“Now, Helen,” said Lewis, as they drew near the building appropriated
to the schools, “you will see Tom Price. I wish you had been with us
when we went to see his mother, and grandfather, and little brother;”
and Lewis was going on to tell Helen of the presents they had made,
but he recollected that this would be too much like display: his
embarrassment, however, was soon relieved, by Helen’s asking, why her
uncle called Price, Lewis’s oracle?
“Because I always consult him about the weather; and you see he was
right this morning: he knows a great deal about it, as most people do
who have to get their living in the open air. He is a fisherman now;
for he is too old and infirm to make long voyages, though he was a
brave sailor once, and has been out in many a terrible storm. His poor
son was lost at sea, and now he takes care of the widow and her two
little children: but here we are at the school.”
Lewis and Helen followed Mr. Ashton into a large room, in which many
boys were occupied: they were seated in rows, one behind the other, and
were employed in writing on slates the words which the monitors, from
time to time, dictated.
Lewis’s father had brought some books for the use of the institution;
and while he was engaged in speaking to the master, the children
watched with surprise, the uniform, regular movement of so many hands,
when the head monitor told them to turn, show, or clean their slates.
Lewis was afraid of interrupting the order, by asking for his little
friend; but he gave him a nod of approbation as he passed him on their
way out.
“We will just go through the girls’ school-room,” said Mr. Ashton,
“which is of the same dimensions as the boys’.—I am sorry we cannot now
stay to see the mode of instructing the children: every thing appears
to be in excellent order.”
“Yes, sir,” said the master, bowing to his visitor, “system, is every
thing in a large school, such as this.”
“Very true, my good friend,” returned Mr. Ashton, smiling
good-humouredly; “only we must remember, that children are not mere
machines; and that the education we give them should be such as to
render them intelligent and useful members of society.”