The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-04-25
out to use the rod) 'SDeal gently with the young
man, even Absalom."* =


man, even Absalom." =
1t is always difficult for people toget rid Of
an old custom-no matter how absurd it may
be. The barbarous customs of tlemiddle agessfiil
exercise considerable influence on all the coun-
tries of Europe. They cling to them just as
the old MOSES cling to their ruined abbeys and
castles of that period And it is not two hun.
dred years since the people of England were
such 'precious blockheads," )" that they could not
recoIlcct the bounds of the parish in which they
were born unless, on certain day Of theyear,
they ''beat the bounds" duty which belonged
to the schoolmaster exclusively; and which con-
sisted in his driving the children under his con-
troll all around the parish, beating them at every
important point, in order to make them recol-
lcct it.-In the same manner, l suppose, VIC
have learned our Nbarbarous customs, from the
Indians who used to whip theircaptives to death;
and who punished their children from their birth,
by tying them to board, and hanging them up,
as farmers do their hams in a "smoke house."
And aprctty set of young 'injins' we are ma
king out of our sons and daughters, by prcser-
wing these precious relics Of barbarism, in the
shape of corporal punishment in our schools!
But there are still other reasons why it should
beabolished Children nowadays are not chill
dren. A boy of seven years of age is now
''young gentleman" andsometimes wears STAN
ding collars, stovepipe hat, swallow-tailed coat,
and would wear whiskcrs if he could And
girl of the same age is ga young lady" and be-
gins to let the tucks out of her frocks in order
to hide her pantalettes or her big feet, if she
has had the misfortune to have been brought up
in stony country. And then they are so much
better than their parents were at the same age,
that they never deserve chastisement- from the
teacher, or anybody else!
But in conclusion--we have some teachers
who don't understand their calling and they
are as much out of place in school room as a
pair of cowhde boots would be on the tiny
feet of some of our female teachers.
Some learned author has said that the whole
art of criticism might be comprehended under
these three heads:-To tickle, TO slash, and to
plaster and / take it, that the whole art OF
teacling may be summed up under the same gen.
eral heads. A teacher who understands his
business will soon learn how to tickle the schol-
ars--as well as their parents-without the use
of the rod; and the ''slashing' must be done
in the same manncr-without the rod For
instance, one of these shrewd fellows comes into
a neighborhood and takes up school, After
teaching few days he goes to A, (onc of the
patrons of the schooD and "tickles" him by
telling him that his children are the sbrightest'
in the school? but "slashes" the children of b,
whom we will suppose to be his near neighbor
numerically. lie next goes to b, and repeats
both the tickling and ''slashing" operations and
then to c, and repeats the dose; and SO on, al
iafnitum. After following this magnificent
plan for some time, he will perhaps find that a
little ''plastering" will be necessary in order to
keep sthings working"
IF any young man wishes to try the above
plan and gets ''stuck," let him apply to yours,
&c.