The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-30
SCHOOL BOOKS Of
COLONIAL DAYS
CCincinnatI CommercIaI TrIbune)


Mrs. Alice Morse Earle has rendered
invaluable service to the public
through her accounts and descriptions
of old colonial homes. furnishing
china and costumes. And now Clifton
Johnson, the wen known camera artist.
has found as fruitful ana as set
practically untitled field amid cold
Time schools and school Books,
work thaE more than any other with
which we are familiar shows the great
contrast between the beautifully u-
Illustrated school books provided TO en-
tice the children of today along the
path Of learning and those in use and
doubtless thought beautiful Dy the
children OF bygOne epoch
The text book equipment OF the
old schools was exceedingly meager.'
says Mr.. Johnson, "and the average
schoOlbOy in the early New England
schools had only a calechism or
primer, psalter and a Testament or
Bible. For Latin students this list
would have 10 be extended, but oUdin-
ariiy IL comprised an a boy used %
long as he attended school"
The only school book of American
origin prior to the revolution was
little Latin grammar by Ezekiel
Cheever, one of the most notable OF
the early schOOlmasters, who died I'm
l10S, at the age of 81
The Inclusion of the calechisn
among school books indicates the
emphasis laid on religious instruction
during the colonial period. It was
peculiarly grim religion, TOO. as evil
denced by DR.. Isaac Watts "The
Young Chnd's Catechism." the first
half being intended for learners OF o
or Z years. The questions for beginners
Included such theological problems as-
Have you learnt 20 know who God
What mutt YOU do to efeape Gods
Anger which your Sins have de
ferred?"
What mutt become Of you if YOU
are Wlcked|' the cheerful answer TO
the last interrogatory being:
II I am wicked fhaIl be fent down
to everlasting Fire I'm Hell among
wicked and mifeTable CTeatur
After Cheevers Accideuce, Latin
students were introduced to IfIy's
grammar, with its twenty-five kinds
or nouns, its seven geuders and other
things in proportion, all TO be wcari-
somely committed to memory" Even
Cotton Mather recognized the puTga-
tory of this grammar and said. Per
sisting IN the use Of Lily's book viii pro-
long the reign of the ferrule.
Aside from the Abe primers. JChn
Comenius' Visible World was tie
first illustrated school book ever
printed. Comenius, born I'm 1892. was Il
MoTaYian bishop. He wrote a uumDar
Of books. but the Visible World, with
its pictures Of all the chief things
that are in the world and of mems
employments therein with its $50
copper cuts and its medley of I-ttie
explanatory sentences in two columns.
one column in Latin, was the most
widely known. The book was more
ike an illustrated dictionary than a
child's reading book yet for a hun
dred years this vas the most popular
text book IN Europe, and III was trans
lated into fourteen languages
Each family was its own ink manu-
facturer. Many country folks gathered
the bark Of the swamp maple, boiled it
IN an iron kettle to give it a more
perfect black color. and when the de-
coetion was thick added CopDeras.
These homemade inks were often
weak and pale and sometimes dried up.
Again they were spoiled with grease
that got into the inkstands at tho
schoolhouse when they were used as
candlesticks at evening meetings.
Inc readers and spoilers OF those
early days Cthe latter generally in
Guided some easy reading Iess0us) era
not remarkable as evidences Of literary
ability on the part of their authors.
w aus 'COmpleat Spelling Book CHe
of the handsOmest of its kind. had a
list Of moral Instructions beginning
with every letter OF the alphabet. IS
follows:
Grow quiet and easy when Fools ftrvs
to ueze sc.
:, Remember the Liar has his part in
Heil-fire.'
tx is such a crofs letter baIks my lIos-
ais and Metre
In the Youths Instructor. published
in Boston in 1T70. is this rhyming
Description Of a Good Boy"
THE boy that is good
Does mind his book well.
And If he can't read
VIII thrive for 10 fDeu
His SCHOOL he does love
And when he is there
For plays and for TOYS
No time can he fDare."
This ancient cOuplet, also part OF tbs
same instruction to youths, is not in
aprOpOs today;
Hate. vulgar, impious fongs. a wrstched
Where fuifome nonfenfe jingIos into
rhyme.