P. S.... I have been teaching three days, and find no difference in the
boys from those of Izumo, --they are gentle, polite, manly and eager.
But I am greatly hampered by the books. There are not books enough, and
the reading-books chosen are atrociously unsuited for the students.
Fancy "Silas Marner" and "John Halifax," with the long double-compound
complex semiphilosophical sentences of George Eliot, as text-books
for boys who can scarcely speak in English! A missionary's choice!
Ye gods of old Japan! I think the Mombushō is economical in the
wrong direction. Too much money cannot be spent on good reading-books.
Less money on buildings and more for books would give better results.
Buildings worth a quarter of a million (as building costs in America),
and "Lovell's Library" and "George Munro's" piracies bought for
text-books. I could scream!!