ear lies at the foundation of the
knowledge of each form; the forms are viewed and recognized
by the intermediation of the straight-lined."
FRIEDRICH FROEBEL.

"Froebel's laths, wherewith the child can form letters,
correspond to the beech-staves (_buchenen Staebchen_, now
contracted to _Buchstaben_, i. e., letters of the alphabet),
whereon were carved the runes and magic symbols of our
primitive ancestors."
HERMANN POESCHE.

"It will be readily seen how useful stick-laying may become
in perspective drawing, in the study of planes and solids, in
crystallography; how, while it insures an enjoyable
familiarity with geometrical forms and secures
ever-increasing manual skill and delicacy of touch, it
develops at the same time the artistic sense of the children
in a high degree."
W. N. HAILMANN.

1. The wooden staffs of the eighth gift (sometimes called the tenth)
are of various lengths, but have for their uniform thickness the tenth
of an inch.

They present, as now made, flat sides and square ends, are sometimes
uncolored and sometimes dyed in the six primary colors.

2. The previous gifts dealt with solids and plane surfaces, wholes or
divided wholes, while this one illustrates the edge or line.

The previous gifts more definitely suggested their uses by their
prominent characteristics; this depends for its value largely upon the
ingenuity of the teacher.

We have contrasts of size in the preceding gifts, both in the units
themselves and in the component parts of which the divided units are
made; but in this gift the dimension _length_ is alone emphasized.

3. The most important characteristic of the gift is the representation
of the line. The relations of position and form enter as essential
elements of usefulness.

4. The laying of sticks may be used as an occupation very early in the
kindergarten course, and thus serve as a preparation for the first
drawing exercises, but there should be no attempt at this time to give
them their legitimate connection with the cube as the edge of the
solid and with the tablet as a portion of the surface.

Later they may be introduced in their proper place in the sequence of
gifts, and thus assume their true relation in the child's mind. This
relation is made more evident as we can and s