Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-11-04
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THURSDAY,


forlife. speak now particularly of the childre
OF the rich To the poor, in this respect, povert
is a blessing. Oh, have felt what would do
scribe first remember as puny, sickly crea
ture, exhausted by the load of indgestible sub
stances | was tempted to swallow. have
dOubt-indeed, know that my temper was rri
tated by the stimulating effects of the rich an
rac7 condiments was permitted 10 gorge mysel
with was restless, and almost always cross
but it was. caused either by the cravings Of dis
eased stomach. or the pain of burdened one
Thus passed mynfancy, when imflessions new
ter .t e be effacsd iptAigsgaE EaEe made da .,
4 mind.
~ was not sent to school till was about sever
years old, as my mother thought was too feeble
to bear the fatigue and confinement. She wen
with me the first day, when we only staid hal
an hour, to see how liked it recolect nv firs
Impressions Of that school. They were pleasur.
cable, very. The children were so busy. ant
so happy, thought should like to be scholar
But alas my habits were totally averse to
steady application. had only considered books
as playthings, which were pretty enough when
new and full Of pictures but to pore over them
day after day, to learn a lesson, was hateful.
had always been bfibed to learn by the promise
OF something good to eat F.; had no idea of any
pleasure from the exercise of my rational or
moral faculties was wholly creature Of
sense and passion. sucked my comfls when |
should have studied my lesson and, and when
the teacher took away my basket of confection-
ary was so angry threw away my book. The
teacher punished ME, and my mother took me
from the school.
Poor child! said my mother /" all her
fault was eating sugar plum !"
This first scene of my school life was type of
the whole course till was nearly fourteen. Du-
ring these seven years, my mother had changed
my school at least twenty times, besides keep
ing me considerable part Of each year at home.
| think the teachers should bear some of the
blame of this fckleness. was, to be sure, a
fretful, indolent, spoiled child but had ca
pacty to learn, and, if my teachers-I attended
school taught by men as we'll as ladies-had
studied my disposition, and adapted their in
structions accordingly, do believe might have
been won to love books, and the discipline nee.
essary 10 give me Industrious habits and self con-
troll would then have been comparatively easy.
believe this, because it was afterwards effected
in part and, had the same management com
-,n~e ad - -is-- :. -..s--t 49, .
cessfu.
When was fourteen lady, friend of my
mother, and the confident of all her troubles
with respect to my education, strongly advised
that | should be placed at a seminary in the
country. She said it would improve my health,
and the precptress was a lady of such excellent
Judgment and principles that, if anything could
be done to improve me, she would be sure to
spare no pains to effect it. My parents had be-
gun to despair of my capacity. l had boen
pronounced incorrigiby dull by every teacher
Ny father was mortified, and my mother grieved
by my conduct and so, as last resource
they sent me to the country.
Mrs l., the preceptress, made many
minute inquiries of my mother recoect then
well and the expression of her countenance
too, when she looked over my trunks, and fOunt
one nearly filled with rich cakes, and confection
ary, and essences, and rare juleps. She sait
nothing at that time, but she appeared afterwards
to understand my disposition perfectly. Sh'
took me into her own room, had bed fitted VI
for me besides hers, and every night, afte
retired, she sat down besides me and con
yersed. At first, she said only few words
perhaps some inquiries about my lesson or m.
thoughts, and a little explanation of what woul
be done the next day. By degrees, she intro
duced stories of the scholars she had had, AM
then she repeated short poems, and pointed on
their beauties, and endeavored to make me com
prehend and feel them. She rCcited poetry in
most impressive manner and | remember tn
effect which some of those poems wrought ol
me. | think may say, the first time my hear
was ever melted by the pathos of sentiment wa
hearing her rece Wordsworth's ballad, "W
are Seven" | wept sweet tears they were
for they had been called forth by symPath
with innocence. Mrs. L, bent over m
and kissed my cheek. The tears were in he
eyes, as she said
My child Louisa, you will yet be all ca
wish"
In this manner, without any appearance of III
, due solicitude on her part, she was winnin
my confidence. thought it was moi strang
she should talk thus with me, because ha
always been used to so many attentions from m
7 mother but, had she not taken me TO her ow
room, her socitude would have been remarkt
d by the other scholars. But how different we
+ my mothers nightly salutations from those
Mrs. l..
G Louisa, dear, how do you feel Shall | g
8 you anything to take before you go to sleep !?
} my kind. hut mistaken mother would say.
d Mrs. l.. never inquired about the state
# my stomach she gave me cordials for the heO
a and mind, and, by her skill awakened such ne
d and pleasant ideas, that would lie quitey m
d sing till fell asleep And this sleep was to 4
e a great blessing, for had been from my infal
e. troubled with restessness through the night.
ID For the first three months, recited to NJ
| l.. my lessons were very lmperfectIy studit
but she bore with me for she said that I
s; moral affections were Strengthening, and tina
We was acquiring taste for mental beauties. Il
: /! process was slow, for had been, as it were,
;e durated in my selfish appettes TIL hardly f
r. a wish for a social enjoyments, This was,
in some measure, caused by my being all oil
Of child, and for that misfortune was to be pitt
mt But at last became fond of my schoolmat
ll, and interested in my studies. learned WI
~ mi NV npranfa wara astoniahnd md dnlirhl