The Teacher Part 20

"It seems then you have ingenuity enough to discover the reasons. Why did not these reasons prevent your doing it."

"We did not think of them before."

"True; that is the exact state of the case. Now when persons are so eager to promote their own enjoyment, as to forget the rights and the comforts of others, it is _selfishness_. Now is there any rule in this school against selfishness."

"No sir."

"You are right. There is not. But selfishness is wrong,--very wrong, in whatever form it appears,--here, and every where else; and that, whether I make any rules against it or not."

You will see from this anecdote that though there is but one rule of the school, I by no means intend to say that there is only _one way of doing wrong here_. That would be very absurd. You _must not do any thing which you may know, by proper reflection, to be in itself wrong_. This however is an universal principle of duty, not a _rule_ of the Mt. Vernon School. If I should attempt to make rules which would specify and prohibit every possible way by which you might do wrong, my laws would be innumerable. And even then I should fail of securing my object, unless you had the disposition to do your duty. No legislation can enact laws as fast as a perverted ingenuity can find means to evade them.

You will perhaps ask what will be the consequence if we transgress, either the single rule of the school, or any of the great principles of duty. In other words what are the punishments which are resorted to in the Mt. Vernon School? The answer is there are no punishments. I do not say that I should not, in case all other means should fail, resort to the most decisive measures to secure obedience and subordination. Most certainly, I should do so, as it would plainly be my duty to do it. If you should at any time be so unhappy as to violate your obligations to yourself, to your companions, or to me,--should you misimprove your time, or exhibit an unkind or a selfish spirit, or be disrespectful or insubordinate to your teachers,--I should go frankly and openly, but kindly to you, and endeavor to convince you of your fault. I should very probably do this by addressing a note to you, as I suppose this should be less unpleasant to you than a conversation. In such a case, I shall hope that you will as frankly and openly reply; telling me whether you admit your fault and are determined to amend, or else informing me of the contrary. I shall wish you to be _sincere_, and then I shall know what course to take next. But as to the consequences which may result to you if you should persist in what is wrong, it is not necessary that you should know them before hand. They who wander from duty, always plunge themselves into troubles they do not antic.i.p.ate; and if you do what, at the time you are doing it, you know to be wrong, it will not be unjust that you should suffer the consequences, even if they were not beforehand understood and expected. This will be the case with you all through life, and it will be the case here.

I say it _will_ be the case here; I ought rather to say that it _will be_ the case, should you be so unhappy as to do wrong and to persist in it. Such cases however never occur. At least they occur so seldom, and at intervals so great, that every thing of the nature of punishment, that is, the depriving a pupil of any enjoyment, or subjecting her to any disgrace, or giving her pain in any way in consequence of her faults, except the simple pain of awakening conscience in her bosom is almost entirely unknown. I hope that you will always be ready to confess and forsake your faults, and endeavor while you remain in school, to improve in character, and attain as far as possible, every moral excellence.

I ought to remark before dismissing this topic, that I place very great confidence in the scholars in regard to their moral conduct and deportment, and they fully deserve it. I have no care and no trouble in what is commonly called _the government of the school_. Neither myself nor any one else is employed in any way in watching the scholars, or keeping any sort of account of them. I should not at any time hesitate to call all the teachers in an adjoining room, leaving the school alone for half an hour, and I should be confident, that at such a time order, and stillness, and attention to study would prevail as much as ever. The scholars would not look to see whether I was in my desk, but whether the Study Card was up. The school was left in this way, half an hour every day, during a quarter, that we might have a teachers' meeting, and the school went on, generally quite as well, to say the least, as when the teachers were present. One or two instances of irregular conduct occurred. I do not now recollect precisely what they were. They were however, fully acknowledged and not repeated, and I believe the scholars were generally more scrupulous and faithful then than at other times.

They would not betray the confidence reposed in them. This plan was continued until it was found more convenient to have the teachers'

meeting in the afternoons.

When any thing wrong is done in school, I generally state the case and request the individuals who have done it to let me know who they are.

They do it sometimes by notes and sometimes in conversation,--but they always do it. The plan _always_ succeeds. The scholars all know that there is nothing to be feared from confessing faults to me;--but that on the other hand, it is a most direct and certain way to secure returning peace and happiness.

I can ill.u.s.trate this by describing a case which actually occurred.

