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Thus very nearly upon the completion of three quarters of a century of faithful and successful work the Institution enters upon a new era with enlarged facilities and with a future brightened by the prospect of a constantly expanding field of usefulness and the promise of grander achievements in its noble and disinterested work. With the opening of this era this brief history appropriately ends.

A sketch of the Institution would be incomplete, however, without some reference to the nature of its educational work. We cannot enter into the details of the methods of teaching employed, but a brief outline will give an idea of the extent and thoroughness of this instruction.

The work of the school may be broadly divided into manual and oral. In the oral department the instruction is wholly by speech. Signs are entirely discarded, and as far as possible, prohibited, the aim being to make speech and speech-reading, supplemented by writing, the sole means of instruction and communication. In the manual department the instruction is by means of English, either spelled or written, the use of signs, although not forbidden to the pupils as a means of intercommunication, being reduced to a minimum, and every encouragement being given to the pupil to substitute for them either writing or spelling. In other respects the general methods of development in the two departments are similar, action writing, picture writing, and the interrogative method of testing and adding to information being largely relied upon for purposes of language teaching and mental development. The work in both departments is divided into primary and advanced stages, the former covering the first four and the latter the last six years of the term of instruction. In the former, attention is devoted principally to developing the faculties and imparting knowledge, and in the latter stage the elements of a common school education are imparted. The ultimate ends of oral and manual training are similar, the aim being to give a good English education and to prepare for college those who may desire to pursue a higher course of instruction.

The history of the Institution has been marked by the readiness displayed by the Board of Directors to adopt every improvement that gave reasonable promise of benefit to the pupils. This has been especially true in regard to methods of Instruction, and while always conservative in its policy, the institution has kept fully abreast of contemporary progress. The method of instruction at first adopted was the manual or Sicard, and as no evidence was brought forward, in this country at least, to dispute its claim to superiority, it was conscientiously and zealously pursued. When, however, the success of methods of teaching the deaf speech and by speech was demonstrated, they were at once introduced into the Institution and subjected to a practical test under the eyes of the Board of Directors. Satisfactory as the results were, no undue haste was displayed to extend the scope of oral teaching until it was demonstrated beyond question that a much larger per centage of the deaf could profit by oral teaching than was generally supposed. Then, very gradually, oral teaching was extended, and at the present time the Institution is slowly and carefully advancing to that mean between systems and methods which shall assure to each and every pupil the greatest possible measure of benefit. I cannot better describe the aim of the Institution in this respect than by quoting from the able address of the principal, Mr. Crouter, on the occasion of the opening of the new buildings of the Institution at Mt. Airy:

"In the pursuit of its object this Institution recognizes all methods of acknowledged educational value; in the instruction of its pupils it employs that method that promises most benefit to the child. May it be taught to speak, it insists upon the use of pure oral methods. Should results not seem to justify the prolonged employment of such means they are discontinued and the instruction of the child is carried forward by manual methods-spelling, writing, picture-reading and signs. It is believed that in pursuing this course the great end and aim of the Institution may best be subserved, and the welfare of every pupil best be promoted. It is but right to mention in this connection that the work of the school is tending more and more toward oral methods, and that all pupils who come to us hereafter shall, by a decision of the Directors, have opportunity of profiting by that method.

As at present organized the intellectual work of the Institution is conducted in an oral department in which fully forty per cent of the attendance share in the benefits of oral methods, and in a manual department, subdivided into primary and advanced sections, wherein the instruction of the remainder is carried on by manual methods. Shall the oral department increase until it absorbs the whole or greater part of the manual department? Results alone must answer that important question. Certain it is that whatever method accomplishes most for the culture and well-being of our pupils the Board of Managers will not hesitate to adopt and carry forward with the utmost diligence and zeal.