The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-08-10
From The Boston Magazine.
CONFESSIONS or A COUNTRY SCHOOL
MASTER.

etThis is, confessedly, the age Of confession
the era Of individuality-.the triumphant reign OF
the first person singular.-N I. Literary Ga
zeLe.
The sufferings of country schoolmastcrs
have been SO often given to the public, that
/, whose mortal career has certainly been
shortened,i iif not sweetened, by the delight
full task, resolved at one time, not to renew
the ''sad remembrance OF my fate" but to
let a speedy oblivion cover those calamities,
tall Of which / saw" and less fortunate than
.F.neas, "all of which | was" My story,
feared, would be treated like the certificates
of our modern beggars. Public sympathy
is nearly exhausted by the drafts already
made upon it by that degraded class OF be-
ines to which belong, and any more from
the same quarter are liable to be protested.
The following circumstances altered my res
olution. Catching up an old newspaper the
other day, in fit of ennui, summoned en-
erpy enough to peruse, for the third time,
the pathetic tale Of fellow pedagogue.
which had attracted much notice on its first
appearance, and it is evidently the produe-
tion Of mastery pen. By this it seems he
was actually in peril of dying an hungered.
What starvation in coudtry town OF New
England! The leading idea of his piece now
struck me as palpable absurdity. 10 all
| his assertions nv own experience gave the
lie direct The winning pathos OF this wri-
ter. his admirable humour. and the fascina-
tions in general, all conspire to make upon
the reader deep but incorrect impression
of the manner in which our country people
treat ssthe master" To efface this is my
object. Novelty have none to offer--arti-
| fice scorn--eloquence ne'er sat upon my
lips--my sole attractions are misery and the
truth.
At the close of the year 1926, my diabol-
ical destiny sent me to HI, village on
the sea coast of N. England state, inhabited
by certain amphibous bipeds, who call them
| selves farmer-hshermen Here contracted
to spend eight wintry weeks in cultivating
whatever there might be in forty-five chill
dren (if they can claim the name) OF both
sexes Fool that I was--as if the young
idea'' could shoot in winter more than any
other weed, and that too in soil of the con-
sistency Of granite. But a few days of fruit
less f1ogging prompted me to spare my own
feelings, the only ones affected by that ex-
ercise, and to employ my ferule i'll ruling the
writing books instead of the scholars; and
| did desst soon after upon discovering that
4 my merits as an instructor, were estlmated
by my clemency to the puPlis--tnae IS 10
saw. nv popularity with the children, and
Il
4 was in the reverse ratio of hagelaton dis
pensed. One great point was already gain
ed-but another of equal magnitude, though
in cheering state of procession, remained
to be fully accomplished; namely to render
; myself agreeable as a member OF the fam
Iily where happened to board. This is no
LESS essential to complete success, than to
: spare the rod and spoil the child. In justice
, to myself, however, it should here be re-
,, marked that am free from the guilt Of full
filling the latter half of Solomon's maxim /;
for the children were all spoiled to my hand
The second important qualification of a
country preceptor is, that he be able to de-
molish any given quantity of provisions.
t This is indispensable. Our country people
, never starve the master, though admit
with the most cheerful alacrity, that they
, may sometimes stuff him to death. Among
: them no abstemious man can be favorite
t Whoever asserts the contrary, either wilfnl'
Y ly misrepresents, or is deplorably ignoran'