension law for the benefit of the teachers in all cities having a population of 100,000 or more. The fund from which the pensions are to be paid is provided for by deducting 1 per cent. per annum from the salary of each teacher. Donations, gifts, legacies, bequests will be received, but it is provided that no taxes shall ever be levied to swell the fund. The board of education is granted the power to retire any teacher who has served 20 years, on half salary, to be paid monthly. It is provided that no annuity, shall exceed $600 a year. Three-fifths of the period of service must have been within the limits of the municipality where the board granting the pension has jurisdiction.

A very important provision of the law is that no teacher shall be removed or discharged except for cause, upon written charges, which shall be investigated and determined by the board of education. To any teacher who is willing to serve, but who is discharged or not reemployed, all the money such teacher paid into the fund must be paid back at once to such teacher, with interest.

About 3,500 of the 4,000 teachers employed in the Chicago schools have petitioned the board of education to make the law operative at once.- Western School Journal.

NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

Remember that the N. E. A. proper opens in Buffalo, July 7. The National Council meets July 3.

All railroads will sell round trip tickets for a single fare, plus $2, which goes to the Association as an annual fee. Tickets can be extended and made good returning till September 1. People living east of Buffalo do not fare so well. They get the single rate price, but tickets can be extended only to July 31.

See the railroad advertisements in this issue of the JOURNAL for other particulars.

The delegation from Indiana should be large. The attractions are certainly great outside the programs which are good. The JOURNAL can not make room for the Section programs, but the following is the program for the General Sessions:

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2 P. M.

Addresses of Welcome and Responses.

Address-Horace Mann. By Dr. W. T. Harris, United States Commissioner of Education.

Ten-Minute Speeches. By Henry Sabin, State Superintendent Public Instruction, Iowa; N. C. Schaffer, State Superintendent Public In struction, Pennsylvania; Supt. F. Louis Soldan, St. Louis, Mo.; Supt.. Aaron Gove, Denver, Colo.; Prof. D. L. Kiehle, University of Minnesota; Supt. J. M. Greenwood, Kansas City, Mo.; Editor A. E. Winship, Boston, Mass.; Col. F. W. Parker, Chicago Normal School.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 9:45 A. M.

LITERATURE.-1. American Literature. By Prof. Brander Matthews, Columbia University.

2. Address, Prof. W. P. Trent, University of the South.

3. Literature in Elementary Schools. By Mrs. Ella F. Young, Assistant Superintendent, Chicago, Ill.

4. Discussion. To be opened by ten-minute speeches by Prof. J. C. Freeland, University of Wisconsin; Prin. E. O. Lyte, State Normal School, Millersville, Penn.; Pres. Nathaniel Butler, Colby College.

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 9:45 A. M.

THE FUNCTION OF NATURE STUDY IN EDUCATION.-1. Culture of the Moral Powers. By Pres. David S. Jordan, Leland Stanford University.

2. Culture of Intellectual Powers. By. Prof. J. M. Coulter, University of Chicago.

3. The Function of Nature in Elementary Education. By Pres. M. G. Brumbaugh, Juniata College.

4. Discussion. To be opened by ten-minute speeches by Pres. L. D. Harvey, State Normal School, Milwaukee, Wis.; Prof. J. N. Wilkinson, State Normal School, Emporia, Kas.; Mrs. Eva D. Kellogg, Editor of Primary Education, Chicago, Ill.

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 9:45 A. M.

SOCIOLOGY.-1. The Relation of Sociology to Education. By Prof. Albert Small, University of Chicago.

2. The Pupil as a Social Factor. By Prof. Earl Barnes, Leland Stanford University.

The Teacher as a Social Factor. By Pres. James H. Canfield, Ohio State University.

Discussion. To be opened by J. H. Harper, Inspector of Superior Schools, Quebec, Canada.

Evening addresses will be made by Bishop Vincent, Pres. A. S, Draper, Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, Bishop Spalding, Booker T. Wash ington, and Steward Woodford.

SCHOOL ENUMERATION-IT FELL OFF 64,603.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction has finished the computation of the school enumeration of the State recently taken. This year's figures show a falling off of 64,603 from the enumeration of 1895, a decrease of 8 per cent. This arises through the operation of the stringent law passed by the last Legislature designed to prevent the padding of the returns, which has been quite a common practice, due to the fact that the proportion of funds they are able to draw from the State school fund is based upon the en meration. The greatest falling off has been in cities. The total enumeration this year shows 734,474 school children in the State this year, as compared with 799,077 last year. The enumeration and comparison by counties is as follows: