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diff --git a/75343-0.txt b/75343-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1b9f593 --- /dev/null +++ b/75343-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,757 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75343 *** + + + + + + A DAY + + IN + + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: + + ~First Day.~ + Anne Lyle standing by her Papa. p. 17. +] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + + + A DAY + + IN + + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL + + + American Sunday-School Union. + + _PHILADELPHIA_: 146 CHESTNUT ST. + _NEW YORK_: 147 NASSAU ST. + _BOSTON_: 9 CORNHILL. + _LOUISVILLE_: 103 FOURTH ST. + + -------------------------------- + + Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by the + AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, + in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of + Pennsylvania. + + -------------------------------- + +→ No books are published by the AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION without +the sanction of the Committee of Publication, consisting of fourteen +members, from the following denominations of Christians, viz. Baptist, +Methodist, Congregationalist, Episcopal, Presbyterian and Reformed +Dutch. Not more than three of the members can be of the same +denomination, and no book can be published to which any member of the +Committee shall object. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + + + A DAY + IN + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL. + + -------------------------------- + + +After the roll had been called, the little boys and girls were invited +to say a lesson first; because Mary, the teacher, thought the bigger +ones could better understand why they were to wait. + +They took their places in the class, and she gave out words of two +syllables for them to spell; such as Cam-el, Pea-cock, Hen-coop, +Par-lor, Tea-cup. + +When they had done spelling, she allowed them to ask questions. + +One little boy, whose name was Harry Linn, asked what a camel was? And +Mary took down a large book from the shelf, and showed him a picture of +a camel, and told him that it was a native both of Arabia and of Africa, +and that it could travel eight or nine days without water, over the +sandy deserts of those countries. It is covered with a hairy fur, which +it sheds in the spring, and this fur is used to make coarse cloth +shawls. The camel kneels down to receive burdens, and when it is loaded +it will rise again. + +Harry was very much surprised, when his teacher told him that the camel +could carry men and burdens like a horse or an ass, and could travel a +great distance with a weight of eight hundred or a thousand pounds upon +its back; and that it gave milk for drink, like a cow. + +Harry asked why we had not camels in America, instead of horses and +cows? + +Mary told him that God had made this a very large world, and that it is +divided into many countries. In some countries the weather is very hot, +and in some countries it is very cold. + +The animals and people, who are born in hot countries, such as Arabia +and Africa, could not endure the cold of America. They are happier and +more useful in the climate where they are born. + +And Mary said, our heavenly Father was so good and kind to every thing +that he had made, that he designed all animals, as well as little boys +and girls and men and women too, to be useful and happy where he placed +them. + +Harry asked if a little boy like him could be useful and happy? for +Harry was only four years old. + +Mary told him, yes; and that when she had leisure, she would read aloud +to him and his school-mates the story of a little girl who was only four +years old, who was happy because she was useful. + +Harry loved his teacher, because she was so kind to him, and though he +wanted very much to know how he could be useful and happy, he knew she +had not time to answer any more questions now; and he was willing to +wait, for his teacher always did what she said she would do, and Harry +was sure she would not forget her promise. + +So he went to his seat as the other little boys and girls did, and while +Mary heard the larger scholars say their definitions, Harry’s class made +O’s, and strokes, and pothooks on their slates, as they are called, in +this way. + +[Illustration: handwriting practice] + +Mary had only eight scholars, and she had leisure to attend to each one, +and make them understand all their lessons, that they might have +something to think about when they went home from school. + +On this morning the scholars were exercised in spelling, reading and +arithmetic. The large boys and girls did sums in multiplication and +subtraction, and the smaller ones made figures, after Mary had written