GEOGRAPHY * LESSON ON THE DOMINION OF CANADA. By ELIZA H. MORTON, Author of Potter's Series of Geographies. Lesson Outline. I. Territorial Extent. 1. Nearly equal to that of the continent of Europe. 2. Includes all of the continent of North America north of the United States, except Alaska and Labrador. 3. Stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and from the Arctic regions to the Great Lakes. II. Surface. 1. In some respects similar to that of the United States. 2. Rocky Mountain system on western border, Appalachian system on eastern, also a Great Central Plain. 3. Mostly a vast plain. 4. The Arctic Archipelago, desolate, ice bound and rocky. III. Drainage. 1. Lakes. a. Constitute about one-half of the fresh water of the globe. b. The greater part of the large lakes on the earth. 2. Rivers. a. Generally large but comparatively unimportant. b. The St. Lawrence the most important-a grand outlet for the wealth of Canada. c. The Nelson and Saskatchawan together navigable for more than a thousand miles. d. The Mackenzie frozen most of the year. IV. Climate. 1. Generally severe. 2. The lowest temperature ever recorded observed in northern part. 3. Climate of western slopes milder than that of the eastern. V. Production. 1. Much diversity of natural productions. 2. Pacific slope a forest region. 3. Cultivated plants nearly all like those of Northern United States. 4. Animal wealth, chiefly cattle, sheep and horses. 7. Coal and petroleum leading productions. VI. People. 1. Largely of English descent. 2. Those of Quebec chiefly of French descent. 3. In territories many Indians and half-breeds. *All rights reserved by the author. VII. Industries. 1. Agriculture chief occupation of central provinces. 2. Fishing carried on along the coasts. 3. Lumbering a leading industry. 4. Fur trapping an important employment. VIII. Government. 1. Vested in a Governor-General appointed by the Queen of England, and a Parliament. 2. The Parliament is composed of a Senate and House of Commons. 3. The Dominion consists of seven provinces, each of which has its home parliament or legislature. 4. Ottawa, on the Ottawa River, is the capital of the Dominion of Canada. 5. The provinces of Canada are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. VI. People. 1. Draw from the class why the nationality of Canada is as it is. VII. Industries. more important facts than the exact locality of all its unimportant towns. 4. Show how relative position accounts for the leading 5. The influence of warm moist winds upon the 8. Geography is a common sense study and should be Interesting Facts About Canada. 1. Nova Scotia is a hammer shaped peninsula. 2. The numerous canals in connection with the internal communication of Canada have been called artificial links in a great commercial chain. 3. The settled portions of Canada are separated by broad stretches of wilderness and connected by water, rail and electricity. 4. The forests of Canada form its leading source of natural wealth. 5. Halifax is the chief naval station of British North America. 6. The valley of the Annapolis in Nova Scotia is the Acadia of poetry and song. 7. The Appalachian Mountain system in Quebec appears in fan-like shape, with the handle toward Lake Superior. 8. The white whale occurs in the St. Lawrence and its estuary. 9. There is no State church in Canada. 10. The decimal money system prevails in the Dominion. 11. Ottawa was formerly called Bytown. 12. Ontario has been called the granary of British America. HOW THEY "SAW THROUGH" THE ZONES. It was just after recess, and the Third Readers were gathered around the stove, and listening to something 1. Connect the centers of industry with the centers of which the little schoolma'am was telling them; indeed production. 2. Tell stories concerning fur-trapping. VIII. Government. both teacher and pupils were so intent on studying a spot directly in front of that stove, that no one noticed at first that the little entry door had been opened, and that stout 1. Contrast the government with that of the United old Deacon Adams, one of the trustees, had entered, and States. 2. Encourage the pupils to tell interesting facts about each province and to make a topical outline of each. 3. Do not pay too much attention to detailed map study. Nobody remembers or cares to remember the names and location of all the rivers or cities in far away lands. The influence which the relief-forms of a country exert upon its climate, vegetation, animals, man and industries, are far was shaking off the light snow from his damp overcoat. In fact it was not until he had stepped fairly into the room that any one noticed him. Then the teacher looked up just in time to catch the dignified Deacon's most undignified stare; for he had taken out his glasses and was gravely studying the great Antarctic in big letters of very white chalk, written just below a wide white line that reached from wall to wall. By that time the little teacher had hurried forward and warmly greeted the visitor; who on his part mentally