Though the description is not to be considered so much an accurate account of what occurred in a particular case, as an ill.u.s.tration of the _general spirit and manner_ in which such cases are disposed of. I accidentally understood, that some of the younger scholars were in the habit, during recesses and after school, of ringing the door bell and then running away to amuse themselves with the perplexity of their companions, who should go to the door and find no one there. I explained in a few words, one day, to the school, that this was wrong.

"How many," I then asked, "have ever been put to the trouble to go to the door, when the bell has thus been rung? They may rise."

A very large number of scholars stood up. Those who had done the mischief were evidently surprised at the extent of the trouble they had occasioned.

"Now," I continued, "I think all will be convinced that the trouble which this practice has occasioned to the fifty or sixty young ladies, who cannot be expected to find amus.e.m.e.nt in such a way, is far greater than the pleasure it can have given to the few who are young enough to have enjoyed it. Therefore it was wrong. Do you think the girls who rang the bell might have known this, by proper reflection?"

"Yes sir," the school generally answered.

"I do not mean," said I, "if they had set themselves formally at work to think about the subject; but with such a degree of reflection as ought reasonably to be expected of little girls, in the hilarity of recess and of play.

"Yes sir," was still the reply, but fainter than before.

"There is one way by which I might ascertain whether you were old enough to know that this was wrong, and that is by asking those who have refrained from doing this, because they supposed it would be wrong, to rise. Then if some of the youngest scholars in school should stand up, as I have no doubt they would, it would prove that all might have known, if they had been equally conscientious. But if I ask those to rise who have _not_ rung the bell, I shall make known to the whole school who they are that have done it, and I wish that the exposure of faults should be private, unless it is _necessary_ that it should be public. I will therefore not do it. I have myself however, no doubt that all might have known that it was wrong."

"There is," continued I, "another injury which must grow out of such a practice. This I should not have expected the little girls could think of. In fact, I doubt whether any in school will think of it. Can any one tell what it is?"

No one replied.

"I should suppose that it would lead you to disregard the bell when it rings, and that consequently a gentleman or lady might sometimes ring in vain; the scholars near the door, saying, 'Oh it is only the little girls.'"

"Yes sir," was heard from all parts of the room.

I found from farther inquiry that this had been the case, and I closed by saying,

"I am satisfied, that those who have inadvertently fallen into this practice are sorry for it, and that if I should leave it here, no more cases of it would occur, and this is all I wish. At the same time, they who have done this, will feel more effectually relieved from the pain which having done wrong must necessarily give them, if they individually acknowledge it to me. I wish therefore that all who have done so, would write me notes stating the facts. If any one does not do it, she will punish herself severely, for she will feel for many days to come, that while her companions were willing to acknowledge their faults, she wished to conceal and cover hers. Conscience will reproach her bitterly for her insincerity, and whenever she hears the sound of the door bell, it will remind her not only of her fault, but of what is far worse _her willingness to appear innocent when she was really guilty_."

Before the close of the school I had eight or ten notes acknowledging the fault, describing the circ.u.mstances of each case, and expressing promises to do so no more.

It is by such methods as this, rather than by threatening and punishment, that I manage the cases of discipline which from time to time occur, but even such as this, slight as it is, occur very seldom.

Weeks and weeks sometimes elapse without one. When they do occur they are always easily settled by confession and reform. Sometimes I am asked to _forgive_ the offence. But I never forgive. I have no power to forgive. G.o.d must forgive you when you do wrong, or the burden must remain. My duty is, to take measures to prevent future transgression, and to lead those who have been guilty of it, to G.o.d for pardon. If they do not go to him, though they may satisfy me, as princ.i.p.al of a school, by not repeating the offence,--they must remain _unforgiven_. I can _forget_, and I do forget. For example, in this last case, I have not the slightest recollection of any individual who was engaged in it.

The evil was entirely removed, and had it not afforded me a convenient ill.u.s.tration here, perhaps I should never have thought of it again,--still it may not yet be _forgiven_. It may seem strange that I should speak so seriously of G.o.d's forgiveness for such a trifle as that. Does he notice a child's ringing a door bell in play? He notices when a child is willing to yield to temptation, to do what she knows to be wrong, and to act, even in the slightest trifle, from a selfish disregard for the convenience of others. This spirit he always notices, and though I may stop any particular form of its exhibition, it is for Him alone to forgive it and to purify the heart from its power. But I shall speak more particularly on this subject under the head of Religious Instruction.

