A SCHOOL INSPECTOR'S REMINISCENCES.
Memories Grave and Gay : Forty Years at School Inspection. By John Kerr, LL.D. (W. Blackwood and Sons. 6s.)—The author of this volume, who was appointed an Inspector of Schools in Scotland in the year 1860, and five years ago retired from the post he then held as Senior Chief Inspector, has had a wide experience of men, and especially of teachers, as in the course of his career he removed from one district to another until he must have come to know intimately the whole of his native country. Dr. Kerr is obviously also a man of strong common-sense and of what Scotch people used to style " sagacity." When he does make an independent comment on the "progress " of education, it is often delightfully vigorous, as when he says :—" Fears are sometimes expressed that the working classes are getting too highly educated. Educated? No, but foolishly crammed with (for some of them) indigestible food, through the inju- dicious action of parents or teachers, with the result that a feeble, half-starved professional is the miserable product of what might with appropriate training have been a self-respecting and competent artisan." The short history which Dr. Kerr gives in the earlier part of his volume of the changes he has seen in Scot- tish education, and his delightful sketch of James Beattie, a typical old-fashioned teacher, indicate what he might have done had he chosen. In writing this book he has been too much under the impression that to be read nowadays one must above all things be funny. So in his Memories Grave and Gay the sack in the shape of "good stories" of teachers, ministers, ministers' men, and other persons more or less under the influence of whisky, and even of "chestnuts" and examination "howlers," is out of all proportion to the bread of information or reflection. Dr. Kerr's book must, however, be taken as it stands. Undoubtedly his long and varied experience has enabled him to pick up anecdotes which will be new to English readers at least. Here are two :—" A minister was expostulating with a beadle for objecting to do some small piece of extra work, and telling him what good wages he got just for ringing the bell on Sunday, and for laying the Bible and Psalm-book in the pulpit= and that is all you do." Ay,' replied Robert, 'and ye't naething to be forced to gang to the kirk ilka Sunday ? " The second tells of a Highland " man,"—a layman prime to unction, and often regarded with superstitious respect. " Among other petitions, he prayed, ' 0 Lord, we ask Thee to send down more light on Thine ancient handmaid, Mary Cameron, that she may understand the Scriptures.' Mary, smarting under the double wrong of the mean advantage he was taking when ho had it all his own way, and the reference to herself as 'ancient,' sprang from her knees to her feet with, `It's just like your im- pudence to speak of me in that disrespeckfu' way to my Maker.' " Of the readability of Dr. Kerr's book there can be no doubt whatever.
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