a +line upon their slates for them thus:— + + 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0. + +After they had been two hours in school, Mary rang a little bell. As +soon as they heard it, they knew it was recess-time, and they all went +out to play for fifteen minutes. + +The school was in the country, on the farm where Harry Linn’s father and +mother lived, and Mary lived with them. + +Mary had been to the best schools to receive her education; and she was +very fond of two things—learning and children. So, she agreed to come +and live with Harry Linn’s father and mother, and teach school: and she +had five of the neighbouring children, besides Harry and his brother and +sister, for scholars. + +[Illustration: + + ~First Day.~ + The School House at the edge of the wood. p. 13. +] + +The school-room was built at the edge of a piece of “woods,” not far +from the house, and it was very cool and shady round about, all summer. + +In the winter, when the leaves had fallen off from the trees, the sun +shone in at the school-room windows, and it was so light and cheerful +that the teacher and her scholars liked to be there better than anywhere +else. + +Harry Linn’s father used to say that Mary’s face was sunshiny, because +it was so good-humoured. When her little flock went out to play, at +recess-time, she sometimes went too, for the sake of the exercise; and +they were always glad when Mary went with them. She would take turns +with them in jumping rope, and playing “Let us see who can run fastest;” +and she would show the boys how to trundle their hoops; and she knew how +to fix the paper sails to the little boats which the boys made for +themselves; and then she would take them along by the side of the little +brook of water that was down in the woods, and find a place for them +where they could stoop down without getting their feet wet, to sail +their boats. + +One of the home-made boats was such a fast sailer that Charles Linn, who +was quite a little carpenter, asked Mary to print a name on his boat. +She asked, “What shall its name be?” But they could not agree upon a +name, for one wanted one name, and another wanted something different. +So Mary cut up a piece of paper which she had in her hand into nine +slips; and then she went round to each scholar, and told every one to +whisper to her the name he or she liked best; and she wrote down the +choice of each one on a separate slip of the paper, and lastly, on the +ninth slip, she wrote down the name which she herself preferred. + +After this was done, Mary read the names written down, aloud. + +Two of the scholars had chosen the name of “Swan.” Three had chosen the +name of “Mary,” and four had chosen the name of “Water-witch.” So the +little fast-sailing boat was named “Water-witch.” I suppose they had +talked about this name before. + +“Now,” said Mary, “we will all go back to school;” and her happy little +scholars were ready to do as she wished. + +“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” + +Mary remembered her promise to Harry Linn, to read him a story which +would teach him how a little girl of four years old could be useful and +happy. And she said all who wished to hear it might put by their books +and slates, while she read it to them. + +They all liked to have Mary read to them, and all the scholars put up +their work to listen to her. + + + Story of Anne Lyle, + + A LITTLE GIRL OF FOUR YEARS OLD. + + A little girl am I, + With sisters, two, three, four, + A father, and a mother, + One brother, and no more. + + My name is Anne Lyle, + I hardly ever cry, + And in a little trundle-bed, + In mother’s room, I lie. + + I wait on my mamma, + And tend our little Will, + I play with him, and sing to him, + And try to keep him still. + + I play “Come, peaches buy”— + “Buy peaches, half a peck;” + Then Willy holds his arms both out, + To hug me round the neck. + + Pa rolls him all about, + And jumps him up and down; + He rides him on his foot, and says, + “Now here we go to town.” + + As soon as Willy hears + The front-door dead-latch key, + He knows it’s papa coming home, + He knows as well as we. + + And then we’re all so glad, + And Willy tries to say + After mamma—“Pa-pa come home, + With Wil-ly boy to play.” + + He cannot stand alone— + He creeps about the floor— + When mamma says, “Come, precious one!” + He laughs, and creeps some more. + + He’s little, and don’t know + He ought to mind my mother— + Pa says he’ll be a noble man, + My little baby brother. + + I’ve got a pretty dove, + My uncle gave to me, + And papa holds it on his hand + For little Will to see. + + He strokes its feathers down, + They feel as soft as silk, + And then I try if it will drink + Out of my bowl of milk. + + Trip wags his tail, and comes + To sit by papa’s feet; + When he is hungry, he will beg, + On his