The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-03-13
The,<schoolmaster's Story.

|
When taught district school, said
he, adopted as principle to give as
few rules to my scholars Us possible. I
had, however, one standing rule. which
was: Strive, under all circumstances,
to do right" and the text of right,
under all circumstances, was the golden
rule: "All things whatsoever We would
that men should do unto you, do We
even SO unto them"
Ii an OHtnse was committed, it was
my invariable practice to ask "Was
it right ?" "Was it as you would be
done by ?"
| All my experience and observations
have convinced ne that no act Of q pupil
ought to be regarded as an offense III :
less it be such when measured by the
standard of the golden rule. During
The last year of my teaching tho only
tests ever applied to m act of which
1T was necessary to Judge were those OF
the above questions. BY this course I
gained many important advantages.
In the first place, the plea, "You
have not made any rule against it. u
which for 4 long timo was terrible
burden to INC, loBt all its power.
In the second place, by keeping con-
stantly befsre the scholars as stan
dRrd of actipn the single text OF right
and wrongAas ono which they were to
apply for themselves, was enabled to
cultivate in hem deep feeling Of Der
sonal respo} sibility.
In the til ,rd place, L got stronger
hold Oh tne;E feelings, and acquired a
new power q oultivating and directing
them. 4
lu the fo,5 |sh place, 1 had the Hnt;s.
faction OF seing them become more
truthful! !a lat, trustworthy and manly
IN their Estss aurse with me, with their
sT;rif%trt c~sSs.S>y, ,siT ,iro 'ssilvsihUN.
Once, Nov} Sver, was sadly puzzled
by an apnlid alton of the principle by
one of my scholars. George Jones was
large boy, igho, partly through false
iec'lng of honor. and partly from feel
ing of stubbbrnncss, refused 10 give me
some lnformRtion. The circumstances
were these ~
Ascholar Mad played some trick which
interrupted {elo oxerctses. As was nv
custom, I c9lled Oh the one who had
done the mischief to come forward. AS
nc one startad, / repeated The request,
bnt with ne,,euccess. Finding that the
cu'prit woulf not confess his guilt, I
asked George if he knew who committed
tho otfense.
II did not do it," was the reply.
"Rat But do e, Nou know who did p
"Who was it %
do not wish to- teil.''
"But you must tell. 1t is my duty to
ask and yours to answer tae."
81 cannot do it, said George firmly.
Then you must stop with me after
school,"
He stopped as requested, but nothing
which could urge would induce him to
reveal anything. at last, ont of pa
tience with what believed to be obsti-
macy Of the boy, said:
"'Well, George, I have borne with You
as long hs [ can, and you must either
tell me or be punished"
With triumphant look, as though
conscious that he had the better of me
by an application of my favorite rule,
he replied =" can't tell you, because
it would not be right. The boy would
not like to have me tell of him, and I'll
do as I'd be done by"
A few years earlier I should have
deemed reply thus given me an in
suit, and should have resented it &C.
cordingll "; but experience and reflec-
ton had taught me the folly OF this, aud
one OF the most important of my oft.
quoted rule was-to judge of the nature
OF others as / wonld have them Judge
OF mine. Yet for the moment I was
staggered. His plea was plausible he
might be honest in making it. I did
not see in what respect it was fallacious.
J. felt that it would not do to retreat
from my position and suffer the offender
to escape, and yet thaS should do
great injustice by compelling boy to
do thing if he really believed it to be
wrong.
After a little pause said swell,
George, I do not wish You to do my
thing Which ia wrong, or which conflicts
with your golden rule. We will leave
this for tonight and perhaps you will
alter your mind before to. morrow"
I saw him privately before school and
found him more firm in his refusal than
ever. After the devotional exercises
OF the morning [ began to question the
scholars, as was my wont, on the va
rious points of duty, and gradually
led the conservation to the golden rule.
Who," [ asked, care the persons
to whom, as members of this school, yon
ought to do as you would be done by !?
Your parents, who support and send
you here; your sohoolmates, who are
engaged in the came world with your
selves; the citizens of the town who,
by taxing themselves, raise money to
pay the expenses of this school the
school committee, who take so great m
interest in our welfare yonr teacher,
or the scholar who carelessly or will
fully commits somc ofense against good
orderp