That is rather a heavy draft, too. We have been closely
under old LEOPOLD GMELIN in our time, and worked a winter or so hard at
the test glasses, and had divers courses of lectures under divers
eminent professors, and read LIEBIG and STOeCKHARDT and others more or
less--just enough to learn that to _honestly teach_ chemistry, even in
the most elementary manner, months and years of additional work were
requisite.

'Botany!' Botany is rather a large-sized object to acquire--even to
become the merest _amateur_. A year's lectures from Dr. TORREY and some
hard work over GRAY and DE CANDOLLE and the rest, are not enough even
for this. It was but yesterday and to us that a gentleman whose special
pleasure is botany, who has devoted thousands of dollars and years to
the pursuit, ridiculed the suggestion that he was qualified to teach it.

'Zoology, Astronomy, Rhetoric, Meteorology, and--History!'

Don't be alarmed, reader. Very possibly the young lady in question will
not be _too_ strictly examined in all these branches--- neither will she
be required to impart more than the mildest possible of knowledge to her
pupils. Very possibly, too, she will teach Chemistry--think of it, ye
brethren of the retort!--_without experiments!!_ For just such atrocious
and ridiculous humbug have we known to be passed off on children, in
've-ry expensive' 'first-class' ladies' schools in Philadelphia and in
New York, for instruction in Chemistry. The young brains were vexed and
wearied day after day to acquire by vague description and by _rote_ the
details of an almost purely experimental science.

And, 'a mind _richly_ stored with general information!'

It is a pity that magic is out of date. Something might be done for our
Superintendent with the ghost of Hypatia!

* * * * *

Will our friends and readers during the approaching book-buying and
holiday presenting times be so kind as to occasionally bear in mind the
fact that 'SUNSHINE IN THOUGHT,' by CHARLES GODFREY LELAND, has just
been published? As the work in question, while publishing in a serial
form, was very warmly and extensively praised by the press, and as high
literary authority has declared that 'it presents many bold and original
views, very clearly set forth,' we venture to hope that our commendation
of it to the public will not seem amiss.--EDMUND KIRKE.

* * * * *

Our lady readers wanting a constant and most