The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-07-05
EDUCATIONAL.
THE COUNTRY scHOoL-MIsEREss.
BY HELEN L. BosTwIcK.

nam NAOglt anu DIdCh sllh dptOu. anu utI
pink sunbonnet, drawn far over her pretty
face. Pretty it is, and thoughtful, though a
little pale, as if she kept it too much from
the bright June sun, and the fresh air.
"Seven hours school day." is telling
upon her bloom and vgor. The direc ors
must be spoken TO. For the sake of the lit
tie children, as well as her own, the study
hours must be abridged. am glad to see
tha. she makes it as endurable as possible
for them, taking them all out in the WOO is
occasionally to recite their lessons among the
wild flowers and moses.
The district school is certainly most i'm
portant and honorable institution. l wonder
if teachers often realize their responsibilities,
not only in view of the book knolwedge they
are expected to impart, but the lessons of un-
worldly wisdom, of morality, Of kindness, of
politeness, of correct taste, which they have
superior opportunities for inculcating Bless
ed is the district school, presided over by
woman Of intellect and refinement, who seeks
to develop the hearts, not less than the brains
Of her pupils who is mindful Of their man
ner of speech, their attitudes, their dress !;
who smiles Jlst as sweetly when little ragged
boys bring her boquets of dandelions, as
when they get above" in spelling and
frowns far more severely at the dIscove-
ry of a ritisd birds rest, than at an ink
stand overturned, or a pair of restless toes
wandering from the mark"
The influence of such teacher is far from
being limited by the walls ofthe school room.
The " boarding round system brings her
in frequent contact with uncultured natures,
upon which her conversation and manners
mil silaptlyr or I ha,,a G,,,,-p
man walk two miles, on warm day, carrying
child in her arms, in order to get It's little
gipsey hat trimmed by the d" school mann"
because she made >"such tasty bows P'-and
girls from ten to twenty.fv years old, to sit
down eagerly, after the evening milking, 10
be taught, in spite Of sleepy eyes and clum
sey fingers, new pattern for embroidery, a
new and becoming arrangement Of the hair,
or some more proper and graceful metl oil of
doing common things than they had known
befue.
Probably many teachers, even ofcultivatel
minds, and general kind feelings, would not
relish this missionary view OF the duties of
their profession, deeming the mere book-ip
strucJion, and discipline of their pupils, a
sufficiently undignifed and irksome task.
But such, am sure, is not the case with
my pretty friend in tie pink barnet Only
yesterday, | heard her talking with little pat
ty More about putting egg-shelIs upon the
rose bushes in front of her mothers house
a practice nos at all uncommon in many Of
our rural districts.
1--WE han't any roses but them YOU call
cinnamon roses," said the child, and they
get done blowing real early, and ma lets me
put all our egg shells on the bushes, cause
folks that pass in the road will think they're
real white roses"
"Oh, no, Patty, I'm quite sure that not
more than one person in twenty believes them
to be anything but egg-shells. They are
stiff and glarng, withou! the pretty drop and
tlutter Of natural roses. And think little
gid who scorned to tell a lie abou! chewing
gum in school, ought to reflect before she sets
about deceiying the whole travelling pub
lie"
Patty smiled brightly at the reference.-
"May be Ills deceiying," said she. :" new
er thought of that. But don't they lock kind
o pretty a little ways off ,"
Oh, no can't think any thing so false
looks pretty. Paper, or wax flowers, are
ingenious, and look well over the fire place,
in the winter season, but if some one were 20
take them out in summer, and tie them nice
ly on the green bushes, they would look al
most as disgracsful to me as these egg
shells.'
"Would they? should think they'd be
real nice"
"No, dear, they would be false, and un-
natural. Not what they pretended to be, as
you say sometimes. What makes the beauty
of growing flower, Patty? Isn't it the
life there is in it, the fragrance, and the
moisture, the fresh breathing appearance it
has And l will explain to you some time,
that flowers do really breathe. Wen, to sub
situte in place Of the living, beautiful crea-
tions that are natural to your e-bushes,
such dead, awkward limitations as these egg
shells, seems to me rather shocking. Don't
it to you, now -
don't know. Ma said once they did
look Kind O. tussy."
Andanother thing, Patty. remember,
in our walk to the graveyard last Sunday,
you showed me little mound covered with
flowers, where your baby sister lies. | re-
member there was beautiful rose-tree at the
head. Now tell me, would you put egg
shells on that?
No indeed % the child answered, her
innate sense Of Propriety awaked at last
They would look mean enough round al
little babes grave, or any other" she added
thoughtlully.
"Yes, and when you think and read lit
lie more, you will see that they look so any
where. Next Sa urday, Patty, if your moth.
er is willing, you shall go home with me to
my fathers, and l will give you slips of all
my roses white yellow, red, and variegated
1t is not too late to make them grow, and
will help you prepare the ground, A little
girl with such taste for flowers as you have,
ought to be well supplied, and will soon learn
to take cale ofthem. Next summer you will
have plenty of roses, and then people who
pass, will smile, perhaps, and look pie 'sed
but not laugh heartily, as those gentlemen