New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-02-08
A School ma ans Plant.
From the Philadelphia Press.

DIS Of County saw fit to give me
2 school. had taught one term, and
had got along SO well that they felt
justified in giving me another. have
ong since given up teaching, but my
recollection of that trying winter is SO
vivid it seems but yesterday.
l had read great deal on the cor.
rect way OF governing schools, and the
article [ modelled alter advised govern
ing by love. I will say right here that
governing by love is q delusion and a
snare-a pitfall for the feet of the un-
wary; and the one I fell into was very
much overgroWn.
The author OF this deluding pam
phet claimed that where corporal
punishment only commanded outward
obedience the conquor-by-love sys-
tenn brought out all the native
godliness, more or less Of which
substance lies dormant in every
schoOlboy's heart. 1t may be So
would not for the world contradict
the illustriou5 author. But [ think
Il he had aiyzed the schoolboys Of
district he would have found very lit
tie OF the precious element in their
composition. But anyhow, the con-
quer by love system failed to develop it.
| went to school the first morning
with q heart OVERLOOKING with love
towards theforty.o odd intended recipi-
ents OF that love. I resolved to set a
good example before them by charity,
torbearance, patience and serenity
combined. If l had only mixed with
these firmness and resolve to Judi
clously apply hickory oil when occa-
sion demanded, I would probably
have got along better.
My home was three miles away.
There was q path across the hull,
which had Travelled night and morn
ing. 1t was long walk, but I had the
comfort Of being at home. Theyoung
people in the neigh borhood often gave
parties. | always was invited, but
never went. My school duties occu-
pled my entire day, and wanted my
evenings to myself. This gave rise to
the report that I thought myself
above the people.
One day one Of my pupils, a. little
girl Of IL came to me with the Informal
tlon that her sister was giving a lit
tie party that evening, and had an
especial reason for wishing rue to come.
| declined for the reason that my
mother was in poor health, and was
expecting me home, and would be un-
easy if l did not come. LEARNED att
erwards the lady's "especial reason"
was her brother. [ had the pleasure
Of mourning the displeasure OF the
whole family by refusal.
One Of my rules was to have each
pupil who missed g. word write it a
certain number OF times on his slate
Or on the board. One day pupil
fatty refused. Love fell flat, and l
was obliged to have recourse to the
old-fashioned hickory wand. After he
had gwen in and completed his task
| sent him to his seat. | saw his lips
move, and form the word-it don't
matter what it Was-under his breath.
gave him q second dose, even more
liberal than the-frst, and he never
came to school another day. l was
SO glad. This caused a breach be-
tween me and that family.
There were two brothers who had q
rooted objection to looking at their
books. kept one ofthem in one day
TO learn his lesson, and at noon he
went home. Next morning I told him
as he had gone home without asking
my permission he could now make up
the halliday by staying in his inter-
missions and three-fourths of his
nOOnng. This made his folks very
angry. They sent me a note, threat
ening me with expulsion, but | sent
for a director, who told me to 90
ahead, and "let 'em fire away" 1t
is needless to state [ 'et 'em fire."
One of my most unmanageable
scholars was q boy, whose father
told me one day to "knOCk him
down wild the poker if I could not
Master him. | shall always hold
that old man in grateful remembrance.
lie was a warm friend of mine,
and his daughter my most advanced
pupil. | believe she is preparing to
teach now, herself. only hope she
has profted by the many blunders l
made that Winter, for want il I'M
derStood that I do not hold myself
blameless by any means. No living
being is free from faults, and I can as
sure you that schOOlteaching does not
tend to decrease them.
One OF the many faults they accus-
ed me of-of which l was not guilty.
was partially. There was one lutte
girl, q cousin Of mine, to whom I new
er had occasion to speak severely,
amd who always had her lessons.
Rhey said never scolded Lizzie, no
matter what she did.
One old hypocrlte said my school.
house 'iust put her in mind of the
atre, it was so noisy" And she had
never been inside of my school-house,
much less a theatre. have often
wondered since what her idea of a the
atre was to liken a school to it. 1t
must have been something terrible,
to Judge by the construction of her
words and the emphasis she placed
on them.
have no particular love yet for the
old lady. 1t may be that [ have an
unforglving spirit