Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-06-21
BEARING BURDENS.
BY HELEN A. sTEINHAUER.

A score of years ago the writer left
luxurious Northern home to assist IN
cunning an Academy in far distant
Southern State.
Gen. Blank and his estimable wife
were the only other teachers. The
General, as Principal, took charge of
Che Latin and Greek classes, the higher
mathematics and heavy ct ceteras. [
caught belle lettres; also French and
German-for which, however, there was
not much demand-while Mrs. Blank
filled in with whatever else might be
required; hers being by far the hardest
post.
The school, though not strictly speak
ing select, was not overgrown, and there
was a liberal supply of fine material for
making good scholars and the best of
citizens. Our pupils were for the most
part grown-up boys and girls; though
there was sprinkling of little folks of
whom Mrs. Blank took sole charge.
The school-hOuse was built in the
form of T. and contained one long,
spacious apartment in which the pupils
sat and studied, tlanked by two small
recitation rooms at the front end. The
General presided in the former and |
occupied one of the small rooms with
my music and language classes, while
his wife was to have had the other for
her use; but the chimney smoked badly
in windy weather, and she found it
more comfortable to gather her little
ones around her before the huge, yawn-
ing fireplace in the great assembly
room, where she sat facing her hus-
band.
As had made considerable sacrifice
in coming thither General Blank
allowed me to have things pretty much
my own way, and to make whatever
changes / thought expedient. One Of
my first acts therefore was to abolish
the system Of membership. substituting
therefore the conscience Of the indiyi-
dual. | drew mp a short but compre-
hensive code of laws" which l desired
the pupils, big and little, to commit to
memory. These ten commandments,
as the scholars playfully termed them,
[ hung over large black board. /
chen put the school on its honor, and
charged whoever transgressed any OF
these rules promptly to go to the board,
copy it, and sign his or name beneath,
thus:
This to remain till the next time a
uTule was broken, l reminded them
shat although their teachers would not
be able to decide whether or not they
were faithful to their trust God would
know; and probably their companions
as we'll
1t worked like a charm, and effectu.
ally broke down the antagonism which
too frequently exists between teacher:
and pupils -- law makers and law
breakers - conviction and punishment
t1eing alike in their own hands; and tine
dread of their companions reprobation
VuOvcd an incentive to honesty when
higher motives failed.
There were however, few occasions
when something more was needed. One
of these occurred when General Blanl
was taken i'll, and his wife and haC
the care Of the entire school upon oul
shoulders.
We got along quite well, all thing
considered, though | could see tina
it was wearing upon Mrs Blank; for she
had the thought Of her sick husband t,
pull her down, in addition TO the extr,
work Of the school-room. One da,
when recess was over she failed To- rim,
Che bell for school to take in an,
from my MUSHROOM / could hear he