Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-11-30
stIttt Mist,IIanp.
The School. Room.


What prison.house for little iolks?l
How often have ! seen the "toddling|
wee things" with dinner-basket and
spelling book. trudging along IN the
direction Of the old red s6hool-h house;
some sobbing and CRYING, and casting.
frequently. a lingering look behind.
followed perhaps by the mother or
nurse. with an apple.tree sprout,
which. by its threatning hourishes.
seemed to quicken their pace 9th
ers skipping along merriIy in anticipa-
ton Of the fun and frolic OF play-time
lone hour Of which, in their view,
oyerbalances the tedium Of the long
and tiresome six hours that are spent in
doing violence to natures most imper-
alive laws. s4 M
Having arrived at the school house
few minutes before school-time, what
happy scene presents itself ! Run.
ming, jumping, laughing; no restraints
upon natural impulses their physical
and mental energies are developing
themselves much faster than when oc-
cupied in the schooI-room. But pres.
emily the rap. rap. on the window sets
them all scampering.
Now they are all seated. let US take
a look at them. One class occupies a
painfully inconvenient seat behind a
desk. leaning forward with cuwed
spines, chests collapsed. aud shoulders
dislocated trying to commit words to
memory another class Is reading -
One little bright-eyed girl reads OF a
verse very flippantIy. and then waits
for q dozen OF her awkward and heed
less classmates to go blundering and
drawling through two or three pages
Of the Reader, keeping watch in the
mean time lest she lose her place, till
her turn comes again. Another class
Of little tow-hcads. not hHlf OF them
out Of petticoats, sitting on a hard
bench with nothing 10 lean against,
with their feet dangling inthe air, and
trying 10 balance themselves on the
centre Of gravity by an occasional vi
bration on either side. After a long
and tedious hour or more has passed.
they are called up to say the a. b. c's.
which occupies but few minutes, and
then sent back to their seats aud told
TO sit still, fold up their arms, and be
good children. For awhile they try to
obey. but natures demands are I'M
perative. Their hands get loose. and
their eyes wander in sea.ch Of amuse-
ment. aud II they can find a knot-hole
to spit through, or see . wasp in the
window il is quite treat to them =
Sometimes. when no source OF amuse-
ment presents itself, they fall asleep
to dream Of he play ground, birds
nests. and the tinty fish in the brook.
On the opposite side is class Of boys
learning 10 practice deception and false
hood by pretending to study their
books. while they are watching the
teacher, so that when his back is turn
ed they may carry on a brisk trade in
pin boxes. wooden watches, and pew.
ter hatchets and if now and then.
one is caught in mischief, he Is taken
out into the floor TO receive an appli-
cation Of the birch. which is a saluta-
ry process for crying is said to be
healthful, and the logging calls into
exercise set Of muscles which 9TH
erwise would remain inactive. One Is
munching fruit behind his spelling
book: another is throwing paper wads
across the room and one fellow has
a pin stuck through his great toe e.nail
with which to stir up The wrath Of bis
next neighbor, and excite the risibili'
ties Of all the lookcrs-on.
People in this region send thei,
children to school at the age Of three OF
or four years: not because they ART ex
pected TO learn much, but to get them
out Of the way, say their mothers.--
The little things are troublesome. and
therefore they must be sent to school
to vex the teacher. stullify their minds
and weaken their constitutions. II
would be much better TO give them q
whip and a broomstick. and send them
out into the yard to play horse. or lei
them trundle the hoop, paddle in the
brook. build stone-walls, and sand-ov.
ems. Let them enjoy the free use oI
their limbs. the bright sunshine, and
the pure air of heaven.
We have two children boy sew
en- Years old and a girl nine. They
have never been to school their
mother teaches them while sitting ai
her work. without any Inconvenience
to her or any great anxiety to get
them out Of the way. The time
spent at their lessons has never been
on an average, more than one hour in
a day. and yet they are at least as fal
advanced as any children that have
been TO school. W.. G.. /.