respectable and well-informed young persons, who wish to qualify themselves to act as Teachers. The candidates admitted to this class are permitted to attend, without any charge, the Model Schools and the lectures of the Professors, and at the end of the course they are examined and classed as Teachers according to their merits and qualifications. Permission is also given to Teachers of Schools not connected with the Board to attend the Model Schools as auditors or visitors, for any period that may suit their own convenience.

VIII. Books.

1. The Commissioners furnish gratuitously to each School, a first stock of School-books, in proportion to the attendance of children, which is renewed at the end of every three years. These books are to be kept as a School stock, for which the master or mistress is held responsible, and they are on no account to be sold or taken out of the School. The Commissioners also supply books from time to time for the general use of the children, and also School requisites, such as paper, slates, quills, &c., at reduced rates.

2. The funds of the Commissioners do not enable them to give a free stock sufficiently large for the entire wants of the School. Any additional books and maps, stationery, slates, clocks, and other requisites, must be purchased at reduced rates.

3. The value of the grant of free stock is regulated by the average daily attendance of pupils as ascertained from the reports of the Inspectors. The Managers of Schools have the privilege of selecting their grants of free stock from the whole list of books supplied by the Commissioners, and are at liberty to choose such of them as they most approve of, and to omit any to which they object, except in the case of a first free stock, when the Commissioners require that a map of the world, and a set each of spelling and arithmetical tablets shall be procured.

4. When books, &c., purchased from the Commissioners at the reduced price, are sold to the children attending a National School, at is directed that in no case shall any advance be made on these prices; and the District Inspectors have instructions to inquire into and report upon any infraction of this rule.

5. Books published by the Commissioners of National Education :

First Book of Lessons; Second Book of Lessons; Sequel to Second Book, No. 1; Sequel to the Second Book, No. 2; Third Book of Lessons; Fourth Book of Lessons; Supplement to the Fourth Book; Fifth Book, (Boys'.) Reading Book for Girls' School; Biographical Sketches of British Poets; Selections from the British Poets, Vol. I; Selections from the British Poets, Vol. 2; Introduction to the Art of Reading; English Grammar; Key to English Grammar; First Book of Arithmetic; Key to First Book of Arithmetic; Arithmetic in Theory and Practice; (For Key to Arithmetic in Theory and Practice, see" Books Sanctioned;") Book-keeping; Key to Book-keeping; Epitome of Geographical Knowledge; Compendium of Geographical Knowledge; Elements of Geometry; Mensuration; Appendix to Mensuration; Scripture Lessons. (Old Test.,)No. 1; Scripture Lessons, (Old Test.,) No. 2; Scripture Lessons. (New Test.,) No. 1; Scripture Lessons, (New Test., No. 2; Sacred Poe try; Agricultural Class Book; Farm Account Book; Directions for Needlework; Directions for Needlework, with specimens.

6. Books not published, but sanctioned by the Commissioners of National Education:

Prof. M'Gauley's Natural Philosophy: Prof. M'Gauley's Key to Arithmetic in Theory and Practice; Prof. Sullivan's English Dictionary; Prof. Sullivan's Spelling Book Superseded; Prof. Sullivan's English Grammar; Prof. Sullivan's Introduction to Geography and History; Prof. Sullivan's Geography Generalized; Prof. Sullivan's Literary Class Book; Fleming's Atlas of Outline Maps, colored; Dower's Atlas, 12 Maps. colored; Kirkwood's Atlas, 12 Maps, colored; Dawe's Hints on Secular Instruction; Dr. Hodges' Agricultural Chemistry; Easy Lessons on Reasoning; Easy Lessons on Money Matters; Young's Infant School Manual; Household Work for Female Servants; Patterson's First Steps to Zoology, Part I ; Patterson's First Steps to Zoology, Part II; Patterson's Zoology for Schools, Part 1; Patter son's Zoology for Schools, Part II; Dr. Thomson's Treatise on Arithmetic; Dr. Thomson's Key to Treatise on Arithmetic; Dr. Thomson's Elements of Euclid, Part I; Dr. Thomson's Elements of Euclid, Part II; Dr. Thomson's Introduction to Algebra; Arithmetical Table Book; Hullah's Manual.

7. THE COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT WITHDRAW, OR ESSENTIALLY ALTER ANY BOOK THAT HAS BEEN, OR SHALL BE HEREAFTER, UNANIMOUSLY PUBLISHED OR BANCTIONED BY THEM, WITHOUT A PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION WITH THE LORD LIEUTENANT.

