ural way of thinking. To meet this. demand we find children using sticks, beans, toothpicks, buttons and the like. But after all, these things hold little vital interest for the child. There are many games requiring quick and accurate computation. Keeping the score in the game of bean bag; throwing a ball at numbers placed as targets, the sum of those struck being the child's score at the close of a game, and many such games which call for rapid addition. But the game which grows constantly in attractiveness is the keeping of a store. Many teachers go to great expense to secure the material for such work, but that is not necessary. Why not allow the children to build the store, using the different measurements, working out their own plans and using pasteboard for building material? With the teacher to guide them and small nails and hammers, one corner of the room might soon become a good place for a grocery. If some large boxes can be secured, so much the better. Then let the construction work produce paper cans for fruits and vegetables; let these cans be covered and decorated with pictures cut out from advertisements, colored and pasted onto the cans. Let them make initation eggs, potatoes. There is no limit to the number of things that can be constructed to furnish the grocery stock. Then will come the finding of prices of different articles by consulting the home and neighborhood stores. When the game of buying and selling begins the children will discover very soon that they need to know many number facts in order to play the game well and the drill of the number period will be welcomed. As to money, there is a question concerning the close imitation of real money. But disks may be cut to represent the different pieces of money and figures placed on each to represent the value. Another article will deal with this more in detail. Save the Babies-in Music By May Hamilton Helm, Indianapolis. At the beginning of the school year I appeal to the teachers-especially those teaching children of seven and eight years to use their influence with parents to begin the artistic training of talented children before it is too late. However it may be about repenting one's sins, it is true that, tho one may not realize when the line is crossed, a day arrives when it is too late to learn music and other arts requiring early physical training. The testimony of Charles Darwin to this fact, is most pathetic. For one Harold Bauer, who became master of a new instrument after reaching maturity, there are thousands who failed because they didn't begin early enough. One eminent educator says: "I am increasingly convinced that artistic. boys should not go to our ordinary literary and scientific colleges. It is not that the subjects taught there would fail to be of value in an artistic career. The reason is a simple organic one, the boys are meanwhile growing old. It is the art of actual performance which he must cultivate. It is his wonderful execution which is later to delight his day and generation, rather than his theoretical knowledge. The older hand cannot gain this cunning, nor the older throat." A woman of thirty-two began studying piano when her eight-year-old daughter did. Tho warned that it would be harder for her than for the child, she persisted, and besides deepening her own appreciation of music, it was of great value to her child to have some one at home covering the same ground. Teachers have observed, in other branches, that pupils helped at home make better progress. A certain boy plays his music lesson for his father every evening, and this encourages him far more than one would believe. One wise mother always sits by her boy's side, while he practises his new lesson, and with the opening of school sees that he also resumes music lessons. Another mother whose child was such music to try to make music themselves. I have seen a little girl of seven turn from the phonograph and play simple little five finger exercises with evident satisfaction. Only those incapable of making real music are "discouraged" by mechanical music. This weeding out of the unfit leaves the teacher much better material to work with. The better the models they hear the higher their ideals will be. Children who have been reared in an atmosphere of true music are seldom led astray by rag-time, even tho they may wish for "one of those little slang instruments to play at picnics," they will also be capable of listening with closed eyes to Heifetz play Schubert's deathless "Ave Maria," or be "so thrilled" by the finale of Tschaikowski's F minor Symphony, as to "want to shout Glory Hallelujah!" At the suggestion of Mrs. Kelsey the next series of musical articles will be about the opera. The only two announced as yet, for Indianapolis this season, are L'Oracolo, by Leoni, and studying a much-advertised "system," Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni. As admitted that she had to sit with her little girl and help her. But even when the mother is not able to really help or guide the child, her presence, and