There is another serious evil connected with this system which has been too little regarded. It is the necessity which it involves of bringing together, to make up the schools, the most diverse and heterogeneous materials. I know this is an extremely delicate subject to touch upon, but I am satisfied that it ought to be considered, and therefore I shall venture to throw out some suggestions upon it, and take the risk of having both my motives and my judgment condemned. My sympathies naturally lean very strongly to the indigent classes who are struggling to better their condition. But I remember that the image of Justice is pictured to us with bandaged eyes, to symbolize her impartiality. The just rights of all classes should be equally regarded; and while we are anxious to provide every needed facility for the education of the children of the poor, I think we ought not to ignore the educational wants of the wealthy portion of the community, who pay taxes so largely and liberally for the support of our schools. I think that Beacon Hill* should be just as well provided for as Fort Hill. But if you build a school-house large enough to accommodate both localities, and require the parents to send their children to that one school or none, it is obvious that both sections are not equally provided for. But this supposed extreme case illustrates the kind of injustice we are doing, to a greater or less extent, all over the city, by the large-school system. I often point with satisfaction and pride, as an evidence of the success of our system of common schools, to the fact that boys from the wealthier families, and the sons of the highest officials, are found in the same schools with the child of the African race, and the poor newsboy. But I see plainly that there are necessary limitations, even in our intensely democratic community, in the practical application of this idea of bringing together the representatives of the extremes of society in the same school-rooms. The children of the poor must go to such schools as are provided for them, or not go at all; but if the schools provided do not suit the taste of the wealthy parent, he can and will withdraw his children and put them under private tuition. You may say, let him do it, then. That is not my way of disposing of the matter. I hold to the great principle that public schools should not only be free to all, but that they should be made good enough for all, so that, as far as practicable, the children of all classes may attend them. To this end the schools must be adapted to the wants of all. I am well aware that this cannot be done in this country by copying the British system of caste schools, which is based on the idea that the laboring classes, the middling classes and the aristocracy, must each be educated in separate and distinct classes of educational institutions. I only mean to maintain, and this I do maintain firmly, that the wealthy citizen in Boston ought not to be virtually deprived of the advantages of the Public School, which he would enjoy incidentally, if the school-houses were only kept within the limits as to size which a proper regard to efficiency and true economy demands.

Having now presented some of the objections to the policy of building very large edifices for Grammar Schools, I am prepared to give my answer to the practical question, What should be considered the standard size for a Grammar school-house? I proceed on the assumption that there is a natural limit to the size of such a school for the purposes of economy and efficiency. And in view of the vast and varied interests involved in the management of public education, it is highly important to understand what that limit is, and to make our school architecture conform to it. This principle is aptly illustrated in navigation. The size of the vessel must be adapted to the business, or profits do not accrue. What would be thought of the business

*The residence of the wealthiest inhabitants. †The residence of the poorest foreigners.

sagacity of the ship owner who should send his coasting schooner to India, and put his Indiaman to the coasting service? What steam is in navigation, classification or grading is in school economy. But the application of steam to navigation has its natural limitations, as the experiment of the Great Eastern has proved. And so has classification its proper limits, as has already been shown in some overgrown graded schools which seem to have been modelled on the pattern of the mammoth steamship. To determine the proper size of a Grammar School, it is only necessary to ascertain how many pupils are required to secure a good classification, and then adapt the size of the edifice to the accommodation of this number. To ascertain this number is a practical problem. It is easily solved by experience. Every intelligent educator understands it. All would not of course fix upon exactly the same number, but there would not be an essential difference of opinion among experts. The able superintendent of schools of New Haven thinks that both the Primary and Grammar grades combined in one organization in one building require only about 750 pupils for the purposes of a good classification; and he bases his recommendations respecting school architecture on this conclusion. This I should regard as the minimum number for the purpose, if I must take in pupils from five to sixteen years of age. But our system of Grammar Schools includes pupils from eight to sixteen years of age. Within this range, I consider 500 pupils about a fair average necessary for the purposes of a good classification, and a building large enough to accommodate this number is my standard for a Grammar School organized as ours are. I do not say that I would never build one larger or smaller; I should pay a proper regard to other considerations in every particular case to be provided for. But this would be my standard, all variations from it being considered as exceptions. Now, what sort of a building will answer this purpose? I answer, a building nearly resembling the Chapman schoolhouse in proportions and capacity, being three stories high, and having ten school-rooms, and a hall large enough to seat all the pupils accommodated in the school-rooms. I do not name the Chapman as a building to copy in all details, nor yet in architectural taste, for it is by no means a model in respect to beauty; but I refer to it as containing the essential accommodations for a Boston Grammar School. We may take pride in showing strangers an enormous four-story school-house, as evidence of our liberal provisions for free schools, but we cannot afford to sacrifice our substantial educational interests for the sake of any such gratification. We do not want mere show schools: we want real educating schools.