hind legs, for meat. + + I have a grandpapa: + He’s old, and cannot see— + He kisses me, and strokes my hair, + And holds me on his knee. + + We have a garden green, + Where pretty flowers grow; + When I walk there with grandpapa, + I lead him very slow. + + And I can bring his chair, + And a cricket for his feet, + And put away his hat and cane— + He calls me, “Anne, sweet!” + + He puts his face to mine, + He has shiny, soft, white hair; + And then he hugs me very close, + To feel if I am there. + + He tells me about God, + And teaches me to pray, + “Keep me, O heavenly Father, out + Of every naughty way.” + + My heavenly Father’s child, + Oh, I would like to be! + I love Him, I am very sure, + When I sit on grandpa’s knee. + + I love my father then, + And my little brother Will, + And everybody, and mamma, + And my sisters, and old Phil. + + Old Phil’s a beggar-man— + He goes from door to door + With a little basket on his arm, + Because he’s very poor. + + Poor Phil! he must be cold— + His clothes are full of holes; + He has no stockings, and his shoes + Are ragged in the soles. + + When I’m a bigger girl, + I’ll make old Phil some clothes, + And I’ll buy a pair of shoes for him + That won’t let out his toes. + + Mamma has made a place + For my pennies, in her drawer, + And she shows me how to put by some + For Phil, till I get more. + + Our cook is named Cathleen; + Nice gingerbread she bakes; + And little pies, with our names on, + She very often makes. + + Cathleen gets sick sometimes + In bed she has to stay; + And then I take to her up stairs + Some good things every day. + + I have four sisters: Kate, + Sophy, and Jane, and Grace; + And when they all come home from school, + We run a merry race. + + Mamma just looks at us, + With Willy on her lap, + And Willy jumps, and crows, and tries + His little hands to clap. + + Pa thinks it makes us grow, + To swing and play and run; + And grandpa says he likes young folks + To have a little fun. + + My grandpa cannot read + His Bible, now he’s blind, + But all the pretty stories there, + He knows just where to find. + + And when it gets quite dark, + Before I go to bed, + He says, “Come hither, Anne Lyle, + My little curly-head.” + + And when he takes me up, + Right in his face I look; + I love to sit and hear him tell + About the Holy Book. + + The stories there are true, + And I wish, on grandpa’s knee, + Some other little boys and girls + Could hear as well as me. + + When I go up to bed, + Ma stays by me awhile; + She says, “God keep thee safe and good, + My little Anne Lyle.” + + * * * * * + +Mary’s scholars were all very still and attentive while she was reading +to them about Anne Lyle, and when she had finished it, she asked Harry +if he did not think Anne Lyle was a useful, happy, little girl? She +waited on her mother, and walked in the garden with her blind, old +grandfather, and put away his hat and cane for him, and kept her little +brother quiet; and she was a kind little girl too, for she took +something good to the sick cook, and saved some of her pennies to buy +shoes for a poor beggar. + +Harry said, “Yes: and if I knew how, I would like to be useful too.” +Mary reminded him that one of his school-mates had lost her sponge, and +when she wanted to rub from her slate some crooked strokes that she had +made, she asked Harry for his sponge, and he had refused to lend it to +her, because he wanted it himself. + +“You might have been useful, then, Harry,” said Mary, “but you did not +choose to be so.” + +Harry hung his head and looked ashamed; but presently he ran away to his +desk, and brought out his sponge, and gave it to Lily Forester; (for +that was the little girl’s name who had asked him for it.) Lily said, +“Thank you, Harry,” and she cleaned her slate off nicely with it, and +gave it back to him. + +His teacher stroked Harry’s hair with her hand, and said, + +“Now, has not my little boy of four years old learned to be useful?” + +Harry hid his curly head behind Mary’s apron for a few moments, and then +he peeped up into her kind face, and she knew he meant Yes, though he +did not say any thing. + +“Oh,” said Mary, “my little Harry has discovered that he can be useful; +and that when he is useful, he is happy.” + +Harry scampered off, and sat close by Lily Forester till school was out. + +In the afternoon, Mary’s scholars were all collected around the +school-room door before she arrived. As soon as they saw her coming, +they ran to meet her, and Susan Field brought a bunch of beautiful +flowers for her. Mary was very fond of flowers, and she thanked Susan, +and said she would keep them in water for her little scholar’s sake. + +Then she took a china vase which she kept for flowers, and allowed all +her scholars to go with her down to the spring for fresh water; and she +filled the vase with