interest, does much to encourage the little one. The success of the daily les son plan lies in gratifying the child's craving for the companionship of some one who understands and is interested in what he is trying to do. When player-pianos and phonographs first came into vogue, a few teachers feared the result would be to put them out of business. Such has not proved to be the case. On the contrary, many are inspired by hearing many teachers will hear these, a word or two concerning them may be of in terest. The libretto of L'Oracolo is said to have been adapted from "The Cat and the Cherub," by Fernald. The opera despite its unusual story, and distinctly Chinese atmosphere, is well constructed musically and has been well received from its initial performance in London to its latest in Chicago. The opera is called The Oracle because of the prophetic power of the sage, WinShee, whose son loves and is loved by Ah-Joe, whose hand is sought in marriage by Chim-Fen, proprietor of an opium den. (The scene is Chinatown, San Francisco.) The oracle is consulted and foretells tragedy. After kidnaping, murder and insanity have played their parts the opera closes with a more gruesome ending than that of "Madame Butterfly," but the artistic singing and acting of the principals must evidently outweigh the effect of the tragic story, as its performance attracted to Ravinia the largest audience in the history of the park. To most persons Cavalleria Rusticana suggests merely the well-known Intermezzo, but it was this opera which brought recognition to its composer, Pietro Mascagni. It deals with "Rustic Chivalry," as the name implies. Extracts from an address by Chas. E. Watt at the National American Music Festival, Lockport, N. Y. ("Music News," Chicago.) If the daily newspaper critics of New York and Chicago would persistently call attention to the best of American music and just as persistently point out the absurdity of worshipping foreign music and musicians simply because they are foreign, the situation would change very rapidly. * Last fall, Josef Hofmann paid American composers the compliment of preparing an entire program of American compositions. This he presented in New York to splendid appreciation in so far as the audience was concerned, but the critics of the daily press-next day, without exception, were lukewarm (and in many cases, absolutely antagonistic) in their comments. The program was repeated in Boston with similar results. Later, it was offered by the Hofmann management to several cities (Indian apolis was one of them) of the Middle West and was promptly declined because of the black eye given it by the New York and Boston critics. In speaking to me later of the matter Mr. Hofmann said: "There can be no real appreciation or growth of American music in this country so long as the Eastern newspaper critics maintain the present attitude of hostility to American composition and their servile idea of the unalterable superiority of Europe." This is, of course, an intolerable situation and it must be corrected as rapidly as possible. The patriotic musicians of America must demand the suppression-even, if necessary, the deportation of this class of critics. For, there is absolutely no reason for a longer retention of the idea of a fixed superiority of the German or any other foreign music. There is no reason whatever why music should not be taught to every child in the country by the Government nor why there should not be High School Orchestras and small Choral groups in factories, stores and every other sort of community. There is no reason why there should not be a thousand-fold increase in civic concerts, civic community singing and other forms of music nor why, in time, these should not grow into municipal bands, Symphony orchestras and opera companies. This may cause a smile on some faces but, after all, there is no logical reason whatever why the money of the people should not be spent in this way nor why the Government should not listen as attentively to such plans as it does to scores of other public improvement ideas. King Richard, the Crusader ADAPTED FROM SCOTT'S TALISMAN. In the days of chivalry, a dangerous post, or a perilous adventure, was a reward frequently assigned to military bravery, as a compensation for former trials. In undertaking his charge, Kenneth was not influenced solely by devotion. to the cause of England. He had dared, to love a high-born English maiden, a kinswoman of Richard. The English king, however, regarded it as presumption for a Scotchman to aspire to the hand of a member of the royal family. Kenneth hoped, however, that by this service he might win the favor of Richard so far as to induce him to look less disdainfully upon his suit. So, taking with him his stag-hound, Roswal, Kenneth stationed himself beside the royal standard upon St. George's Mount. Two hours passed without interruption. Suddenly Roswal barked furiously. "Who goes there?" said Kenneth, aware that something was creeping toward him on the shadowy side of the mount. The next