The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-01-09
For the Caledonian.
Common Schools. No. I.
OLDEN TIM ES.

The Fathers ofNew England, were the fra,
to conceive and put in practice, the idea of =,
primary school, designed for the benefit, in
common ofall classes of the community. In
the countries from which they emigrated ,thev
had been accustomed TO see the benefits of edu.
cation, monoplizcd by the wealthy and the
noble-enioyed by the few while the grca,
masses of society, were held in an almost
hopeless state of Ignorance of its sim.
plest rudiments. But when called on to Law
the foundations of the society of the New
World, the examples ofwealth and powcr,werc
not regarded, for in an eminent degree they
were followers Of surer light. They had
drank deeply at the fountains of Inspired
Truth; and in its spirit, they conceived
scheme, which is destined, eminently, to bless
mankind; and to perpetuute the memory of
its originators to the end time.
But though thus brought into existence, the
COMMON ScHooL was not at once, perfected
And it is far from being perfect institution,
even now; though more than two centuries
have elapsed, since the school house, was FIST
raised, upon these shores. 1t is almost woa..
GERS, really did accomplish, when we consider
how very scanty, were their means. Teach.
ers were scarce and many of them incompc.
tent. The want ofschool houses was very
great; and those they had, were wretched ten.
ements-ill- reconstructed and poorly furnished
Not unfrequently the unfinished corner ofi
dwelling-and ofthese, there were plenty
was appropriated to the uses ola district school,
and placed by the side of the chaste and beau.
tiful structures, with their parlor-like accom-.
modations, which now in some parts of the
country, we are beginning to see erected their
very best school house, would make but
mean appearance. ......
And in the matter of school books, properly
so called they were almost entirely destitute
The first book for children was the "New
England Primer" which every New England
child sees now. Next to this, came the 'Psnl.
ter, whose title page was usually cmbell,sh.
ed with picture of the Harp ofthe PoetKmg
Afterwards, in course, came the New Tesla
ment and the Bible These books, being in
reality bu. two, the Primer and the Bible
were, so far as is known, all the books used in
the schools of the colonies, for at least CEN
fury after their settlement. They learned to
spell, from the books in which they read ana
from the same books, they learned all that was
taught in school, of Geography, Grammar
indeed of all the sciences, natural and exact
"The Youths Instructor, appeared in the
year 1920; and was some improvement.
contained a little, upon nearly all the branch,
es usually taught in schools, besides sundry
other matters that might as well be left to the
officers of the law. Bonnycastle, Emerson
Dillworth and few others followed But the
day ofextrene scarcity when all the books in
use, imperfect as they were, had to he brought
from beyond the seas, did not pass away until
Webster, and other American authors, began
TO publish, about the close of the war of The
Revolution.
But notwithstanding these deficiencies the
immediate descendants of the Pilgrims Fsr
an educated and an enlightened people, The!
were reading peoples and if they had fever
books than their more favored sons of the
present day, they read those they had, more
thoroughly. They were athinking people;und
educates And finally they had one
privilege, than which we have not greater
even nova highly educated ministry Their
was in every parish, at least one man,who, N
trained in the Universities of the old World y
was qualified to take a leading part in tempora
things as well as spiritual. And in the forA
alton of the Colonial mind; in the laying OF the
of the excellent state of society
which New England now enjoys; and in the
d.'vising of scheme of Government, such /"
the world has never seen, his influence was
not inconsiderabIe. AK
Jaffrey. Dec IA