n the city. The hour was occupied by a lecture
on Lessing, a poet whom the class were evidently studying with German
minuteness.

I also visited a class in reading,--younger girls, about ten or twelve
years of age. They were admirably taught, both in reading and
memorizing, the latter chiefly of German ballads. I saw no better
teaching done in Berlin than that of this class. Its enthusiastic lady
teacher would be a treasure in any land. The last visit of the morning
was to a class in vocal music, taught by a gentleman. It was
interesting as affording a view of the methods in this music-loving
country, but did not differ materially from what would be considered
good instruction and drill on this side the water. The teacher himself
played the piano, the pupils standing in rows on either side.

In the teachers' dressing-room, a comfortable apartment for the
teachers who came from without the building, I chatted a few moments
with two or three ladies. One spoke English so well that I asked if it
were her vernacular. She appeared gratified by the compliment; said
she had been much in other continental countries, and had spent three
years in England, with eighteen months beside in the United States.
She mistook me for an Englishwoman, and confidently informed me that
she had feared her English accent was ruined by the time spent "in the
States." "Did you find it so?" I inquired. "No," she said;
"fortunately I was able to correct it by stopping in England on my way
back." She had evidently not met the gentleman who informed his
English friends that they must go to Boston, Massachusetts, if they
would hear English spoken correctly. While in Berlin I heard of a
young American who was accosted by an Englishman with a question as to
what language she spoke. "I speak American," was the reply, "but I can
understand English if it is spoken slowly."

The wish to learn English is almost universal among Germans, and the
schools have not been before public opinion in making it a part of the
curriculum. The result as yet, however, judging from our observation,
will justify greater painstaking and more practice, before a high
degree of accuracy is reached among the pupils.

IV.

CHURCHES.

The greatest Protestant power of Continental Europe has no
Court-churches worthy in appearance of companionship with its palaces
and public buildings. But there are those of much historical and other
interest, and in some of them the livi