8. All applications for books and requisites at reduced prices must be addressed

to the Secretaries, and be accompanied by a money order for the amount, in favor of Maurice Cross, or James Kelley, Esq., and payable in Dublin on demand.

9. Checks or money orders drawn on country Banks can not be received in payment for books.

10. When a Post office order or letter of credit is transmitted, and the amount is under ten shillings, the cost of the remittance must be paid by the person applying for the same; but if the sum exceeds ten shillings, the cost of the remittance will be allowed, and requisites given for the full amount paid.

11. The Patron or Manager should not sign any application for books and requisites without first ascertaining that they are actually wanted for the school, on behalf of which the application is made. The Inspectors are required to report to the Commissioners whenever it appears that an undue quantity of books or stationery has been ordered for a National School.

12. All applications for books and requisites, at reduced prices, are to be prepaid by the Managers, or the amount of postage will be deducted from the grant. 13. When there are separate roll numbers for male and female National Schools, the application should state for which of them the books, &c., are required; and if for both, two forms should be used.

14. Parcels of books &c., when so desired, will be forwarded, carriage free, to the depot of the district in which the school for which the books are required, is situated, and the Inspectors will inform the Managers on what day they will be ready for delivery; or to the depot of any other district if more convenient; but in the latter case, the Inspector, not knowing the Managers of any schools out of his district, can not give notice.

15. Or the parcel will be forwarded to any place nearest to the Manager's residence to which there is a mode of conveyance. In this case the Manager must point out the precise mode of conveyance by which the parcel is to be transmitted, and he must also defray the cost of carriage.

16. When parcels are forwarded to the depot of a district, it is not the duty of the Inspector to transmit the parcel to the Manager's residence or to the school. 17. The Manager is required to send to the depot on the day appointed by the Inspector for delivery of parcels, a Messenger who must present the order on the Inspector, with which the Manager will be furnished; and which order the Inspectors are required to transmit to this office as a proof of the delivery of the parcels.

18. If a parcel is to be sent by a carrier, he must call at the office in Dublin, not sooner than two days after the Manager's directions shall have been received, and must produce the Manager's order to the storekeeper here, for its delivery, on the form supplied for the purpose.

19. The Commissioners do not supply books or requisites to the public, or to schools not connected with the Board of National Education.

IX. Miscellaneous.

1. Persons desirous of obtaining assistance from the Commissioners of National Education, under any of the foregoing heads, will, upon intimating to the Secretaries the nature of the aid required, be furnished with the forms upon which their application must be laid before the Commissioners.

2. Applicants for assistance are not to understand that the Commissioners are bound to grant the full amount of aid, as set forth in the foregoing regulations, in every case; nor can they grant any, unless they have sufficient funds for the purpose, which depends upon the amount placed at their disposal by Parliament. 3. The Commissioners desire it to be distinctly understood, that they do not hold themselves bound to grant aid, unless application shall have been made to them, in the first instance, on the proper form, and unless the application shall have been favorably and finally decided upon by the Board. Applicants, therefore, should not incur any expense toward the payment of which they expect the Commissioners to contribute, until the decision of the Board shall have been communicated to them.

4. All communications in reference to National Schools should be signed and made by the Patron or Manager. The Commissioners do not correspond with Teachers of National Schools.

5. No attention can be paid to "anonymous communications."

LAURA BRIDGMAN was born December 29, 1829, in the town of Hanover, New Hampshire.

Her parents were of the average height, and though slenderly built were of sound health and good habits. The fathers' temperament inclined to the nervous, but he had a small brain; while the mother had a very marked development of the nervous system, and an active brain, though not a large one.

They were persons of good moral character, and had received about as much culture as is common in the rural districts of New Hampshire. The child inherited most of the physical peculiarities of the mother, with a dash of what, from want of a better name, is called the scrofulous temperament. This temperament makes one very liable to certain diseases, but it gives great delicacy of fibre, and consequent sensibility. Laura had a physical organization like that of a delicate plant; very liable to derangement, because very sensitive; also, very difficult as an organization to bring to maturity, but promising great capacity and beauty.

During infancy she was puny and rickety. She was subject to disturbances of the nervous system, the outward symptoms of which some persons call 'fits,' and think they explain the whole matter by that name. These disturbances, or fits, usually cause permanent injury to the brain, which shows itself in feebleness of certain mental faculties, in imbecility, or total idiocy. They should always be regarded and treated as symptoms of grave character, and liable to affect the whole future bodily and mental character, even when the apparent proximate cause is "teething," or a derangement of the digestive organs.

