New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-28

New-England tue. For a hundred years this
book, beyond any other was the schoolbook Of
later. The cities abandoned il first and gradually
os was neglected n the villages sun even N
as 1906 Its total sales estimated 10 have been
few OF these have been preserved. and early ed
tons are among the rarest Of schoolbooks. All
few score have survived Of those that were pub
zenith Of ts ponIIa1iry tn oTisf ~S e
known is one printed IN Boston IN 1886 This was
house auction in 1888 for p cents Ten years later
he sold it 10 a New-Yori dealer for $500
Lest the reader be led TO think that other
editions than the first Of this oldtime classic OF
early days are also proportionately valuable it
is well to remind him that anything more recent
than 1900 has little standing in the market
while copies Of still earlier dates rarely bring
more than from 81 TO 500 Even such copies.
however, are well worth preserving. if not for
their monetary value, for their associations and
historical interest.
Perhaps the most impressive fact about the
New-England Primer and all the reading books
used in the schools Of earlier times is their deep
~ religious and moral character, as contrasted
with that OF the well printed and artistic school
books OF to-day. From cover to cover the Puri-
tan theology and seriousness dominated these
books. which did so much to form the character
and conscience Of New-EngIand and Of the
United States in general and a study Of them
throws an illuminating sdelight upon early
American life. The Bible in fact was the chief
reading book Of adults in the beginnings Of
American education and even I'm learning the
alphabet the boys and girls who carried the
New-England Primer associated each letter with
a Scriptural or moral lesson or character. and
thus tmbibed a theology which in many respects
now seems 10 have become almost as obsolete
as the primer itself. For the most part Colonial
teachers taught without other aids than the
primer. the spelling book, which served the
double purpose Of speller and reader; the Tesla
nent. and later. arithmetics and crude geogra-
phies. AS TO writing materials each family
made its own ink; the pens were made from
goossquills, which Il was the duty OF the
teacher 10 fashion ana keep In repair. while
the paper was rough and dark. requiring the use
OF sandwich powder" to make it bear the ink
better. There were no blackboards. and the
schoolhouse. with all its appurtenances, was still
OF the most primitive character. The school
master harmonized well with his environment.
but, Withal. he gradually came 10 be a person of
considerable Importance, and ruled his little
realm with a severity and authority that have
left as little trace in the schools OF to-day as the
crude implements with which he wrought
one is inclined to pity the schoolboys and
schoolgirls Of two centuries ago as he looks over
the conditions OF the books which guided them
TO the temple Of knowledge. Yet that pity would
probably be misplaced. Human life is always
interesting. and doubtless even school life was
by no means so sombre a thing as the reader
or to-day might be led to imagine from these
records OF IT, Especially when one comes 10
glance at the wonderful things narrated ia early
American Biographies is his tendency TO pitv
diminished. The pupils IN the log schoolhouse
mac a Veritable wonderland open before them
whenever they looked between the covers of
Morse's geography. for instance Here is an ex-
ample:
IN california there falls in the morning a great
quanuty or dew. which settling on the rose leaves
becomes hard, like mama having All the Sweetness
OF refined sugar without fits whiteness
Here is what the students OF Morse's geos-
raphy learned concerning New-York City:
A want OF good water has been a great inoon-
~snlencs 10 the citizens. there being but few wells