d her work. Read from the "Sonnets from the Portuguese,"
addressed to her husband, from "Aurora Leigh" and from her shorter
poems.

Howells is considered the most distinguished of our modern American
prose writers, the leader of the realistic school which has so largely
influenced recent work. He has written much besides his novels, but they
are perhaps best known. Notice his ability to portray character; the
delightful ease and naturalness of his style and his humor and truth in
character drawing. Read from "The Rise of Silas Lapham," and "A Modern
Instance." Read also from his sketches of travel.

VIII--APRIL

Study Hans Christian Andersen, Murillo, Wordsworth and Charlotte Bronte,
whose birthdays come in this month.

Andersen's life is full of a simple interest, and a sketch of it may be
followed by many readings from his books, especially from "A
Picture-Book Without Pictures," "Tales for Children," and "The Ice
Maiden." Notice that most of his work was illustrated from incidents
from his own experience, which makes it natural.

Murillo, the Spanish painter, the friend of Velasquez, painted in three
different styles, but he used only two classes of subjects; papers may
work out this suggestion and illustrate it from his well-known pictures.
Show copies of the "Assumption of the Virgin," his best-known religious
work, and of others of the same style. Notice the beauty and charm of
his children.

Wordsworth should certainly have more than one meeting given to him.
Write of his quiet country life, of his wife and sister Dorothy; of his
many friends; show his different styles of verse and read poems from
each; read also his best-known sonnets.

Charlotte Bronte is one of the unusual English women writers. Write of
her home life on the moors with her talented family, her work,
especially "Jane Eyre," so full of striking romance, and her early
death. Read several scenes from "Jane Eyre."

IX--MAY

Dante, Andubon, Browning and Brahms belong to May.

Dante's story, his life in Florence, his love for Beatrice, his military
service, his exile and death all need plenty of time to study. His fame
as a poet is unrivaled in its power and beauty of language. Have
sketches of his life, his times and his work, and read what critics have
said of it. Read also from translations of the "Vita Nuova" and the
"Divina Commedia," in their translations. (See Longfellow's.)

The work of our own Audubon is better known to-day