II. ORDER OF DAILY EXERCISES.

There will be given you when you enter the school a blank schedule, in which the divisions of each forenoon for one week are marked, and in which your own employments for every half hour are to be written. A copy of this is inserted on page 196.

This schedule, when filled up, forms a sort of a map of the week, in which you can readily find what are your duties for any particular time.

The following description will enable you better to understand it.

_Opening of the School._

The first thing which will call your attention as the hour for the commencement of the school approaches in the morning, is the ringing of a bell, five minutes before the time arrives, by the regulator, who sits at the curtained desk before the Study Card. One minute before the time, the bell is rung again, which is the signal for all to take their seats and prepare for the opening of the school. When the precise moment arrives, the Study Card is drawn up, and at the sound of its little bell, all the scholars recline their heads upon their desks and unite with me in a very short prayer for G.o.d's protection and blessing during the day. I adopted the plan of allowing the scholars to sit, because I thought it would be pleasanter for them, and they have in return been generally, so far as I know, faithful in complying with my wish that they would all a.s.sume the posture proposed, so that the school may present the uniform and serious aspect which is proper, when we are engaged in so solemn a duty. If you move your chair back a little, you will find the posture not inconvenient, but the only reward you will have for faithfully complying with the general custom is the pleasure of doing your duty, for no one watches you, and you would not be called to account should you neglect to conform.

After the prayer we sing one or two verses of a hymn. The music is led by the piano; and we wish all to join in it who can sing. The exercises which follow are exhibited to the eye by the following diagram.

MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL.

SCHEDULE OF STUDIES. 1833.

_Miss_ +-------+----------+------------+-----+-------------+-----+-----------+ | | FIRST | SECOND | | THIRD | | FOURTH | | | HOUR. | HOUR. | | HOUR. | | HOUR. | +-------+----------+------------+--+--+-------------+--+--+-----------+ | | EVENING | LANGUAGES. |G.|R.|MATHEMATICS. |G.|R.| SECTIONS. | | | LESSONS. | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+--+------+------+--+--+-----+-----+ |MONDAY.| | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+ +------+------+--+ +-----+-----+ | TUES. | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+ +------+------+--+ +-----+-----+ | WED. | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+ +------+------+--+ +-----+-----+ |THURS. | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+ +------+------+--+ +-----+-----+ |FRIDAY.| | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+ +------+------+--+ +-----+-----+ | SAT. | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----+-----+------+-----+--+--+------+------+--+--+-----+-----+

_First Hour.--Evening Lessons._

(See plan; page 196.)

We then, as you will see by the schedule, commence the first hour of the day. It is marked evening lessons, because most, though not all, of the studies are intended to be prepared out of school. These studies are miscellaneous in their character, comprising Geography, History, Natural and Intellectual Philosophy, and Natural History. This hour, like all the other hours for study, is divided into two equal parts, some cla.s.ses reciting in the first part, and others in the second. A bell is always rung _five minutes before the time_ for closing the recitation, to give the teachers notice that their time is nearly expired, and then again _at the time_, to give notice to new cla.s.ses to take their places. Thus you will observe that five minutes before the half hour expires, the bell will ring; soon after which the cla.s.ses in recitation will take their seats. Precisely at the end of the half hour, it will ring again, when new cla.s.ses will take their places. In the same manner notice is given five minutes before the second half of the hour expires, and so in all the other three hours.

At the end of the first hour, the Study Card will be let half down, five minutes, and you will perceive that the sound of its bell will immediately produce a decided change in the whole aspect of the room. It is the signal, as has been before explained, for universal permission to whisper, and to leave seats, though not for loud talking or play, so that those who wish to continue their studies may do so without interruption. When the five minutes has expired, the Card goes up again, and its sound immediately restores silence and order.

_Second Hour.--Languages._

(See plan.)

We then commence the second hour of the school. This is devoted to the study of the Languages. The Latin, French, and English cla.s.ses recite at this time. By English cla.s.ses I mean those studying the English _as a language_, i. e. cla.s.ses in Grammar, Rhetoric, and Composition. The hour is divided as the first hour is, and the bell is rung in the same way, i. e. at the close of each half hour, and also five minutes before the close, to give the cla.s.ses notice that the time for recitation is about to expire.

_First General Exercise._