water and arranged the flowers, and then she said, + +“Now we will all go to school, and enjoy them together.” + +Three afternoons in the week Mary taught her scholars to sew, and knit, +and work samplers on canvas. She thought every little girl should know +how to use the needle, and cut out garments. Then, when she grew up to +be a woman, she could keep her own wardrobe neatly, and be _helpful_ in +her family besides; and if she had leisure, after doing her share of the +family sewing, she could teach poor little children, and make garments +for the sick and old, who were not able to help themselves. + +This was sewing afternoon. As soon as they were all in their seats, Mary +took out a large work-basket, that was filled with little parcels, +nicely wrapped up, and the owner’s name was written on each parcel. Lily +Forester and Harry Linn stood beside Mary to pass along the work as she +gave it to them. They were the youngest scholars in the school, and they +were always glad when sewing afternoon came, because they could help +Mary. + +One girl had a pocket handkerchief to hem for her brother; one had some +patch-work; one was working a Bible-cover in cross-stitch; one was +learning to knit a garter; and little Lily’s work was an apron for her +doll, which Mary had fitted for her. + +While the girls were busied at their work, the boys, (except Harry +Linn,) stood up to say a geography lesson. + +Now, my little readers, whoever you may be, can you tell how many boys +were in the geography class? You will remember Mary had eight scholars. +Read over how many girls were at their sewing, then add to their number +Harry Linn, and say how many boys were in the class. + +Harry and Lily, somehow or other, always had their little heads close +together. Harry liked to help Lily, and Lily liked to help Harry. +Sometimes, like other little children, they quarrelled; but they soon +became friends again without any body’s help; and then Harry would say, +“Come, Lily, let us kiss and make up.” + +This afternoon, Harry asked leave to show Lily a picture-book which his +father had given him, and Mary told him he might sit by Lily, as soon as +she had finished a finger’s length of hemming. Harry waited till the +sewing was done, and then he sat close to Lily, and showed her his +picture-book. + +[Illustration: + + ~First Day.~ + One of Harry’s Pictures. p. 31. +] + +There was a picture of two little humming-birds and a nest; and one of a +horse, with a boy and a bag of flour on his back; and Harry told Lily, +the little boy was coming home from the mill, with a bag of flour to +make some cakes for supper; and Lily said, + +“Harry, I would like to have some of the cakes; wouldn’t you?” + +Harry’s book had more pictures than these two in it. There was one of a +little girl feeding chickens, and one of a shepherd and his sheep, and +one of a boy spinning a famous top. + +Lily liked the picture of the little girl feeding chickens best: and +Harry liked the picture of the boy and his top best. And Harry said to +Lily, + +“Lily, if you will look at my picture first, then I will look at your +picture;” but Lily was tired of looking at Harry’s picture; and she said +it was ugly; and she moved away from Harry. + +This offended Harry, and he told her he didn’t love her any more, and +she should not see his book. And he went away from Lily and took his +book with him. + +When the boys, who had been saying a geography lesson, had taken their +seats, Mary called Harry and Lily to come and repeat the multiplication +table. + +They did not come when they were called, and Mary knew from their looks +and behaviour, that they had been naughty. But she only said to them +again very mildly, + +“Come, Harry, come Lily,—it is almost recess-time, and you have not said +a lesson.” + +Harry came along very slowly, at first, and looking sidewise to see if +Lily was coming too. At length she took her place beside him, but they +missed their tables. They knew they had done wrong, and they felt very +unhappy, and they did not think enough about their tables to answer +correctly. + +When the scholars went out to play at recess-time, Harry and Lily did +not swing, and run, and play with one another. They walked about apart, +and they hardly knew what to do with themselves. + +Harry’s brother Charles went and got his fast-sailing little boat, and +ran back to the school-house to Mary, to ask her to print on it in large +letters, “The Water-witch.” + +Mary laid down her work and took a pen and did it for him immediately, +and he said, “I thank you,” and then he ran away, and all the scholars, +(boys and girls,) after him, down to the spring, to see how the boat +looked upon the water. + +She sailed beautifully, and there was quite a little fleet of boats +behind her, but the “Water-witch” went ahead of them