The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-09-26
Free Schools i'm America.


do not know any contrast that would be
more surprising to an Euglishman, up to that
moment ignorant of the matter, than that
which he would find by visiting first of all
free school iii London, and then free school
in New York If he would also learn the
rumber of children that are educated gratuit-
ously in each of the two cities, and also the
number in each which altogether lack educa-
ton, he would if susceptible to statistics, be
surprised also at that But seeing and hear
ing are always more effective than mere
figures. The female pulpil at free school in
London is, as rule, either ragged pauper,
or a charity girl, if not degraded at least
stigmatized by the badges and dress of the
charity. We Englshmen know well the type
of each, and have fairly correct idea of the
amount Of education which is Impaired to
them. We see the result afterwards when
the same girls become orr servants, and the
wives of our grooms and porters. The fe-
male pupil at fee school in New York is
neither pauper nor charity girl. She is
dressed with the utmost decency. She is
perfectly cleanly. In speaking to her, you
cannot in any degree guess whether her
father has dollar day, or three thousand
dollars year. Nor will you be enabled to
guess by the manner in which her associates
treat her. As regards her own manner to
you, it is always the same as though her
father were in all respects your equal. As to
the amouht of her knowledge, l fairly confess
that it is terrific. When, in the first room
which visited, slight slim creature was
had up before ME to explain to me the pro-
pertes of the hypothenuse fairly confess that
as regards education, backed down, and
that resolved to confne my criticisms to
manner, dress, and general behavior. In the
next room was more at my ease, finding
ancient Roman history was on the tapis.
why did the Roman run away with the
Sabine weman?" asked the mistress, herself
pretty woman about three -and-twenty Be
cause they were pretty simpered out little
girl with cherry mouth. The answer did
not give complete satisfaction and then fol-
lowed somewhat abstruce explanation. 1t
was all done with good faith and serious
intent, and showed what it was intended to
show,-that the girls there educated had in
truth reached the consideration of important
subjects, and that they were leagues beyond
that terrible repetition of a b {, to which,
fear, that most of our free metropolitan
schools are still necessaril. confined. You
and reader, were we called on to superin-
| tend the education of girls of sixteen, might
not select as favorite points either the hypo-
tenuse, or the ancient methods of populating
Young colonies. There my be. and to US on
the European side of the Atlantic there will
! be,a certain amount of absurdity in the trans
atlantic idea that all knowledge is knowledge
and that it should be impaired if it be not
knowledge of evil But as to the general re-
suit, no fair-minded man or woman can have
a doubt. That the lads and girls in these
schools are excellently educated comes home
as fact to the mind of any one who will look
into the subject. That girl could not have
got as far as the hypothenuse without COM
petent and abiding knowledge of much tha,
is very far beyond the outside limits of what
such girls know with us. 1t was at leas
manifest in the other examination that ths
girls knew as well as did who were the Ro
mans, ard who were the Sabine women. Tina
this is of use, was shjwn in the very gesture
and bearings of the girl. Emolit mores, a,
Col Newcombe used to say. That young
woman whom had watched while she cooked
her husbands dinner upon the banks of tks
Mississippi, had doubtless learned all abou
the Sabine women, and feel assured tha
, she cooked Ger husbands dinner all the be,
ter for that knowledge, and faced the hard
, ships of the world with better front thai
{ she would have done had she been ignorant o.
the 1bject.-AMhony Trollope.