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KDITOKULB.
VOL. VIII,
tion. There may be insuperable objec
tions to tliis syatom of class leoturos; but,
for the advanced classes wo are really tin.
able to sec what they are.
PRONUNCIATION.
Until recently, spoiling was the crite
rion of u conuuon education. In fact, to
mis.spell a single vord,was a disgrace for
one who claimed accurate sc!olarship.
lint this stern criticism, has gradually
blended into a more effectual and equally
useful standard, that of correct pronun
ciation. The student who bases his knowledge
upon the fact that he can spell every
word contained in the dictionary, is
rather out of date. This busy age do
mands little time to quibble over the ox
act letter for the word. The Essay and
Novel have been robbed of their vitality
by the graces of conversation; and the
use and accentuation of words, forms the
apparent material for criticism.
Scholarship is now measured by the
accurate knowledge displayed in con
versation and public speaking as well as
that displayed by the few. Its secret in
the former, lies to a great extent, in the
complete mastery of language. Let the
orator of the day enter upon his discuss
ion, and his lecture discloses the -ogrec
of culture possessed. It matters not how
poor may be the writing and spelling of
the manuscript, correct pronunciation
gains for him the lam els of the day.
Certainly our language admits of many
irregularities in its system of pronuncia
tion; but this is no excuse for ignorance.
For with a little time and attention, all
the words at one's command can be accu
rately mastered.
A particular method of pronunciation,
in various words, is a habit acquired un
conciously; and its accuracy is owing to
the language of daily use. A child ad
dressed with ungrammalical sentences and
mis-pronounced words, will use them in
return. In this rare exception, 'It is easy
to loarn; but difficult to forget," Hulcs
are powerless ovor such habits. It bo.
hooves us tlion to be on the alien.
Accurate spoiling we would not un.
derrato. It will ovor moot with admira
tion. But pronunciation, clear and per
fect, now commandu equal if not higher
merit. And though wo may never again
attain that standard of criticism which
caused an Athenian assembly to hiss at
the orator for the mispronunciation of a
single word, yot the accuracy wo may ac
quire will bo of inestimable value hi the
hearing of tho true critic.
PltlZKS.
Porhups thoro is not another school in
tho country of the ago and size of our
University that has not had prizes offered
to its students. Here nothing of the kind
ovor breaks the mrr.jtony or creates a rip
ple upon the surface of ordinary school
life. In many of tl.o eastern schools,
hundreds, and in some, thousands of dol
lars are ollorod as prizes to the best de
claimed, essayosts, orators, or debaters.
The old objection that nothing substantial
is gained by these contests may be true:
the interest excited may bo momentary,
the extra work done may not be of the
most beneficial kind: but if this be grant
ed then wo must also admit that prizot
under no circumstances are udvitita.
guous: but this cannot be admitted, for al
most the whole of tlio exertion made in
this life is to secure some prize. The bus
inoss man has something tangible that he
is striving to gain. But tho student lias
nothing real, nothing tangible to show
for his days and years of study till ho
conies into the active duties of life. Now
why not give him some insight into the
contests which await him V "Why not let
him taste some of the sweets of victory,
or feel tho pangs of defeat V Surely it will
test the motal ol which ainnii is formed,
and help show him of what material he is
made.
Class exhibitions have been talked of in