The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-07-26
aamuat,r9.
lf[0" the Boston Monthly Magazioe.l
Confessions Of a Country School

Z ms IS confessedly the age of confession
~ era OF 'ndIVidualty-the triumDbant ro;o
/ o''he hrs' person singular. ''-M Z. Tx. Gas
The sufferings of country scbool.ma,
} err nave been so often given TO o.
'uoiic, tnat |, whose mortal career ha
/ er'ain'y been shortened, if not sweet
eped' by The delightful task, resolv
g ~ one time not TO "renew the 81,
remembrance of my fate," but TO let :
i sleedy oblivion cover those calami
is' all OF which saw" and, less for
- than Lana. Ill .uI.i~u -.
| My story, I feared, would be freatet
like the certificates of our modern beg
gars. Public sympathy is nearly ex.
hausted by the drafts already made up.
on it hy that degraded class of beings 10
which belong, and any more from the
same quarters are liable 10 be protested
The following circumstance altered nv
resolution. Catching up an oldnewspa-
per the other day, in fit Of ennui,
summoned energy enough 10 reruse, for
The third time, the pathetic tale of fell
low pedagogue, which had attracted
much notice on its first appearance, and
is evidently the production Of a masterla,
pen. BY this it seems he was actually
in peril of dying an hungered. What !!
starvation IL country Town of New
England The leading idea of this
piece now struck me as palpable alb
surdity. To all his assertions, my own
experience gave the lie direct. The
winning pathos of this writer, his admir-
able humor, and the destinations of his
style in general; all conspire TO make
upon the reader ID deep but incorrect
impression of the manner in which our
country people treat "the master.n-
To eiface this is my present object.
Novelty have none TO offer-artiGce
scorn-e!eqnence meier sat upon my
lips-my sole attractions are misery and
truth.
At the close Of The year 1926, my
diaoosical destiny sent me TO II, a
village on the sea-coast of New-En.
gland State, inhabited by certain am
phibions bipedS, who call themselves
Il
ed to spend eight wintry weeks in cult
waiting whatever of intellect there might
be in forty-five children (if' they can
claim the nancy of both sexes. Fool
that | was-as if the "young idea''
could shoot in winter more than any
other weed, and that too In soil of the
consistency Of granite. But few days
Of truitless hogging prompted me 10
spare my own feelings-ihe only ones
affected by that exercise-and to en-
Ploy my ferule in ruling the writing
books instead Of the scholars and | did
desist soon after, upon discovering that
my merits as instructor were estimated
by my clemency 10 the puplls-tbat is
to say, my popularity with the children,
and, which is natural consequence in
H with their parents, was in the
inverse ratio ofthe fagellations dispens-
ed. One great point was already gain.
ed; but another of equal magnitude,
though in cheering state of progress
ion, remained 20 be fully accomplished
namely, to render myself agreeable a;
a member Of the family where hap
pened to board. This is no less essen
lial 10 complete success, than to spare
the rod and spoil the child. In justice
10 myself, however, it should here be
remarked, that am free from the gull
of fulfilling the latter half of Solomon;
maxim; for the children were all spoil
ed to my hand The second importan
i qualification Of a country preceptor is
/ that he be able to demolish any giyeI
i quantity of provisions. This is indispen
sable. Our country people never starv'
4 the master, though | admit, with thu
most cheerful aIacrity, that they ma.
sometimes stuff him 10 death. AmonI
them no abstemious man can be favor
lite. whoever asserts the contrary, ei
f Their wilfully misrepresen,s. or. ls dc
p.orably ignorant. The nav of lcha
bod Crane, that pink Of pedagogues, W
are told, possessed "the dilnting pc"
ers of an Anaconda" and the conse
quence was, that he eat himself into tn
good graces Of all in Sleepy Hollow.
like manner, no teacher can be Popn'a
f in H if he have not the appetite
shark, The agents house, at whlG
a tarried night and morning, was mil
!. and half distant from the anatomy
/. building where my pupils daily assen
e bled 10 shiver-uot with terror, but WI
!, cold-for all the birch consumed
' school was consumed by the fire, ana
Y have the satisfaction 10 know tha'' as
d was never employed to produce heat
# impulse, so i, never yielded any al
l. sensible distance. But, nile and a n'
+ was too far to travel for dinner.
e was, therefore, kindly permitted to a.
r at Mrs. Dunning's, in the vicinity OF
,e school-house. The first forenoon W