American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-11-13
The District School Teacher.

The social statistics OF the United
States Census Bureau do not give us any
table showing the proportion of male and
female employees in any branch of La
Dor; and they do not therefore positively
dec laro, but there is reason to believe,
that one hundred thousand of the one
hundred and fifty thousand two hundred
and torty~one teachers in the one hum
dred aud fifteen thousand two hundred
twenty>fUur public shoots, colleges, and
academies in the United States are fe-
males Two thirds of the grand army
which Brougham was proud to see on
the march, armed with primers, and of
which he justly anticipated such grand
aud glorious and progressive, though
peaceful triumphs, are Amozons and,
singularly enough, they have formed the
vanguard. The women have really
been pioneers in education, and have
been among the earliest to penetrate the
new fields, the opening Territories, and
to invade those forbidden States of the
South where education few years ago
was prescribed TO certain classes and col
ors, but where now the school>teachers
form mighty army Of invasion aud are
peacefully accomplishing mighty rev>
olutiOn.
Every "village schoyl.marm," every
distIict teacher, has dual existence
the life in and the life out of school
She is supposed to be an epitome of all
knowledge, and q combination OF what
soever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report Her conversation is supposed
to be sort of abstract of all the wisdom
of Solomon put into plain English for
plain country folks No subj ct is con-
sidered too abstruse for her discussion,
and none too trivial to command her at
teution. ln the little world in which
she moves she settles all vexed questions
in ethics, mathematics, geography, etc,
and perhaps the next moment gives her
decision as to the shade of ribbon or
the fit of 4 garment. She writes the bu.
siness letters of the Farmer with whom
she is temporarily boarding, rnd is often
expected and called on 10 carry on the
love correspondence of the neighborhood
frequently writing on both sides of the
story, and entering deeply into all the
qnarrels of lovelorn couples She reads
the newspaper to the old folks conduct
ing all the literary affairs of the family
except the morning and evening service.
1t is popularity supposed that brain work
is not tatigueing, and that, as she is not
a field laborer during the day, she can
nurse the sick at night without fatigue.
She is, in short, the cherished confdant
of tie troubles. real and imaginary, of
the whole village; at tnce guide, phi
losopher, and friend" She is usually of
city origin aud has been educated at the
Academy" and is popularity supposed
to know every body and everything in
'the city" as well as in the books Lo-
cal habitation in the village she has not,
but s"hoarded round" among her pat
rons, leading as migratory an existence
as the birds of the air and the beasts of
the field, and is therefore looked upon as
the fortnight newspaper, and is apt to
give offense if she does not take to her
newest home the news, and often the
scandal. of her last.
Her legitimate sphere is the school
room. There she is paramount there
she reigns supreme without rival mon,
arch of all she surveys. Over the minds
of the little ones she has wonderful in
Auence. They regard her with amaze
ment and awe, and place tho most i'm
plicit faith Ia what she says. They can
not understand how she ferrets out ov,
cry wild prank, discovers every shirkiug
of lessons, aud sees through every shan;
they only know that playing sick" is
plryed out, and "peeping On" IN lost la,
| boz
These are bright sides of the picture,
Let no one suppose either position is a
sinecure. Only they know the strange
isolation they endure, the heart sicksn-
ing lonesomeness they feel, surrounded
by hundreds of friends but not one Of
their own condition of mind, not misun
derstood but unappreciated. Let those
who imagine this life in the school a
pleasant one try it; and when the nov
city H. worn off, when each day becomes
a counterpart Of the preceding, when the