Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1845-10-02


not ashamed of such SIM know your
parish purse is empty; and the poor people who
Bhardly gain potatoes and salt, let alone bread
cannot afford to pay for schooling. l will nuke
aihird offer: Twill be your schoolmaster, and de-
mand no salary II shall not cost the parish
farthing only let me have the place" The
Goldenthalers looked at each other in amaze
men,. Some objected 10 the proposal ihey9,i
know Wisat such a nsas,s.ssbnld steach ilsg
children; perhaps the black atti But iiie inas
jority in the meeting considered chiefly the saw
ing of twenty-five guilders yearly, aud cried out
that Oswald should by all means be the school
master. Accordingly, he was elected
Elizabeth heard the result of the meeting, and felt
rs if she must sink into the earth with shame and
confusion. No wonder; for, next to the watchmen
and the swine-hertl, man in the village held an
Office low in estimation as that of the schoolmas-
ter. Even the sensible miller, Siegfried, shook his
head, and said, "Oswald must have lost his senses !"
But Oswald had formed his plan, and kept TO his de-
termination. He formally passed an examination;
and as he could write a good hand, aud knew some
thing more of accounts than peasant needed, he
was considered eligible, and appointed by the
thortes of the neighborng town, schoolnastcr ut
Goldenthal But now he had to convince his friends
of the propriety of bis plan. elizabeth said he,
do not despair of N.Y. undertaking. count it
folly. You see we canA ~ little for the old people;
let us begin with the yoiing ones, and try what we
can do with them. Aftillage schoolmaster's is in
:
10 remember how low tha Saver stopped to teach
mankind If our rulers Nid grept men lad better
understanding they woudI,omoTe careful aHett the
appointment of country sciiootmasters than of the
professors in our colleges. Bat lowy matters
much neglected: and the consequence IS ae,,on nm
insecure q iomnSai;op'
IL Having formed bis resolution, Oswald was not
thee shrink from what he considered his duty.
/ 1t was no doubt thankess task he undertake
ing but it is no true benevoence which looks about
Eos t,etnk thof In Intn IN
the best of his ability, he felt that his reward would
consist in seeing his ends accomplished. With no
/ fear of the result he made preparations for COM
mencing the profession of teacher, and when winter
came on, he opened his school. On the first day,
he placed himself at the door of the schooi-house,
and received the children with kind attention. SoIne
had muddy shoes, and he babe them clean them be-
fore they entered the decent school-room. Tie
shook hands with all who came in cennly style, but
turned away the dirty hands to be washed. Some
came with hair uncombed and Matted and were sent
home to use comb and brush. But all who came
conibed and washed, received from their new teacher
a kiss on the brow. The boys aud girls wondered;
some blushed some laughed, and others cried. They
had never known such treatment before. Many pa
rents complained of these over nice Regulations;
but Oswald insisted them and in the course OF
, little time found good result in the decency%
pupils. The reformatou he produced in the CON-
of quarter, by mild and firm management, ainazec
the parents Some Of Nd Women broadly limited
that such wonders cduldnot bedon by fair means |;
u there must he sOnc nupIC at WORK. OtHeTS tuHt ~
e strange story of rat-cntchcr somewhere, VINO en
ticed many children 10 follow him, aud then vanished
n with them all downa hole in the mountain But
the most prevalent report was, that Oswald was
6 teaching the children new religion; and this was
u so seriously believed that two official gentlemen
: from the were deputed to inspect the school.
j The badly disposed villagers were delighted to
: hear of this commission of inspection, and waited
. with anxiety to hear that Oswald was to be dismiss
ed. The commission came unexpectedly one morn-
ing when Oswald was about TO open his school but
. the appearance Of the gentlemen by no means dis
|" composed him, for hehad nothing to conceal. The
G visitors, after explaining their object, watched the
children as they assembled and took their seats in
e an orderly manner. When all were seated, oswald
e as usual, addressed his pupils s.
"Dear children" said he, 'et us, before oil things
bow before God our father, and offer thanksgiy-
y ings and prayers" As he spoke, the children in
r number fifty folded their hands and fell upon
l. their knees Oswald then knel down, and the visit
is ors, q little surprised, followed his example, The
teacher then read prayer beautiful and yet so SIM
-e pe that the child of only six years could understand
: IT, and one of the visitors, alderman, was so fai
: moved that tears gathered in his eyes. When The
&c prayer ended, all the children arose, and, guided
a' by the notes and words a suspended board sanl
v in harmony morning hymn. Then the school di
t. vded itself into classes, under the appointed mon
tors and the various tasks of the day were studied
ell One peculiar method of teaching used by Oswal,
% should be mentioned The last hour in the after
10 noon he generally occupied by telling the boys an'
-
% was contained. The visitors saw enough OF hI
c. methods during the day, TO be convinced that Os
to wald was one of the best and worthest teachers
It, the country and that all that said against hin
o. scandal.
IS The winter passed away. In the summer IN
school was closed for the elder boys and girls coul
then be of service to their parents in the fields Blu
10 Oswald collected the little nj his house, and CAV
I'M them few lessons, or amused them in some llgl
e occupations about his premises. II was part OF hi
W. convictions that instruction in anything without &c
we tua training is of little He therefore tried
ne train his pupils TO industrial pursuits, and so lea
- them to practical acquaintance with what they rea
w of in books In this way he taught them gardenn
y' and knowledge of plants, also various other thing
ers which would be useful to them through life
great point with Oswald TO form habits OF ord
and cleanliness in his young scholars, and this NJ
he only al school, but when out of DOORS enforcing II
M rules with persuasions suited to young minds Re
20 hans however all this was held by him OF ineri'
cry moment TO the education Of the feelings love
rm the beautiful the tender and the poetca- for will
My out these the mind remains hard and ntraciabl
en- and cannot be led know the finer religious ein
ost lions. How charming it to see this benevole
At man with his band of scholars, happy in each ote
a neither sourness nor severity in the master, nor fe
in the pupils. 1t was throughout labor OF love