all. + +While they were watching the boats the bell rang for school. + +Then Charles took his little boats, and all the boys and girls took +their hoops, and ropes, and all their playthings, and put them into a +little tool-house, which Charles Linn’s father allowed them to use for +that purpose; and Mary made a rule, that every thing must be put into +its proper place, so that even their playthings should not be lost. + +Then they all came back to school. Mary was there waiting for them. She +had not gone out with them this afternoon, but had stayed in school to +fit the girls’ work, and to set copies, in books, for the scholars who +used pen and ink, and on slates, for the smaller ones. + +When they returned from play, she called them up, one by one, to read, +and after each scholar had done reading, he went to his desk and wrote a +copy; and then Mary said, + +“It is now time to put up work.” The girls all rolled up their work, and +pinned their names on it, and held it in their hands till Harry and Lily +should come to get the different parcels and put them in the large +work-basket; but as Harry and Lily had been naughty, Mary did not ask +them to do it this time; so every girl put away her own work. Lily had +not learned to fold up hers, and put it away neatly, and she usually +brought it to Mary, and said, + +“Please, Mary, fold up mine?” and Mary folded it up for her, and Lily +always watched how it was done, so that she might learn. We can learn a +great deal by the right use of our eyes. + +This afternoon Lily brought her work to Mary, and turned away her head, +while Mary put it away, but she did not say “thank you,” as usual. + +Mary now went round to see if all the desks were in order. One little +girl, Carry Deacon, said her desk would not hold all her things, and she +tried her best to get them all in, but she could not; so Mary went to +her and had her to take every thing out of the desk first, and then she +showed her how to arrange her reading book and her spelling book, and +her other books, all on one side of the desk, and her slate on the other +side; and then there was plenty of room for all. + +Mary looked into every scholar’s desk, to see that it was neatly +arranged; and if she found it out of order, she would point to some +large letters that were printed over the mantel-piece. + +“Would my little readers like to know what those large letters were?” + +I will tell them. + + A PLACE FOR EVERY THING, + AND + EVERY THING IN ITS PLACE. + +If Mary’s scholars wanted her aid about any thing, she would always help +them, and they knew that she never required any thing of them, which +could not be done. + +At the close of every afternoon school, it was Mary’s practice to gather +her little flock round her, and read to them out of the Bible. +Sometimes, when the weather was very warm, she took them out into the +woods, and sat down with them on the grass under a large oak tree. They +liked to go out of doors to read; for they loved Mary, and they could +sit very close to her under the oak tree while she read to them. Eddy +Forester said he liked to read out of doors, for it seemed as if God was +listening, up in the sky. + +It was a very warm afternoon, and Mary said she would read under the oak +tree. + +Eddy Forester carried the Bible, and when they were all seated, Mary +read to them the history of little Samuel, and how his heavenly Father +called him when he lay down to sleep in the temple. + +After Mary had done reading, Eddy Forester asked, why little Samuel went +to Eli to inquire if he called him, when it was the Lord that called +him? + +Mary said, “Samuel was a very little boy, and he did not know that it +was the Lord who had spoken to him. Our heavenly Father often speaks to +little children now by his good Spirit, when they are too young to +understand who it is that speaks to them. + +“When we do right, we feel something which seems to say to us, ‘Well +done!’ and then we are happy; and when we do wrong, we feel something +which seems to say to us that it is wrong, and then we are unhappy.” + +“Is it the Lord that makes us feel so?” asked Susan Field? + +“Certainly,” said Mary, “and we should be very thankful to him that we +are not happy when we have done that which we know to be wrong; and we +should pray that God would teach us by his Holy Spirit what is right and +what is wrong, and make us understand and love what he has taught us in +the Bible.” + +“Oh, yes!” said Eddy Forester, “I know what you mean, for my mother told +me—the other day, when I snatched an apple from George because he would +not give me a bite of it—she told me that I did not enjoy eating the +apple, and it did not taste good to me, because I had been very naughty +to take it away from George, and that our heavenly Father’s good Spirit +was rebuking me and making me