work, and note-books, in which extracts were made from standard
authors and specimen sums worked with flourishes wondrous to behold. The
serious study of literature and history was almost unknown. The memory
work consisted in many schools in learning Mangnall's Questions and
Brewer's Guide to Science--fearful books. The first was miscellaneous:
What is lightning? How is sago made? What were the Sicilian Vespers, the
properties of the atmosphere, the length of the Mississippi, and the
Pelagian heresy? These are, I believe, actual specimens of the
questions; and the answers were committed to memory. About twenty-five
years ago I examined some girls in Brewer's Guide to Science. The verbal
knowledge of some of them was quite wonderful; their understanding of
the subject absolutely _nil_. They could rattle off all about positive
and negative electricity, and Leyden jars and batteries; but the words
obviously conveyed no ideas whatever, and they cheerfully talked utter
nonsense in answer to questions not in the book.

Examinations for schools were not yet instituted; the education was
unguided, and therefore largely misguided. Do not let us imagine for an
instant that these evils have been generally cured. The secondary
education of the country is still in a deplorable condition; and it
behoves us to repeat on all occasions that it is so. The schools I am
describing from the report of twenty years ago exist and abound and
flourish still, owing to the widespread indifference of parents to the
education of their girls, to the qualifications and training of their
mistresses, and the efficiency of the schools. Untested, unguided, they
exist and even thrive, and will do so until a sounder public opinion and
the proved superiority of well-trained mistresses and well-educated
girls gradually exterminates the inefficient schools. But we are, I
fear, a long way still from this desirable consummation.

What were the mistresses? For the most part worthy, even excellent
ladies, who had no other means of livelihood, and who had no special
education themselves, and no training whatever. Naturally they taught
what they could, and laid stress on what was called the _formation of
character_, which they usually regarded as somehow alternative with
intellectual attainments and stimulus, and progress in which could not
be submitted to obvious tests.

I suppose most of us think that there is no more valuable assistance in
the formation of cha