One cause of the prevailing ignorance as to metrical structure is that college curricula rarely give a place to the subject, and if it is taught at all it is in a very desultory manner. And again, students themselves have not seriously applied their minds to the study. This comes mainly from the fact that they have not had competent leaders; but also incidentally from the prevailing ignorance as to musical principles and a decided tendency to treat scansion as a joke. Any boy or girl will enjoy the rhythmic tread of marching armies, the measured step of waltzes, or the regular stroke of the drum, without the enquiry as to what it is that gives the pleasure. But rhythm, the common element of joy in the above named movements, is scarcely recognized in poetry; and if so, it is treated as a toy. Those who may not feel the force of the higher reasons for a knowledge of rhythm cannot fail to see the practical aid in fixing the accent of a word by its position in a line. If the laws of metrics were better understood, there would not be any excuse for mispronouncing "Golgotha" when we read Shakespeare's line in Macbeth: "Or memorize another Golgotha;" or for misplacing the accent of "Sophia" when we read Byron's line: "I have beheld Sophia's bright roofs swell." In the second book of Pope's translation of Homer's "Iliad," the catalogue of the Greek ships contains hundreds of difficult proper names, all of which may be pronounced with reasonable accuracy by a novice, provided he had the metrical feet. From practical and aesthetic reasons we decide that a serious study, lasting a few weeks, should be made of the elements of versification in order to fit high-school students for college work in literature. 6. The paramount need, however, is better teachers, teachers better equipped by nature and training. A good teacher will supply incentives that will compensate for many other deficiencies. This subject of English, being the broadest of all, demands the best and brightest men and women. It also demands college-bred teachers-those who have sounded the depths and ascended the heights. To this end, teachers of English should form an organization to meet once a year and discuss the needs of their work; they should take the best journals dealing with problems of English teaching; and in general strive to keep abreast of the times. In conclusion, had I but the magic whistle of Rhoderick Dhu, which could cause the Scotch heather to bristle with armed retainers; or had I the mystic horn of Roland, which could penetrate space for hundreds of miles, and rouse his sleeping allies to a sense of their duty and the danger of their common cause, I would place it to my lips and blow with all my might. But I have no such magic power. I have but stated in a simple way my honest convictions, based on an experience of several years. Perhaps this Association, in the discussion to follow, may sound forth, with multiplied force, the note of warning; may blow a blast that shall be heard all over this great State, and cause the army of teachers to rally nobly and bravely around the banner upon which is inscribed this legend: "Better English Teaching for Texas!" So mote it bel Some Living Poets of Texas BY H. M. BROWN, EL CAMPO. Lines to Reagan. In memory of Judge Reagan, "Who bore without abuse the grand old name of gentleman."-Tennyson. MARY SAUNDERS. The Southland mourns her dead, The grandeur of her past While men for freedom draw. Her heart is thrilled with pain, She strews her fairest flowers Saw when her wounds were red. John H. Reagan. AMY PEARL COZBY. Solemnly the Dead March echoes, Oh these last, these saddest tributes, He, the faithful one, and tireless; Solemnly the Dead March echoes, Died Sixth of March, 1905. EMMA B. SHINDLER. John Reagan's dead; we heard the knell To steer her course through woe and weal. Popular Talks on Law* VIII-Contracts Contracts of Infants. Infants, or minors, are persons, male or female, under the age of twenty-one years. In all but a few states, however, females become of age at eighteen. The law relating to infants' contracts is for the protection of the infant himself. He is assumed not to be able to protect himself. The age limit, twenty-one years, was fixed in the law many years ago. Perhaps were the law to be formulated anew, the limit would be set lower. Young men and women enter upon business life nowadays earlier than formerly. However, in no jurisdiction, so far as we have learned, has there been any serious attempt made to set the limit of infancy lower than twentyone years, except, as stated, in the case of females. It is common to hear it said that an infant's contracts are void; that one under age cannot make a binding contract. This is an unsafe statement of the rule, if, indeed, not an incorrect one. It were better to say that infants' contracts are voidable; that is, he may avoid them if he so desires; but there are even exceptions to this, as we shall see. If an infant's contracts were void neither party could be held to them, but it is clear in the law that if the infant wants the contract to stand, he can compel its performance on the part of the adult dealing with him; in other words, the plea of infancy is a personal privilege, and one of age who makes a contract with an infant is bound so long as the infant performs his part of the contract. A contract that is voidable on the part of the infant may, upon his reaching maturity, be ratified by him, in which case. both parties will be bound. Where his contract is voidable, as is generally the case, he must avoid it before he becomes of age, or at once after becoming of age, or he will be held as having ratified it. There are instances where the contract of an infant is valid and cannot be avoided by him. These contracts are such as are made for the necessaries of life under cer "Copyrighted by William C. Sprague, president of the Sprague Correspondence School of Law. tain circumstances. In a sense it is scarcely proper, however, to say that he is bound by his contract for necessaries. He is, strictly speaking, not bound as on a contract at all; in other words, not bound to pay the price that he agrees to pay, but only for the reasonable value. A question arises as to what are necessaries. By "necessaries" is not meant what is absolutely necessary to barely keep the infant alive. The rule as generally stated is that the infant is bound for the value of such necessaries as are reasonably useful in maintaining him properly considering his station in life. What, therefore, would be deemed a necessary with one person would not be deemed so with another. A poor boy not moving in society that is accustomed to evening dress, would not be held bound on a contract to buy a full dress suit. A