feel unhappy all the time I was eating +George’s apple.” + +While Eddy was talking, little Lily came and sat by Mary, and now she +was sobbing and crying out aloud. + +The scholars all wondered what was the matter with Lily, but Mary said, + +“Never mind, Lily, now;” and she only drew Lily close to her and said, +“Don’t cry, Lily dear.” + +Harry Linn crept round to Lily very quietly, and took out his little +picture-book, and whispered to her, “Here, Lily.” + +But she was too much distressed to notice Harry, though he got as near +to her as ever he could. + +Mary now asked Eddy Forester to go on with what he was saying, but Eddy +said he had done, and that he was glad the Lord spoke to little children +now, even if they did not hear any voice, as Samuel did. + +Mary wished her little scholars to understand what she read to them, and +she encouraged them to ask questions, at suitable times. + +She now told them if they had no more questions to ask, they might go +home; all but Harry and Lily. So, they came one by one, and kissed Mary +and went home. + +Eddy Forester said he would wait for Lily; but Mary told him she would +bring Lily home, and he might tell his mother that she kept Lily and +Harry Linn to talk to them. + +After Eddy was gone, Mary took Lily up in her arms, and then she called +Harry to her, and told him to wipe off Lily’s tears; and Harry took his +handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped Lily’s face, and he said, + +“Lily, will you love me again? and then I’ll love you, and you may look +at the little girl feeding her chickens as long as you like.” + +Lily said, “I do love you, Harry,” and she put her arms round Harry’s +neck and they kissed one another. + +Then Mary tied on Lily’s bonnet for her, and Harry put on his hat, and +carried the Bible back to the school-room for his teacher. + +Mary locked up the school-room door and put the key in her pocket, and +then she took a hand of each of her little scholars, and said, + +“Now, Harry, you and I will go home with Lily, shall we?” + +You will remember, my little readers, that Mary lived with Harry Linn. +As they walked along, Harry seemed to be thinking about something, and +at last he said, + +“Mary, does our heavenly Father ever speak to little children like me +and Lily?” + +Mary said, “Yes! Harry, he has been speaking to you both, since you were +naughty. You sinned against his good Spirit when you quarrelled, and he +made you feel very unhappy because you were so disobliging to one +another, and had forgotten that he had told you to love one another. But +I hope you will hereafter know and obey his voice.” + +“Oh!” said Lily, “I love to hear my heavenly Father’s voice.” + +“So do I,” said Harry, “it makes me feel so happy.” + +“You feel happy because you _obeyed_ His voice,” said Mary, “and we are +always happy when we are obedient to God. He loves us so much, and is so +kind to us, that he never tells us to do any thing that we cannot do; +and if it seems hard, and we ask him, he will help us to do it. He tells +little children to do very little things, because he loves them, and he +knows they are too little to do great things.” + +“I hope our heavenly Father will talk to me and Lily often,” said Harry, +“do you think he will, Mary?” + +“Yes, if you are good children.” + +“And will he show us how to be good?” asked Lily. + +“Oh, yes,” Mary said, “for you know he showed little Samuel what he +would have him do.” + +“Does he love Lily and me as much as he loved little Samuel, Mary,” said +Harry. + +Mary told him that God loved all little children, and he sent our +Saviour to bless them and to bring them to him. Do you remember, Harry, +what our Saviour said about little children? + +“Yes,” said Harry, “He said, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, +and forbid them not!’” + +Now we are at Lily’s home. + +Mary took Lily in to her mother, and told her that she kept Lily to talk +to her, and Lily’s mother said, + +“I am glad to see my little daughter, for her supper of nice bread and +milk is all ready for her.” + +Lily’s mother asked Mary and Harry to stay and eat supper; but Mary said +they had not leave to stay, and Harry’s father and mother would not know +where they were, if they stayed. So she thanked Lily’s mother for her +invitation, and then she and Harry kissed Lily, and bade her good-night. +And Mary and Harry went home. + +[Illustration: THE END] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + =TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:= + + Italics, bold letters, small capitals and black letter font + have been converted to _ = ALL CAPS and ~ respectively. + + Perceived typos have been silently corrected. + + Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. + + Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75343 *** |