In Laura's case these fits recurred, at various intervals, until she was about a year and a half old. During that period, therefore, she lost the healthy growth and development which should have been going on. Such loss is probably always irreparable. For each period, for each moment even, from the first quickening to full maturity of the general organism, there is a peculiar phase of development in each organ, necessary to its final perfection, and which can not go on

equally well at any other period, whether earlier or later. But, besides this negative loss, there must probably always be absolute and permanent mischief, from such long continued morbid action, in an organ so delicate as the brain.

At about twenty months old, she became apparently well, and continued so for four months. During this period all her senses seemed to be in a normal condition; and she showed more intelligence than one would expect, in view of her previous condition.

She sickened again at two years old. The scarlet fever ravaged her system with great fury, destroying utterly the organs of sight and hearing,* blunting the sense of smell, and prostrating her whole system so completely that recovery seemed impossible. She was kept in bed, in a darkened room, for about five months, and was ill and feeble for two years.

The storm of disease gradually abated, however, and the wreck at last floated peacefully upon the stream of life. But, what a wreck! Blind, deaf, dumb, and, moreover, without that distinct consciousness of individual existence which is developed by the exercise of the senses. I say "distinct consciousness," in comparison with that of ordinary persons; for, of course, the general sense of touch, the capacity of muscular contraction, the feelings of hunger, thirst and the like, are parts of the consciousness of existence.

A most interesting psychological question is, how much exercise did she have of the senses of sight and hearing, during the period in which the organs of those faculties remained intact; and how far did such exercise facilitate her subsequent mental development.

We should consider that during most of her early infancy the system was frequently disturbed by disease; that there were only a few months during which the senses could have been in healthy action; and that this period was followed by painful and severe disorders during two years. These disorders must have convulsed the system, and perhaps weakened if not effaced the impressions received through the senses, so that probably very little if any permanent impression was made; and when the child finally was restored to health of body, she was as one born deaf, blind, and without smell. She certainly was in this condition for all practical educational purposes. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that after she acquired a knowledge of arbitrary language, and was able to take such cognizance of her own mental condition, as to be able to converse freely about it, she said she had no recollections of sight or sound. She is probably right about this. No

*This was literally the case. The eye-balls and contents of the ears were discharged by suppuration.

examination has yet shown that the impressions made upon her organs of sight and hearing, awakened in her mind perceptions that were persistent enough to modify permanently her conscious existence.

Such examination, if skillfully made, and aided by her desire to ascertain the truth, would be more satisfactory than might at first appear. Its value as a test will be seen, if we consider how important a part in the development of the human mind is played by language, and particularly by speech.

Language, whether in the earlier form of visible signs, or the later one of audible sounds, or speech, is the natural result of man's perceptions and sensations. He creates it in order to manifest outwardly what he feels and thinks; and the point is this,-that his language may express less, but can not express more than he has felt or thought. All languages indeed are imperfect; and, even if they were to be so far perfected to-day as to express all the fine modifications of thought and feeling of which man is now capable, they would be imperfect when his mental and moral capacities become more fully developed. The English language is not the most subtle ever invented, yet, having been built up gradually by beings with five senses, it contains a multitude of expressions which are just as incomprehensible to beings with only four senses, as a multitude of expressions in a language built up by persons with six senses would be to us who have only five.

If a man, blind from birth, should pretend that he had possessed sight during his early years, he might be detected by skillful examination of his use of language. He might have learned as many tongues and dialects as a Burritt or a Mezzofanti, and might know them better than those polyglots, and yet be utterly unable to comprehend the meaning and force of many forms of expression in his mother tongue, which are familiar as household words, and as easily comprehended by all who possess the sense which he lacks. What to him can be the word-names of the concrete phenomena of colors, to say nothing of their countless modifications, as in the autumn foliage, or the borealis, where they appear and vanish as quickly as the emotions they excite in us? How much less could he understand that large class of expressions, partly metaphorical, founded upon visible appearances; for instance, "the blushing morn." Should he seek the meaning in his own emotions, he would be wider of the mark than he might be by a random guess; for all he knows of the physical phenomena of a blush is the tingling glow of blood in the cheeks, and "bloody morn" would be quite as appropriate to him as "blushing morn."

These considerations will show that there are means of obtaining evidence, at least of a negative kind, upon the question how far the No. 11.-[VOL. IV., No. 2.]—25.