moment his astonished gaze rested upon the figure of a misshapen dwarf, whom he knew to be a toy attached to the retinue of the Queen, Berengaria, whom Richard had wedded just before he had embarked upon the Crusade. (In order to understand what follows, we must remind ourselves that, in days of chivalry, knights were vowed to hold sacred every command of ladies to whom they were devoted.) The dwarf, Nectabanus, told Kenneth that he must follow him, in obedience to the command of her who had sent him. When Kenneth demurred, Nectabanus placed in his hand a ruby ring, which, even in the moonlight, he had no difficulty in recognizing as that which usually graced the finger of the high-born lady to whose service he had devoted himself. Could he have doubted the truth of the token, he would have been convinced by the small knot of carnation-colored ribbon which was fastened to the ring. This was his lady's favorite color, and more than once had he himself, assuming it for that of his own liveries, caused the carnation to triumph over all the other hues in the lists. Sir Kenneth was struck almost mute by seeing this token in such hands. "Fond and foolish knight," said the dwarf, "we list not to parley with thee further than to command thee in the name and by the power of the ring, to follow us to her who is the owner of the ring. Every minute that thou tarriest is a crime against thine allegiance." "Good Nectabanus, can my lady know where and on what duty I am this night engaged? Is she aware that my life and my honor depend upon my guarding this banner till daybreak? Can it be her wish that I should leave it even to pay homage to her?" "She requires thy presence instantly," said the dwarf, "and without the loss of so much time as would be told by ten grains of the sand-glass.” Thus adjured, Sir Kenneth said to himself: "I can return in an instant. I can hear the bay of my dog, if any one approaches the standard. I will throw myself at my lady's feet, and pray her leave to return to conclude my watch. Here, Roswal" (calling his hound and throwing down his mantle by the side of the standard spear), "watch thou here, and let no one approach." The majestic dog looked in his masters face, as if to be sure that he understood his charge, then sat down beside the mantle, with ears erect and head raised, like a sentinel, understanding perfectly the purpose for which he was stationed there. The wily drawf led the knight by a roundabout way to that part of the camp where was pitched the tent of Queen Berengaria. After cunningly introducing Sir Kenneth under the outermost folds of the tent, Nectabanus went to report the success of his stratagem to her royal highness. As you may have guessed, the lady Edith knew nothing of the trick by which her lover had been entrapped. The thoughtless queen had conspired with some of her maids-of-honor to humiliate the proud Edith, by forcibly taking her ring off her hand, and then using it as a decoy to lure the knight to desert his post. In dismay and rage, unseen by the women, Kenneth was forced to listen to their conversation, which disclosed the miserable trick by which he had been duped. Towards the last, however, he was relieved to hear from the lips of the Lady Edith herself indignant reproaches, when she learned what a wrong had been done in her name. The queen boasted of the mean triumph that she had won. "A triumph!" exclaimed Edith, indignantly, "a triumph!-the triumph will be with the infidel, when he hears that the Queen of England can make the reputation of her husband's kinswoman the subject of a light frolic." "You are angry, fair cousin, at losing your favorite ring," said the Queen. "Come, it was your name and that pledge that brought him hither. We care not for the bait after the fish is caught." "Madam," rejoined Edith impatiently, "I would give a bushel of rubies, ere ring or name of mine had been used to bring a brave man into a fault, and perhaps, to disgrace and punishment." "You rate your power too low, fair cousin," said the queen, "when you speak of a life being lost for a frolic of ours. The heart of even a lion is made of flesh; and, believe me, I have interest enough with Richard to save this knight, in whose fate Lady Edith is so deeply concerned, from the penalty of disobeying his royal commands." "You know not King Richard," said Edith. "You have been but shortly wedded to him-your breath might as well combat the west wind when it is wildest, as your words persuade my royal kinsman to pardon a military offense. Oh! for God's sake, dismiss this gentleman, if indeed you have lured him hither! I could almost be content to rest with the shame of having invited him did I know that he was again where his duty calls him." "Arise, cousin, arise," said the queen. "I tell thee I will take the blame on myself with King Richard in behalf of thy northern friend. Nay, look not so reproachfully. We will send Nectabanus to dismiss this Knight of the Standard to his post." The queen was astonished to hear the dwarf say that only a curtain con |