One morning, during breakfast, I observed several little children
passing my window in their best clothes. The boys wore a sort of green
sash of oak-leaves, which, coming over the right shoulder, crossed
the back and breast, and then winding once round the waist, hung in
two ends on the left side. The girls, dressed in common white frocks,
had roses in their hair, and held green garlands in their hands. On
inquiring the reason of the children being dressed in this way, I found
out, with some difficulty, that there was to be a great festival and
procession, to celebrate the taking possession of a new school, which,
built by the town, was only just completed. Accordingly, following
some of the little ones down the main street, I passed this village
seminary, whose first birth-day was thus about to be commemorated.
It was a substantial building, consisting of a centre, with two
square projecting wings, and it was quite large enough to be taken
by any stranger for the Hotel-de-Ville of Langen-Schwalbach. Wreaths
of oak-leaves were suspended in front, and long verdant garlands
from the same trees hung in festoons from one wing to the other. It
was impossible to contrast the size of this building with the small
houses in its neighbourhood, without feeling how creditable it was
to the inhabitants of so small a town thus to show that a portion
of the wealth they had mildly sucked from the stranger's purse was
so sensibly and patriotically expended. The scale of the building
seemed to indicate that the peasants of Langen-Schwalbach were liberal
enough to desire that their children should grow up more enlightened
than themselves; and as I passed it, I could not help recollecting,
with feelings of deep regret, that although in England there is no
art or trade that has not made great improvement and progress, the
cramped pater-noster system of our public schools, as well as of our
universities, have too long remained almost the only pools stagnant in
the country, a fact which can scarcely be reconciled with the rapid
progress which our lower orders have lately made in useful knowledge.
After passing this new seminary, I continued descending the main street
about one hundred yards, which brought me to a small crowd of people,
standing before the old school, into the door of which, creeping under
the arms of the people, child after child hurried and disappeared, like
a bee going into its hive.
The old school of Langen-Schwalbach is one of the most ancient
buildings in the town. Its elevation is fantastic, bordering on the
grotesque. The gable seems to be nodding forwards, the hump-backed roof
to be sinking in. The wooden frame-work of the house, composed of beams
purposely bent into almost every form, has besides been very curiously
hewn and carved, and on the front wall, placed most irregularly there
are several inscriptions, such as "_ora et labora_," "1552," and then
again a sentence in German, dated 1643, describing that in that year
the house was repaired. There is also a grotesque image on the wall,
of a child hugging a cornucopia, &c., &c. Nevertheless, though all the
parts of this ancient edifice are very rude, there is "a method in the
madness" with which they are arranged, that, somehow or other, makes
the _tout ensemble_ very pleasing; and whether it be admitted to be
good-looking or not, its venerable appearance almost any one would be
disposed to respect.
I observed that no one entered this door but the children. However, as
in this simple, civil country great privileges are granted to strangers
(for here, like kings, they can hardly do wrong), I ascended an old
rattle-trap staircase, until coming to a landing-place, I found one
large room on my left crammed full of little boys, and one on my right
overflowing with little girls, these two chambers composing the whole
of the building.
On the landing-place I met the three masters, all dressed very
respectably in black cloth clothes. The senior was about forty years
of age, the two others quiet, nice-looking men of about twenty-six,
one of whom, to my very great astonishment, addressed me in English.
He spoke the language very well, said he could read it with ease, but
added that he had great difficulty in understanding it, unless when
spoken very slowly; in short, as an enjoyment through the long-winded
evenings of winter, he had actually taught himself our hissing, crabbed
language, which he had only heard spoken by a solitary Englishman whose
acquaintance he had formed last year.
He seemed not only to be well acquainted with our English authors,
but talked very sensibly about the institutions and establishments of
our country; in short, he evidently knew a great deal more of England
than England knows of Langen-Schwalbach, of the duchy of Nassau, or of
many much vaster portions of the globe. He informed me that the school
was composed of 150 boys, and about the same number of girls;--that
of these 300 children 180 were Protestants, 90 Catholics; and that
since the year 1827 the town having agreed to admit to the blessings
and advantages of education the children of the Jews, there were
twenty little boys of that persuasion, and one girl. Having witnessed
the prejudice, and indeed hatred, which Christians and Jews in many
countries mutually entertain towards each other, I was not little
surprised at the statement thus related to me.
After listening for some time to the tutor, he offered to show me the
children, and accordingly with some difficulty we worked our way into
the boys room. It was a pretty sight to witness such an assemblage of
little fellows with clean shining faces, and their native oak-leaves
gave a freshness to the scene which was very delightful.
Among these white-haired laddies, most of whom were from four to eight
years of age, it was quite unnecessary to inquire which were the Jew
boys, for there each stood, as distinctly marked as their race is all
over the face of the globe; yet I must acknowledge they were by far
the handsomest children in the room, looking much more like Spaniards
than Germans. The chamberfull of little girls would have pleased
anybody, so nicely were they dressed, and apparently so well-behaved.
Several were exceedingly pretty children, and the garlands they held in
their hands, the wreaths of roses which bloomed on their heads, and the
smiles that beamed in their faces, formed as pretty a mixture of the
animal and vegetable creation as could well be imagined.
In one corner stood the only Jewish girl in the room, and Rebecca
herself could not have had a handsomer nose, a pair of brighter eyes,
or a more marked expression of countenance. She was more richly dressed
than the other village girls--wore a necklace, and I observed a thick
gold or brass ring on the forefinger of her left hand. We went several
times from one room full of children to the other, and it was really
pleasing to see in a state of such thoughtless innocence those who
were to become the future possessors of the houses and property of
Langen-Schwalbach. All of a sudden, a signal was given to the children
to descend, and it became then quite as much as the three masters could
do to make them go out of the room hand-in-hand. Down scrambled first
the boys, and then more quietly followed the little girls, though not
without one or two screams proceeding from those who, in their hurry,
had dropped their garlands. One of these green hoops I picked up, and
seeing a little girl crying her heart out, I gave it to her, and no
balm of Gilead ever worked so sudden a cure; for away she ran, and
joined her comrades, laughing.
