Among those who in the last twenty years have helped tospread a knowledge of the educational principles of Froebelbeyond the limits of his native country, Miss Elizabeth Peabody'sname deserves to be specially remembered. It ismainly owing to her enthusiastic efforts that the value of theKindergarten was early recognised in the United States, andthat its first American promoters were encouraged to maintain,amid many difficulties, a standard of real efficiency forthe teachers of Froebel's system. Miss Peabody had longoccupied herself, theoretically and practically, with educationalsubjects. Not satisfied by merely intellectual methodsof instruction, and impatient of the superficiality which wastoo often approved, she made it her great aim to traincharacter, and, by a simultaneous development of children'smental capacities and of their moral nature, to prepare themfor the responsible duties of life. It was not surprising thatwhen Miss Peabody, holding such views of education, camein contact with the ideas and the work of Froebel, she atonce experienced the delight always attached to the discoverythat the problems exercising our own minds have been successfullysolved by some one who has started from principlessuch as ours, and who has cultivated the same ideal. Shefound that Froebel had carried into practice that very kindof training of which she had realized the immense importance,and that he had placed in a clear light truths whichshe had already more dimly perceived. Eager to informherself about the new system, Miss Peabody travelled, in1868, to Europe, on purpose to visit in Germany the Kindergartensestablished by Froebel, who was no longer living,and by his best pupils. On her return to America, she[vi]devoted herself for many years to the introduction andimprovement of Kindergartens and of training institutions,and to enlightening, by her writings and addresses, mothersand educators respecting the value and simplicity of Froebel'smethods. Miss Peabody has the satisfaction of witnessinga good measure of success from her generous exertions, inthe increasing number of advocates of the Kindergarten inAmerica, in its adoption as a first department of many Stateprimary schools, and in the numerous private and charityKindergartens founded from North to South, and from NewYork to San Francisco. Advanced now in years, this warm-heartedlady is engaged in other lines of philanthropic work,but she retains, and still manifests, her earnest interest inthe educational progress which she has laboured so activelyto secure.