determined not to ask a single question but to find out, nevertheless, just what those chalk lines across the room might mean. For there was always method in any madness of that little district school teacher's, the Deacon had learned by this time. And he was not obliged to wait long. The little Thirds were taking up the subject of zones in their oral geography, and the floor of the schoolhouse was clearly divided by heavy chalk lines into the different zones. The stove was in the centre of the schoolhouse, and was therefore in just the right place to show the tropics. For the thermometers-the teacher had borrowed for the occasion two extra thermometers-[the schoolhouse always kept one to record the proper temperature, of course, as any sensible schoolhouse would]-in different parts of the room showed quite a difference in warmth. Around the stove, in the central belt, the temperature was 78°, near the outside door it was only 63°, and by the teacher's desk it was 60°, for the windows were old and loose, and the wind crept easily in at the cracks. Between the stove and the desk, as well as between the stove and the outside door, just far enough from the windows and doors to avoid the drafts, and just near enough to the fire to get its heat, without discomfort, were two rows of seats which evidently lay in the comfortable temperate zones. The Deacon saw and approved; the children saw and understood. And what was that picture on the little blackboard near the stove, which the children were watching when the Deacon entered? He put on his glasses again and studied it. First, then the picture of the stove, and rays starting from it; and then, after the children had conquered that idea of heat-rays, the teacher had drawn the sun and the earth, with the lines of heat and light. Some of the lines, or rays, were short, others long. And it was in this way that she was showing her class how the difference in distance and the slant of the rays, made the zones or the shades of temperature. Other teachers have probably tried the same plan. For it is one which the children can see through at once. And these Third Readers, at any rate, are no longer puzzled by zones. GEOGRAPHY PUZZLE FOR BUSY WORK. ('Town in Illinois,) (city of Arizona,) started on a (Bay of Maine) journey. She first went to the jeweller's shop for a ('Mt. in California) ring. On her way she met (a Mt. of California) which scared her very much but ("Mt. of Arizona) came to her rescue. She had quite a pleasant walk going to the jeweller's but coming back she met a ('branch of the Columbia in Washington) but she picked up a (river of Montana) and killed the (branch of the Columbia in Washington). She then crossed a (valley of Nevada) and found a ("peak of Oregon) ring of which she was very proud. She was a handsome young lady of seventeen summers, and was the ("river of New South Wales,) of (town in Louisiana,) a ("river of Dakota). She had a lovely ("city of Montana) which she wore in her ("city of Colorado,) hair. She also wore a ("mountain of Oregon,) dress, which was of the finest (city of Asia.) On her way home she met her cousin ("Mt. of Massachusetts,) (river of Wyoming.) Who was going to pick ("Valley of Utah)'s. She joined him and had quite a nice time. They fished awhile coming back, and ("Mt. of Massachusetts,) caught a ("river of Idaho.) This was quite a ("cape on the Pacifie coast) to (town in Illinois.) So she walked around and found a very pretty ("river of Montana) but ("town of Illinois,) had learned quite a lesson, and went home a ("river of Idaho) girl. THE TEACHERS SELF, We grow ourselves Divine by overcoming with mere hope and most prosaic patience. "Did he get sick?" "Wall-he did look purty sick when I seed him last, that's a fact. Come here to git his pay fur them two weeks. Wanted damages too; young feller, sez I, you look sum like you'd had damages enuff! an' he did. His coat wus split up the back, an' one sleeve wuz a-hangin, and his face wus scratched up turrible." "What had happened to him?" "Told Jane Madison to come and read. She said she -ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING. hadn't got her lesson, he said she must come enyhow. She NOBILITY. We get back our mete as we measure- And straight, for the children of men. Nor catch them like fishes in nets; Nor gaining of great nor of small, But just in the doing and doing As we would be done by is all. ALICE CARY. THE HARDSCRABBLE SCHOOL. By VIOLA GARDNER BROWN. "No, it ain't ingaged. Hain't had but one appelcation for it this fall, Ben. Williams, hain't been none sence he quit. Teachers is sorter shy of our school." "Is there any special reason for it?" sed she wouldn't. Bein' as he couldn't get her to come by talkin' he went to her desk to lead her up by the arm. Leastways that's what he sot out to do, but when he reached over to take her by the arm, she flew at him like a crazy critter. Susan, her sister, she pitched in and helped her, and they actually slung him outdoors an' told him to git, an' not to come back