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writing the teacher should be among the pupils offering assistance,
and insisting upon good penmanship. Care at the beginning will form a
habit of neatness, and keep the penmanship up to a high standard.

The arrangement suggested is only one plan. This works well. Many
others may be adopted. But no plan should be accepted which makes the
number of essays fewer than one a week; nor should the number of days
given to literature be smaller than three a week.

During the second year, if the instructor thinks it can be done
without loss, the compositions may be written outside of school hours
and brought to class on a definite day. A pupil should not be allowed
to put off the writing of a composition any more than a lesson in
geometry. On Monday of each week a composition should be handed in;
irregularity only makes the work displeasing and leads to shirking.
Writing out of school gives more time for criticism and study of
composition, and during the second year this extra time is much
needed.

By the third year the pupils certainly can do the work out of school.
As the compositions increase in length, more time will be necessary
for their preparation. The teacher should, however, know exactly what
progress has been made each week; and by individual criticisms and by
wise suggestions she should help the pupil to meet the difficulties of
his special case.

In order that the instructor may have time for individual criticism,
she should have two periods each day vacant in which to meet pupils
for consultation. To make this clear, suppose that a teacher of
English has one hundred pupils in her classes. She should have no
more, for one hundred essays a week are enough for any person to
correct. If there be six recitation periods daily, place twenty-five
pupils in each of four sections for the study of literature,
composition, and general criticism. This leaves two periods each day
to meet individuals, giving ten pupils for each period. These should
come on scheduled days, with the same regularity as for class
recitation. The pupil's work should have been handed in on the second
day before he comes up for consultation, in order that the teacher may
be competent to give criticisms of any value. The inspiration of the
first reading cannot be depended upon to suggest any help, nor is
there time for such a reading during the recitation.

There will be need of class recitation in argument. Ten days or two
weeks are all that i