Twenty years ago I strenuously advocated the policy of large schools, according to the extent of my limited influence. But at that time the question was not between schools of five hundred pupils and schools of a thousand, under one head, but between those of two or three hundred and those of five hundred. What was then deemed a large school is now reckoned (with us) a small school. Twenty years ago I ventured to predict that the increase of the size of our schools to five hundred or six hundred pupils under one master would elevate the position of the master and secure for him a higher salary, -a very important consideration in school economy. My anticipations have been more than realized. But this is only an incidental advantage of large schools, and it will not do to increase the size of schools without limit, merely to create responsible situations for principals. Besides, a Grammar School of five hundred, with the Primary Schools grouped around which should be placed under the same head, is as large as is desirable for the proper supervision of one principal.

I have thus protracted the discussion of this topic, because it seems to me a topic of vital importance, and if what I have said shall lead to a careful consideration of it by the School Board and the City Council, my object will be accomplished.

PLAN OF THE NORCROSS SCHOOL-HOUSE.

The building is located on a lot of land bounded on three of its sides by D, Fifth, and Gold streets, the principal front facing on D Street. The building is three stories high exclusive of the basement and attic, the main building having a frontage on D Street of 90 ft. 4 in., and on Fifth and Gold streets 61 ft. 8 in. In the centre of the D-street and rear sides is an avant corps, or projection from the main building, each projecting 7 ft. 4 in. and having a width of 34 ft. The entrances to the building, of which there are two, one in front, the other in the rear, are in the projections. The entrance hall extends across the building from front to rear and is 22 ft. wide in the centre of the building, a staircase and scholars' cloak-rooms occupying a portion of the width at each end of the hall.

On each side of the entrance hall, in each of the three stories, are two school-rooms, each 29 by 32 ft. and 12 ft. 6 in. high. Each of these rooms, twelve in all, has its separate cloak-room for scholars, each about 5 by 17 ft., connecting both with hall and school-room, and a small room for the teacher, 6 by 10 ft., connecting with the schoolroom. The teachers' rooms are located in the angles of the projections, a broad and well lighted staircase occupying the middle portion at each end of the halls. In the attic, the whole of the main building within the high Mansard roof, is devoted to a hall about 54 by 80 ft. and 16 ft. high, for exhibitions and general exercises; in the projections are the staircases and closets for apparatus, &c. The large hall is lighted from all sides, and the whole floor space is clear of obstructions, a handsome stucco cornice finishes the angle of the walls and ceiling, and the walls, which are entirely vertical, are finished about 4 ft. high with hard wood. It is larger than any other school-house hall in the city.

The basement is 10 ft. high in the clear, 5 ft. of which is above the level of the yard paving. In this story is a Committee room about 17 by 30 ft., a janitor's room, teachers' water closets, the heating apparatus and fuel room, and two play-rooms for scholars, each 29 by 32 ft.

Each school-room is furnished with 56 single desks and chairs, a eacher's platform, desk, chair, and waste-basket, a clock and thermometer, blackboards on two sides of each room, with neat receptacles for chalk at the bottom, and cases within the thickness of the artition walls for containing chalk and other necessary articles.

Each school-room is lighted by four large windows, which are proided with inside blinds with rolling slats, for regulating the quantity of light. All the school-rooms and the large hall are in communitation with the head master's room by means of bells and speaking tubes.

In the corridor of each story are two enamelled iron sinks supplied with Cochituate water. The teachers' closets in the basement are fitted with wash-bowls and water-closets. The school privies are