Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/104

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
100
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

as I, amid these circumstances, was willing to erect something to the honor of God, and the benefit of the young, I again placed myself in the work, and have hitherto continued at it. I indeed wish that I had been able to do more, still I have come to thank the great God heartily

that He has helped me to do as much as I have done.

Concerning Friend Saur's first question, viz.:

How I Receive the Children in School?

It is done in the following manner. The child is first welcomed by the other scholars, who extend their hands to it. It is then asked by me whether it will learn industriously and be obedient. If it promises me this I explain to it how it must behave, and if it can say the A, B, C's in order, one after the other, and also by way of proof can point out with the forefinger all the designated letters, it is put into the Ab Abs. When it gets this far its father must give it a penny and its mother must cook for it two eggs, because of its industry; and a similar reward is due to it when it goes further into words, and so forth. But when it begins to read I owe it a token, if it has learned industriously and in the time fixed, and on the next day when this child comes to school it receives a ticket, on which is written the line “Industrious — one penny.” This ticket it receives to show that it is taken into the school as a scholar. But it is told that from those scholars who are idle at study, or are otherwise disobedient, this token is taken away again, and that if they are not willing to be taught in any way, and remain stubborn they will be declared, before all the scholars, lazy and unfit, and that they belong in another harsh correction school. Then I ask the child again whether it will be obedient and industrious. If it answers “yes,” then I show it the place where it will sit down. If it is