New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-11-13

That souls are drtniess HuO mat wrong u tnNtthi-
ThstDsrkness IL the handmsd Of the Light
And DEAN IL but Of glorious life the portal
-ss---
Incidents in the Life of "A SchOolnaster.
LOCKE AasDEN OR THE sCHOOLMasTER; A
T.Ir. By the Author Of May mertn.' The Green
Mous,an Boys, &c. Boston y. B. Mussey & Co.
2s Cornbu New.York Sold by w. II. Graham
Tribune Buildings (Duodccirno, PIP. 23i)
We opened this volume in the expectation Of
a,s1ins from its contents both amusement and
;,s.,uctiop. and we have not been disappointed,
awe in finding it even better than our anticipa
tio,, The author is DANIEL p. THOMPSON, Esq. a
LAWYER Of Montpelier, VT highly esteemed for his
proiessional attsinments and noted for his warm
,ttschment to Literature and the cause OF Popular
Education. His FIRST introduction TO the public as
n writer was through a much admired Prize Tale,
entitled May Martin, or the Money Diggers, pub
hshed ia the Erening Gazette newspaper in Bos-
ton some fifteen or sixteen years ago. and alter
ward copied into various journals in every part Of
the Union. piece Of fiction better calculated 70
nspire noble thoughts or awaken the soul TO noble
deeds we have rarely seen. and often have we
regretted that it was not given to the public In a
iosm more permanent than a newspaper All sub
seQueni period Mr. Thompson published volume
entitled The Green Mountain Boys, which was
received with considerable favor. This was
Historical Novel founded on incidents connected
With the early settlement Of Vermont, the diihcul
ds between that State and New. York, &c This
surk, both in design and execution, was credit
,be to the abilities Of the author, and an honor t
de literature ofhs native State, and if It had borne
ke imprint Of some popular house, 1t could mol
ave isued to win for the former an enviable repu
nton.
We have said that Mr.. Thompson is warn
siend Of Popular Education and the evidence o
bat friendship, though not exhibited now Tor th'
frst time, is in the volume whose title we hav'
gwen above. The author tells rs, with character
stc mOdesty, In the Dedication prehxed to I'M
work, that it was written less with the hope o
gaming literary fame than of awakening an inter
est and imparting useful hints on the important
and, with all our boasts the still sadly neglecte
subject Of Common Schools. Most treatises OF
Education, in spite Of the intrinsic importance an
value Of their incucations, are too dldactlc' not
say dull, to gain the attention OF the masses Du
here is work in which the errors and The ro'h
pertaining 70 this subject are wildly illustrated b
,Tse Of absorbing interest. which, once begun, IT,
reader viii be sure to follow to the end. And III
tory, interesting as il is in itself will not dvel
attention from the great subject, ever ParamonI
10 the authors mind.
The hero Of the Tale is Schoolmaster' who's
severe but successful struggles to obtain an educ'
ton under difficulties by no means unconmo
among the poor, and whose subsequent devouo
oihe cause of Common Schools, as well as the II
suits Of that devotion, are admirably depicted
The scene Of the story is the Northern portion
the Jhion, and the pictures Of Teachers Examini
tons School Meetings, &c. as well as OF th
Schools themselves, will be acknowledged true
the he, though pertaining more strictly to IN
past than the present generation. we VIII n'
sketch the plot of the story, choosing rather to Il
up the lit,le space we can at present spar
with extracts which, we are confident, VIII con
mend the work 70 general favor.
Loo,r AMsDEN, having spent year at an Acad
ny, and by that and other means become thorous
b qualified as Teacher, determined to try h
hand at schoolkeeping Having heard OF ID
irict known as the Horn Of the Noon, and situate
10 mountain town dozen miles from ms nom
Were the people, from some cause or other h'
dismissed teacher during the first week oil
engagement, aud where the Committee were
search Of another TO supply his place, our hero q
termined TO apply ior the situation. On ms wa
10 the ncighborhood, he overlook a man on FOOT
whom he made some inquiries relative 70 the stu
ton OF the School
why" replied the man. as live out there
Aetip Of the Horn, which is. Of course at the out
edse of the district | know but little about Il
,e6ol affairs but one thing is certain. they ha'
Skinned the master, and want to get another su
pose
For what cause was the master dismissed +
Ack Of qualifications r
Yes. lack o. qualifications Tor our district 4
ieliiyy however bad learning enough as all agree
Bat no spunk and the young Bunkers' ana so
others Of the big boys, mistrusting TINS, ana oei
title riled at some things he had SAID TO tn .
took il into their heads 10 tram INN hl'
Which they did: when he. instead OF slowing
gfit "a the occasion gotirightened and cleared on
Why. sir. did his scholars offer hun person
solencel"
90 no--not violence. They took him uP On
etreiuly. bound him on TO plank, as understo'
md carried him on their shoulders, in sort oil P
esssion, three times around the schoolhoase' a
then. unIOOsing him. told him to 90 at his ou'in'
tgain."
And was all this suffered 10 take place withe
my Interference from your Committee
les our Committee man would not interfere
neas case. A master mus. fight his own way
~ district"
"Whois your Committee. sir7"
Captain Bill Bunker is now. They had me
g ster the irscas and chose a new one.
he man who is capable OF ascertalning
@lsslithe qualifications OF teacher"
y yef-st lesst had as lief have Bill Bur
sspdgmen. Of man who applied for the sch
wy other In the district; aud yet he Is the OF