o introduce the students to
the consistent use of this marvelous work). In composition, free
reproduction should still be the main thing, but independent themes
and translation from English into German--which would be distinctly
harmful in elementary work--are now valuable exercises in the study of
German style. It would be wholly wrong, however, to make linguistic
drill the Alpha and Omega of this part of the college course. The
preparatory years should have laid a sound basis, which during the
college work proper should not be allowed to disintegrate, but the
fact should not be lost sight of that the cultural aim must be
stressed most in the second group.

To reach this aim, a familiarity with the best works of German
literature is the foremost means. German literature affords a scant
choice of good and easy reading for the elementary stage: Storm,
Ebner-Eschenbach, Seidel, and Wildenbruch are justly favorites, but
absurdities like Baumbach's _Schwiegersohn_ are, unfortunately, still
found in the curriculum of many colleges. In contrast with the small
number of good elementary texts, there exists an abundance of
excellent material for the second group. Aside from the classical
poets, the novelists Keller, Meyer, Fontane, Raabe; the dramatists
Hebbel, Grillparzer, Kleist, Hauptmann; poems collected in the
_Balladenbuch_ or the _Ernte_ present an inexhaustible wealth, without
our having to resort to the literary rubbish of Benedix or Moser or
the sneering pretentiousness of Heine's _Harzreise_.

The details of organization will vary greatly for this group,
according to special conditions. But in general it may be said that
during the first year of this period about two hours a week should be
devoted to the continuation of systematic language practice as
outlined above, and three hours to the reading of German authors for
literary purposes. Nor should this consist in "reading" alone. Reading
as such should no longer present any difficulty, if the work of the
elementary group has been done well. Special courses should be devoted
to the study of the modern German novel, the drama, and the lyrics,
and to individual authors like those mentioned. In these detached
literature courses the principal endeavor must be to help the students
to understand and feel, not so much the linguistic side of the texts
read, as the soul of the author, and through him the soul of the
German nation. Reading must become more and more independen