Boards  of  Education  and  Directors  may  establish
kindergartens  (when  authorized  to  do  so  by  vote
of  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  their  districts),  for
children  between  the  ages  of  four  and  six  years,
but  the  cost  of  supporting  the  same  must  be
defrayed  by  a  special  tax.— A  compulsory  pro-
vision of  the  School  Law  requires  that  each  child,
between  the  ages  of  seven  and  fourteen  years,
shall  be  sent  to  school  at  least  sixteen  weeks  of
each  year,  unless  otherwise  instructed  in  the
elementary  brandies,  or  disqualified  by  physical
or  mental  disability.— Under  the  provisions  of  an
act,  passed  in  1891,  women  are  made  eligible  to
any  office  created  by  the  general  or  special  school
laws  of  the  State,  when  twenty -one  years  of  age
or  upwards,  and  otherwise  possessing  the  same
qualifications  for  the  office  as  are  prescribed  for
men.  (For  list  of  incumbents  in  the  office  of
State  Superintendent,  see  Superintendents  of
Public  Instruction.  )

EDWARDS,  Arthur,  D.D.,  clergyman,  soldier
and  editor,  was  born  at  Norwalk,  Ohio,  Nov.  23,
1834;  educated  at  Albion,  Mich.,  and  the  Wes-
leyan  University  of  Ohio,  graduating  from  the
latter  in  1858 ;  entered  the  Detroit  Conference  of
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  the  same  year,
was  ordained  in  1860  and,  from  1861  until  after
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  served  as  Chaplain  of
the  First  Michigan  Cavalry,  when  he  resigned  to
accept  the  colonelcy  of  a  cavalry  regiment.  In
1864,  he  was  elected  assistant  editor  of  "The
Northwestern  Christian  Advocate"  at  Chicago,
and,  on  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Eddy  in  1872,
became  Editor-in-chief,  being  re-elected  every
four  years  until  his  death,  Mar.  20,  1901.  He  had
also  been  a  member  of  each  General  Conference
since  1872.  was  a  member  of  the  Ecumenical  Con-
ference at  London  in  1881,  and  held  other  posi-
tions of  prominence  within  the  church.
