A Pedagogue Primeval [pp. 409-416]

1884.] A Pedagog~e Primeval. 415
ignorance, and, as I soon learned, she came ter the first day, I procured extra canvas for
to this, expecting it to be a finishing school. the four side walls. The benches I made
Notwithstanding her slow mental awkward- myself at noonings out of dry-goods boxes.
ness, varied occasionally by a cranky fit of The good will of the school has indescribaobstinacy, I learned to have a genuine re- ~ble value, if any."
spect for her-not so much for what she ac- "Would four ounces of gold dust he suffic
tually was, hut for what must eventually be ient?" It was: and the pioneer school with
developed in one who looked out with those all its privileges changed hands, with the
unspoiled eyes from that unspoilable face. stipulation that he should take possession
But the boys were hopeless. They were after noon of the next day.
dense, and, out of school, profane, pugna- Upon that morning my school assembled
cious, and brutal. Clay Banks was easily as usual. After announcing the change, I
the worst of them all. When laboring at gave them a brief valediction:
them with the shingles, I felt that each was "I commit you to more experienced
a baked clod, and that I was doomed to pen- hands and with unmixed delight. This fortetrate them by pinhole drillings, to drop in night has taught me two valuable lessonsmicroscopic seeds of knowledge. Had I that ignorance is worse than crime, and that
been willing to contemplate the possibility of your future is hopeless upless you fall into
tilling them for years, there would have been better hands. But it has taught you notha hopefulness and a cheery interest in watch- ing. You are the worst collection of human
ing the slow growth of my dry seeds into nature at an early stage that ever presented
flower and fruit. But the thought was in- itself to an unprejudiced eye. Out of gratiadmissible. I simply waited until I should tude that I shall teach you no more I remit
recover my full strength, and turn to any- for you fully and heartily the fee for thus
thing else. far. Tell your parents when you get home
One evening, just a fortnight after the this noon, not to lay that up for or against
opening day, I was debating with a pipe and me. I shall never call for it. I don't want
myself whether I had not sufficient strength compensation for thankless labor. But if I
to assume my freedom. There entered to have ever failed to punish you each time as
me a reverend angel, bent on an errand of you deserved, as is not impossible, though I
mercy. He was a clergyman who had dis- don't clearly remember the occasion, I will
tinguished himself at Yale a little before my do my fi~ll duty now-partly to make up for
time, and who has since much more dis- any such omission, and chiefly because of
tinguished himself as a dispenser of sound y~ur general bad character. The class will
learning in California. He, too, had left the form a row, and hold out their right hands
mines with shaken health. His inquiries for the shingle."
about my school and plans were so careful They formed a row. Clay Banks happenthat I easily saw the opportunity, and said: pened to stand at one end. This was fortu "I took this school only until I could do nate, for he especially deserved and received
anything else, and now I feel strong enough the first fruits of my strength. Then I went
to do that anything. And two weeks have down the line of seven boys' right hands and
demonstrated to me, either that I have mis- shingled them an appreciative farewell. Glotaken my vocation, or that these boys are un- riana stood last and with hand outstretched.
fit to exist. If I continue, at least one homi- I took it mechanically, but I had not thought
cide will be justifiable at some time. But of her, and now there seemed to be a debatyou are a professional teacher. You cannot able question:
preach until your health is restored. Why "You, Gloriana - why should I punish
not take these wretches off my hands?" you? To be sure, you have been in bad
He quietly inquired as to the terms of sale. c9mpany, and the way of the ~orld blames
"The furnishings are of little value. Af- quite as much for circumstances and by