The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-02-09
4 School MAINS PIaInt.
From the Philadelphia Press.

When I was II years old the direct
ors OF -- County saw fit to give me
a school. Ihad taught one term, and
had got along 30 well that they felt.
justified in giving me another. have
cong since given up teaching, but my
recollection Of that trying winter is SO
vivid it seems but yesterday.
had read a great deal on the cor.
rect way Of governing schools, and the
article I modelled alter advised govern
ing by love. ! will say right here that
governing by love is a delusion and a
snare-a pitfall for the feet Of the un-
wary; and the one I fellinto was very
much overgrown.
The author OF this deluding PAM
phlet claimed that where corporal
punishment only commanded outward
obedience the conquor-by-love sys-
tenn brought out all the native
goodness, more or less OF which
substance lies dormant in every
s%choolboy's heart. It may be So.
l would not for the world contradict
the illustrious author. But / think
ifhe had analysed 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 developit.
=. I went to school the first morning
with q heart Overlooking with love
towards the forty.odd intended reclpi-
ents of that love. ! resolved to set a
good example before them by charity,
combined. If l had only mixed with
these frmness and resolve to judi.
clously apply hickory oil when occa-
sion demanded, I would probably
have got along better. III
My home was. three miles away.
There was a path across the hill,
which Ihad travelled night and norm
ing. It was a long walk, but I had the
comfort of being at home. Theyoung
people in the neighborhood often gave
parties. I always "a invited, but
never went. Ny school duties occu-
pied my entire day, and I 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 11,came to me with the informa-
tion that her sister was giving a lit
tie party that evening, and had an
especial reasonfor wishing me to come.
I declined for the reason that my
mother was in poor health, and was
expecting me home, and would be IN.
easy if I did not come. learned aft
EDWARDS the lady's especial reason"
was her brother. I had the pleasure
of mourning the displeasure OF the
whole family by refusal.
One Of my rules was to have each
pupil who missed a word write it a.
certain number of times on his slate
or on the board. One day g. pupil
fatty refused. Love fell fiat, and I
was obliged to have recourse to the
old.fashioned hickory wand. After he
had gwen in and completed his task
I sent him to his seat. l saw his lips
| move, and form the word-it don't
| matter whatit was-under his breath.
Igave him a second dose, even more
liberal than the-frst, and he never
came to school another day. I was
SO glad. This caused a breach be-
UWo6u Lle 6uO UudU ldilllIy.
There We're 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
incoming. This made his folks very
angry. They sent me a note, threat
ening me with expulsion, but I sent
for q director, who told me to go
ahead, and tlet 'em fire away" 1t
is needless to state I "let 'em fire."
One of my most unmanageable
scholars was a 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.
He was a warm friend of mine,
and his daughter my most advanced
pupil. I believe she is preparing to
teach now, herself. I only hope she
has profited by the many plumbers I
made that Winter, for I want it I'M
derstood that 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 ac,us-
ed me of-of which I was not guilty
was partiallty. There vas n little
girl, q cousin of mine, to whom I new
er had occasion to speak severely,
and who always had her lessons.
They said I never scolded Lizzie, no
matter what she did.
One old hypocrite said my school.
house "just put her in mind of q the
atre, it was so noisy" And she had
never been inside of my school-house,
much less q theatre. ] have often
wondered since what her idea of a the
atre was to liken a school to it. It
must have been something terrible.
to judge by the construction OF her
words and the emphasis she placed
on them.
I.have no particular love yet for the
old lady. It may be that I have an
u~nforgiving spirit. %.-
After school closed ! fell i'll, and she
had the hardihood to inquire after
me, and tell my father chow sorry
she was." She did not dream that
the same illness was to a great ex-
tent, brought on by worry caused by
a babel Of uncharitable wagging
tongues. Oh, no! And / had, morning
after morning, during the bitter cold
weather, taken off her little daughters
shoes, and held her feet in my hands
until they were thawed out.
/ never would advise anyone pos
sessed Of conscience to teach. /