no more; an' he didn't. Just come here an' got his pay an' left. Shirt Simpkins he helped 'em some, but 'twas the Madison gals mostly. "He wuzzent a very stout look'n feller. Stouter 'n you be though, I sh'd think, considerable." "Why don't the directors interfere?" "Wa-a-1," he drawled, slowly extracting an immense plug of tobacco from the pocket of his somewhat soiled overalls, and biting off a section. "Wa-a-l, it's this-a-way, We hire the teacher to teach the school an kentrol it. Our bizness is to pay him his wages, not to teach nor kentrol the school. If he can't do it he's a failure an' he can skip out an' let some else try it. We don't 'low to pay a teacher and do his work for him too!" I saw words were useless and did not reply, though I was conscious of having a good deal to say on that point. "Now, I've told you how 'tis. Don't look like a strip of show in this deestrick, "Wall, it's owin' to the name it's got I reckon, the a girl like you would have much Madison girls have gin it a sorter bad name." does it?" I inquired what they had done. "They've done a right smart. They are all-fired hightempered an' stubborn, won't mind nothing when they take a spell, an' they take 'em most any time. They're always raisin' thunder in one way or nuther. There's some others helps sometimes, but they're the Indians." "Do their parents approve of their conduct?" "Is'pose so. Leastways they always take their part." "What course have the teachers usually taken in regard to the government of the school?" "Hey?" It didn't, but I didn't say so. I pondered a moment. I remembered some very unruly schools I had taught, some that "No woman could teach," as I was warned. I also remembered that I had never failed to bring order out of chaos, however appalling the prospect. I decided to try it, and told him so. He looked relieved, and said, "Wall, I felt as if I orto let you know what you wuz undertakin,' an' I've done it. We do need a teacher bad, an' I hope you kin manage 'em. Howsumever, if they pitch you out of doors the first day 'tain't goin' to s'prise me none, "Ahem-What plan have the teachers usually taken in nor you neither now, I reckon." controlling the school?" "Oh, different ones has done different. Some had heerd so much about their tuffness, that they was afraid of 'em and let the young ones see it. Course they'd run over any teacher that done that. Some teachers agin, went a leetle too fur t'other way. Come down on 'em like a thousand of brick, was too ruff. Made them all mad at the start. Oh they've tried about all the ways there is to try, I guess." "You see it's the biggest scholars that's the wust, grown ones, too big to be whipped; if they was little now, suthin might be done." After discussing the question of wages and time of beginning the school, I took my departure. I must confess I looked forward to the task before me with some apprehension. However, I had not much time to dread it, as it was to begin on the following Monday. I was on hand bright and early. I placed the programme and the rules, on the board, in large, plain letters before any of the children came. Then I sat and watched them come in, with outward calm and inward trepidation. Was I going to meet my Waterloo here? Time would show. I rang the bell, and took names and "I believe you spoke of a teacher having begun this classified them, occupying most of the forenoon in the profall term." "Yes, Ben Williams. He didn't only teach two weeks, quit sorter suddin." cess. I soon found which were the "Madison girls." Two large fierce-looking red-headed girls of seventeen and nine teen. They had an air of being on the lookout for some in different studies, and found them ready and willing to cause of offense or excuse for an outbreak. make an attempt at least, to try to win them. I received the impression that they had been in the habit of being treated as outlaws and fully intended to keep up their reputation. First, last and all the time, I watched, and prevented the beginning of any wrong doing, and enforced the rules. I encouraged them to try to excel for the sake of excelI noticed "Shirt Simpkins" too, the other ringleader; lence, and to make it pleasant and easy for them to do "Sheridan," I found his real name was. He looked the typical country tough, low browed and sullen. I concluded that he was more likely to commit some sly underhanded act than to be openly rebellious. I filled in all the pauses that day, in studying the situation and "diagnosing" the cases of those ringleaders. I tried to put myself in their place and look at the case from their standpoint. I thought it likely that they had formed the opinion that all the teachers were prejudiced against them by the directors and others, from the beginning. To disabuse their minds of this impression was my first care, treating them with kind consideration and respect. I had taken care to make the rules as concise and explicit as possible, and as few as was compatible with the object to be attained. I called the attention of the school to the