As soon as the children had all left the two rooms, the three masters
descended, and we followed them into the street, where the civil
authorities of the town, and almost all the parents of the little ones,
had assembled. With great difficulty the children were all collected
together in a group, in the open air exactly in front of the school;
and when this arrangement was effected, the mayor, two Catholic
ministers, two Protestant clergymen, and the three masters, stood
exactly in front of the children, facing also the house from which
they had proceeded. For some time, the masters and the four Christian
ministers stood smiling and talking to each other; however, at last
the mayor made a bow, everybody took off their hats, the ministers'
countenances stiffened, and for a few seconds a dead silence ensued. At
last the mayor with due ceremony took off his hat, when the youngest of
the Lutheran ministers, advancing one step in front, commenced a long
address to the children.
What he said I was not near enough to hear; but I saw constantly
beaming in his countenance that sort of benevolent smile, which
would be natural almost to any one, in addressing so very youthful a
congregation. Occasionally he pointed with his hand to heaven, and
then, continuing his subject, smiled as if to cheer them on the way;
but the little toads, instead of attending to him, were all apparently
eager to get to their fine new school, and with roses on their heads,
and garlands in their hands, they seemed as if they did not feel that
they stood in need of a routing dose of good advice; in short, not one
of them appeared to pay the slightest attention to a discourse which
could not but have been very interesting to the parents. However, in
one respect I must own I was slightly disappointed; the burden of the
discourse must have been on the duties and future prospects of the
children, and on the honours and advantages of the new school; for I
particularly remarked that not once did the clergyman point or address
himself to the old building--not a single eye but my own was ever
turned towards it, and none but myself seemed to feel for it any regret
that it was about to lose a village importance which for so many years
it had enjoyed. It was sentenced to be deserted, and walls which had
long been enlivened by the cheerful sound of youthful voices, were in
their old age suddenly to be bereft of all!
I could not help feeling for the old institution, and when the
discourse was ended--when hats had returned to people's heads, and
when the procession of children, followed by the ministers, had
already begun to move, I could not for some time take my eyes off
the old fabric. The date of 1552, and the rude-looking image of the
boy, particularly attracted my attention; however, the old hive was
deserted,--the bees had swarmed,--had already hovered in the air, and
to their new abode they had all flown away. Jostled from my position by
people who were following the procession, I proceeded onwards with the
crowd, but not without mumbling to myself--
"Let others hail the rising sun,
I bow to him whose course is run."
As soon as the children reached their fine new abode, a band, which
had been awaiting their arrival, struck up; and in the open air they
instantly sung a hymn. The doors were then thrown open, and in high
glee the little creatures scrambled up the staircase, and the mayor,
clergymen, and schoolmasters having followed, a great rush was made by
parents and spectators. I managed to gain a good place, but in a very
few moments the room was filled, and so jammed up with people, that
they could scarcely raise their hands to wipe the perspiration which
soon began to appear very copiously on all faces. It became dreadfully
hot, and besides suffering from this cause, I felt by no means happy
at a calculation which very unwelcomely kept forcing itself into my
mind,--namely, that the immense weight of human flesh which was for the
first time trying new beams, might produce a consummation by no means
"devoutly to be wished."
As soon as order was established, and silence obtained, the Catholic
minister addressed the children; and when he had finished, the tall
Lutheran clergyman, whose description I have already given to the
reader, followed in his deepest tone, and with his gravest demeanour;
but it was all lost upon the children: indeed it was so hot, and we
were so little at our ease, that all were very glad, indeed, to hear
him conclude by the word "Amen!"
The children now sang another hymn, which, in a cooler climate, would
have been quite beautiful; the mayor made a bow--the thing was at an
end, and I believe every one was as much delighted as myself to get
once again into pure fresh air.
As I had been told by the teacher that the children would dance and eat
in the evening, at four o'clock, I went again to the school at that
hour, expecting that there would be what in England would be called "a
ball and supper;" however, the supper had come first, and the remains
of it were on two long tables. The feast which the little ones had been
enjoying had consisted of a slice of white bread and a glass of Rhenish
wine for each; and, as soon as I entered the room, two policemen bowed
and begged me to be seated. They and their friends were evidently
regaling themselves with the wine which had been furnished for the
children; however, the little creatures did not seem to want it, and
I was very glad to see it inflaming the eyes of the old party, and
flushing their cheeks, instead of having a similar effect on the young
ones.
It had been settled that the children were to dance; but they were
much too young to care for such an amusement. The little boys had
got together at one end of the room, and the girls were sitting
laughing at the other, both groups being as happily independent as
it was possible to be. Sometimes the boys amused themselves with a
singing game--one chaunting a line, and all the rest bursting in with
the chorus, which, though it contained nearly as much laughter as
music, showed that the youngsters were well enough conversant with
both. The girls had also their song. As I left the room several of
the children were singing on the stairs--all were as happy as I had
desired to see them; and yet I firmly believe that the whole festival
I have described,--oak-leaves, roses, garlands, festoons, bread, wine,
&c., altogether,--could not have cost the town of Langen-Schwalbach
ten shillings! Nevertheless, in its history, the opening of a public
establishment so useful to future generations, and so creditable to the
present one, was an event of no inconsiderable importance.