TO THE TEACHERS

Thou hast made us for Thyself, and we cannot find rest until we find it in Thee. ST. AUGUSTINE.

THESE familiar words, which show the purpose of our creation and the true goal of life, also point to the end and aim of all sound education. Education is complete and ideal only as it trains and develops the whole being in the manner intended by the Creator. True education will embrace instruction and guidance in Religion, Science, History, Literature and Art, for these represent the child's entire nature and so cover the full range of his possibilities.

In securing for the child this symmetrical development, Reading is a most potent factor. It supplies the correlative material which the Christian teacher needs to reënforce and supplement her regular instruction in all departments. In the preparation of this book the utmost care has been taken to select from the world's best literature interesting and well-graded reading matter bearing upon the five great subjects of study. The classification of the selections and the purpose of each will readily be understood by the teacher.

The literary form that especially appeals to the child is the story, a narration of fact in which is portrayed a great character whom he can admire and imitate, a story of imagination, of travel or of life with which he is familiar. The choice of the story is a serious matter, for its power is almost unlimited, and the impression made wellnigh ineffaceable.

There should be an occasional story of fancy. We need more than a knowledge of facts, however important they may be. Imagination, the ability to see in the mind that which is invisible to the eye, must be cultivated.

No faculty of the mind is more useful in everyday life than this. The civil engineer, the architect, the shipbuilder, must first form the structure in his mind, the sculptor must in imagination see the statue, the painter must see the picture, before any work with hammer, chisel or brush is attempted; the composer must hear wonder

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