rules, telling them they were to be obeyed at once and implicitly, by all alike without any regard to age. As I was just the age of the oldest Miss Madison and smaller than either of them, I decided that a judicious amount of reserve and dignity were in order, so I never "unbent," but was pleasant and carefully kind, always. In speaking to them I always addressed them as "Miss Madison" and "Miss Susan." I also gave Sheridan (alias "Shirt") Simpkins the prefix of "Mr." Those three were the only grown pupils who came that term. I saw that they were not accustomed to the kind treatment I gave them. They received it in open mouthed astonishment at first. They seemed at one time, to have an idea that I treated them thus respectfully because I was a little afraid of them. I took care to correct this impression promptly. right, by making right easier than wrong, and more attractive. After awhile we began preparations for an exhibition and basket dinner to be held on the last day of school. Said preparations consisted mainly in literary exercises on Friday afternoons, having the exhibition as an objective point to which all efforts were to be directed. There were, I had reason to believe, many consultations and plans among the worst element of the school to interfere with my plans and to raise trouble, and have "fun" as they "used to." I-sitting at a window inside-heard one day a group outside discussing that subject, or some phase of it. (This was early in the term.) "Shirt, what's the matter with ye? Thought ye wuz goin' to have some fun with the school mom, 'fore the first week was out, an' here it's nearly ""Yes," said another, "Shirt said he wuz goin' to stick pins in the boys in front of him and make 'em yell and nobody couldn't tell who done it." "Boys," said Sheridan, as I always called him, "I had a pin stuck through my boot toe, p'int outards fur two hull days tryin' to get a chance to use it, an' every time I'd look up to see if the coast wuz clear, Miss Garner wuz a watchin' me, or happened jest to be lookin' that way, dunno which, an' I give it up. 'Sides, them things don't seem half as funny to me somehow, as they used to." "Yes, that's so, about her watchin', can't say 'bout the other. One day I fetched in a nest of mice. I'd found 'em in the corn crib, could run some considerable. I had 'em wrapped up keerful and I had callated to turn 'em loose under the seat an' see the gals jump, soon's I got a chance. "I'll be hanged if I know how she knowed, but she seemed to have her eye on that pocket all the time and I felt like she was goin' to say, 'will you let me see what you have in your pocket please?' In that quiet way of hers that's so I had found in previous experience that external vigi- gritty too, you allays do just what she says 'fore you stop to lance was the price of order in school. I applied this maxim without ceasing. I had long before acquired the power of seeing everywhere at once. I overheard one evil-doer say in an aside, "She's got eyes behind." I was thus enabled to detect any incipient wrong doing, and quell a disturbance before it was raised. I knew my only chance in this case, was to prevent any outbreak, as I would be powerless if it came to a hand-tohand conflict; and I had been told that I could not expect any help from the directors. I had always found it a good plan to give praise always when deserved, even for slight reason. I found it very effective here; and evidently something new. They were used to blame, well deserved, no doubt, but had little or no experience in commendation. I took an early opportunity of congratulating "Shirt" Simpkins on his great namesake, Gen. Sheridan, whom I had seen, and tried to rouse his ambition to be worthy of him. I told him anecdotes about him, and about other great men, and tried to lift his mind out of the mire to a higher level. I met with some little success. I offered prizes for good behavior, and for proficiency think. Well, I asked to go out pretty soon, an' I let 'em go too quick! somehow it's gettin' to be more fun to-to-not do them sort o' things than to do 'em." "That's so," said another. "I goin' to try fur a prize, Marm sez she'll gimme a new hat if I git it. boys le's go an' play ball." And away they ran. Say! To abbreviate.-The school was always quiet and orderly, the pupils became very much attached to me, and I think, learned to love the right for its own sake; none the less because they began by doing right because they were allowed no opportunity to do wrong. All the par The exhibition the last day was a success. ents and friends in the district who could be present were there. I received many compliments and kind wishes, none the less welcome or sincere because couched in ungrammatical language. The "directors" offered me the school for the winter at my own price, saying, "I don't see how on airth you done it. You must 'a' bewitched the young 'uns some way, I 'lowed you'd 'a' ben chawed up an' spit out long 'fore this!" Mrs. Madison said: "Mis Garner, youse the fust teacher |