boy whose station in life, whose associates and circumstances require the use of evening dress, with the alternative of his appearing ridiculous, would be held bound under such a contract, on the theory that the suit was a necessity. A contract for articles. of mere luxury or ornament made by an infant would not be valid and binding on him. Then, again, it must be shown, in order that a contract for necessaries be held good, that the infant was not supplied with them by his parents, guardians, or otherwise. The same rule that is stated above holds with reference to contracts for medical attendance in sickness, and for the expense of a common school education. Contracts made by the infant for these, when not furnished by the parent or guardian, or otherwise, would be upheld as valid. Food and clothing, of course, come under the rule. A contract for a college education would not be binding. In other words, whatever the infant contracts for, in order that the contract be valid or binding upon him, must be reasonable in quantity, quality and kind, and suited to his station in life, and not be furnished him by parents, guardian, or from other source. Contracts entered into by an infant to conduct a business or relating to a business are voidable. One who pays a child money on a contract with him for service does so at his peril. The child's earnings belong to the father, and not to the child, particularly if the child lives with the father. If the child, however, has been emancipated, the rule is different. As to property generally, the infant may take property and hold it, but once it is his, he cannot make a contract selling it or conveying it, that is not voidable by him. In the matter of the ratification of a contract by one who has reached maturity, it should be stated that the ratification must be of the whole of the contract. One ratifying a contract made in infancy cannot ratify part and avoid part; he must either ratify all or avoid all. One who has bought property in infancy and not paid for it cannot, upon reaching ma turity, keep the property and avoid the contract as to payment. And so with an infant who has obtained property on a contract; if he desires to disaffirm the contract, he must return the property. He cannot both retain the property and refuse to pay for it. If, however, he has wasted or squandered or lost or destroyed the property and cannot return it, he is not held liable for it. In this connection it is interesting to note that in general an infant is liable for fraud, slander, assault, conversion, and other common law torts in the same way as an adult is; but generally it has been held that when an infant falsely represents himself to be of age and thereby induces another to make a contract with him, the infant is not liable. (To be Continued.) History Section "Working Examples" in History BY FRANCIS B. ATKINSON, EDITOR THE LITTLE CHRONICLE, CHICAGO. Mr. Atkinson will discuss from time to time different phases of the dominant idea of present day educational thought, that of the application of school work to life. Pamphlets treating the idea as developed in the use of Current Events in teaching will be sent free on application. Fifth Article-Part I. SOME VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY.-Notes on the use of current events in history class, seventh grade, St. Xavier's Academy, Chicago. Subject of lesson: The Discovery of America. Aim-(a) To recall clearly and express well the subject matter of the lesson; (b) to see its relation to other periods of his tory past, contemporaneous, and present; (c) to get these results in such a way as most to stimulate the interest and develop the original thinking power of pupils. Method-First, recitation of the lesson with free use of blackboard map; second, endeavor to see the relations between the lesson and any current event that may be given by the pupil from The Little Chronicle, which had previously been used as a text during the regular reading period.* First pupil tells of scenes of desolation witnessed by a traveler in the earthquakestricken region of Chili and the fact that the Government is sending supplies to the people. Teacher Of what part of your lesson does that remind you? Pupil-That reminds me that Columbus was aided by the Government in making his voyage; of the trouble he had in getting the help he needed. Teacher-Who else is reminded of something in the lesson by a current event? Pupil I read an item about the levying of a heavy tribute on all commerce passing through a certain region, which made it almost impossible to do business That reminded me of the inter there. *If no relation can be discovered without too much time and effort, let the event go and pass on to another. Don't feel bound to establish a connection, whether or no. There is an abundance of available material in any one issue of The Little Chronicle. ference of the Turks with trade with the Indies in the time of Columbus. Teacher-Any one else? Pupil I read a good many current events that interested me, but I did not see any that reminded me of the lesson. Teacher-Well, tell us one of the things you read. Pupil-I read the article which tells how the defeat of the Russians by the Japanese has helped the people of Persia to get a new constitution. (Pupil explains briefly that because of the necessary withdrawal of Russian troops to fight the Japanese the Shah was no longer so strongly backed by Russia and, with a rebellion breaking out at home because of her defeat, Russia is still unable to support the Shah, so that he in turn is obliged to yield to the demands of his subjects for a more modern system of government and has granted them a constitution.) Teacher-So this is an instance which shows how history-making in one nation helps to make history in another. Can you name some way in which the discovery of America by Columbus helped to shape the history of the world? The history we have been talking about to-day is the fact that he discovered America. Pupil-One effect of his discovery of America is that the poor people of Europe have a country to which they can go and make something of themselves. If they could not, there would soon be so many people in Europe that they would starve. Teacher-Yes, do these people coming to America remind you of Columbus in any way? Pupil-They cross the same ocean that he did to get here. Teacher-In what other way do they remind you of Columbus? (A few more questions developed the idea that the better class of immigrants who have have come and are still coming to this country are tnterprising and are starting out to discover new roads to success in life, very much as Columbus did; they are all in a way Columbuses." Pupils also speak of many other ways |
