In the autumn of 1836 Margaret went to Boston, with the two-fold
design of teaching Latin and French in Mr. Alcott's school, which
was then highly prosperous, and of forming classes of young ladies in
French, German, and Italian.
Her view of Mr. Alcott's plan of education was thus hinted in a
journal, one day, after she had been talking with him, and trying to
place herself in his mental position:--
_Mr. A._ 'O for the safe and natural way of Intuition! I
cannot grope like a mole in the gloomy passages of experience.
To the attentive spirit, the revelation contained in books
is only so far valuable as it comments upon, and corresponds
with, the universal revelation. Yet to me, a being social
and sympathetic by natural impulse, though recluse and
contemplative by training and philosophy, the character and
life of Jesus have spoken more forcibly than any fact recorded
in human history. This story of incarnate Love has given me
the key to all mysteries, and showed me what path should be
taken in returning to the Fountain of Spirit. Seeing that
other redeemers have imperfectly fulfilled their tasks, I
have sought a new way. They all, it seemed to me, had tried
to influence the human being at too late a day, and had laid
their plans too wide. They began with men; I will begin
with babes. They began with the world; I will begin with the
family. So I preach the Gospel of the Nineteenth Century.'
_M_. 'But, preacher, you make _three_ mistakes.
'You do not understand the nature of Genius or creative power.
'You do not understand the reaction of matter on spirit.
'You are too impatient of the complex; and, not enjoying
variety in unity, you become lost in abstractions, and cannot
illustrate your principles.'
On the other hand, Mr. Alcott's impressions of Margaret were thus
noted in his diaries:--
"She is clearly a person given to the boldest speculation, and
of liberal and varied acquirements. Not wanting in imaginative
power, she has the rarest good sense and discretion. She
adopts the Spiritual Philosophy, and has the subtlest
perception of its bearings. She takes large and generous views
of all subjects, and her disposition is singularly catholic.
The blending of sentiment and of wisdom in her is most
remarkable; and her taste is as fine as her prudence. I think
her the most brilliant talker of the day. She has a quick
and comprehensive wit, a firm command of her thoughts, and a
speech to win the ear of the most cultivated."
In her own classes Margaret was very successful, and thus in a letter
sums up the results:--
'I am still quite unwell, and all my pursuits and propensities
have a tendency to make my head worse. It is but a bad
head,--as bad as if I were a great man! I am not entitled to
so bad a head by anything I have done; but I flatter myself it
is very interesting to suffer so much, and a fair excuse for
not writing pretty letters, and saying to my friends the good
things I think about them.
'I was so desirous of doing all I could, that I took a great
deal more upon myself than I was able to bear. Yet now that
the twenty-five weeks of incessant toil are over, I rejoice in
it all, and would not have done an iota less. I have fulfilled
all my engagements faithfully; have acquired more power of
attention, self-command, and fortitude; have acted in life as
I thought I would in my lonely meditations; and have gained
some knowledge of means. Above all,--blessed be the Father
of our spirits!--my aims are the same as they were in the
happiest flight of youthful fancy. I have learned too, at
last, to rejoice in all past pain, and to see that my spirit
has been judiciously tempered for its work. In future I may
sorrow, but can I ever despair?
'The beginning of the winter was forlorn. I was always ill;
and often thought I might not live, though the work was but
just begun. The usual disappointments, too, were about me.
Those from whom aid was expected failed, and others who aided
did not understand my aims. Enthusiasm for the things loved
best fled when I seemed to be buying and selling them. I
could not get the proper point of view, and could not keep a
healthful state of mind. Mysteriously a gulf seemed to have
opened between me and most intimate friends, and for the
first time for many years I was entirely, absolutely, alone.
Finally, my own character and designs lost all romantic
interest, and I felt vulgarized, profaned, forsaken,--though
obliged to smile brightly and talk wisely all the while. But
these clouds at length passed away.
'And now let me try to tell you what has been done. To one
class I taught the German language, and thought it good
success, when, at the end of three months, they could read
twenty pages of German at a lesson, and very well. This
class, of course, was not interesting, except in the way of
observation and analysis of language.
'With more advanced pupils I read, in twenty-four weeks,
Schiller's Don Carlos, Artists, and Song of the Bell, besides
giving a sort of general lecture on Schiller; Goethe's Hermann
and Dorothea, Goetz von Berlichingen, Iphigenia, first part of
Faust,--three weeks of thorough study this, as valuable to me
as to them,--and Clavigo,--thus comprehending samples of
all his efforts in poetry, and bringing forward some of his
prominent opinions; Lessing's Nathan, Minna, Emilia Galeotti;
parts of Tieck's Phantasus, and nearly the whole first volume
of Richter's Titan.
'With the Italian class, I read parts of Tasso, Petrarch--whom
they came to almost adore,--Ariosto, Alfieri, and the whole
hundred cantos of the Divina Commedia, with the aid of the
fine Athenæum copy, Flaxman's designs, and all the best
commentaries. This last piece of work was and will be truly
valuable to myself.
'I had, besides, three private pupils, Mrs. ----, who became
very attractive to me, ----, and little ----, who had not
the use of his eyes. I taught him Latin orally, and read
the History of England and Shakspeare's historical plays in
connection. This lesson was given every day for ten weeks, and
was very interesting, though very fatiguing. The labor in Mr.
Alcott's school was also quite exhausting. I, however, loved
the children, and had many valuable thoughts suggested, and
Mr. A.'s society was much to me.
'As you may imagine, the Life of Goethe is not yet written;
but I have studied and thought about it much. It grows in
my mind with everything that does grow there. My friends in
Europe have sent me the needed books on the subject, and I
am now beginning to work in good earnest. It is very possible
that the task may be taken from me by somebody in England, or
that in doing it I may find myself incompetent; but I go on in
hope, secure, at all events, that it will be the means of the
highest culture.'
In addition to other labors, Margaret translated, one evening every
week, German authors into English, for the gratification of Dr.
Channing; their chief reading being in De Wette and Herder.
'It was not very pleasant,' she writes, 'for Dr. C. takes in
subjects more deliberately than is conceivable to us feminine
people, with our habits of ducking, diving, or flying for
truth. Doubtless, however, he makes better use of what he
gets, and if his sympathies were livelier he would not view
certain truths in so steady a light. But there is much more
talking than reading; and I like talking with him. I do not
feel that constraint which some persons complain of, but
am perfectly free, though less called out than by other
intellects of inferior power. I get too much food for thought
from him, and am not bound to any tiresome formality of
respect on account of his age and rank in the world of
intellect. He seems desirous to meet even one young and
obscure as myself on equal terms, and trusts to the elevation
of his thoughts to keep him in his place.'