Eighth Glimmer: Force
The Dame(teacher) is a sour-looking old woman. She wears side curls and a high comb, a kerchief and hoop-skirt. Her voice is loud and rasping.The pupils in old-fashioned costume—boys in long trousers and short jackets, girls in full long skirts and plain bodices and aprons—are seated on benches made by placing boards on two wooden horses or other supports. There is no rest for the pupils’ backs; the feet of the shorter children swing above the floor. The boys are seated on one side, the girls on the other. A boy with a high peaked cap, on which the word “Dunce” is printed, stands on a stool at one side of the room. A little girl stands on a stool on the other side. About her neck is hung a placard on which is written, “I brought my puppet to school.” Her puppet, a rag doll, lies at her feet.The Damecarries a switch in her left hand. A bundle of switches lies on her table. On the middle finger of her right hand she wears a great brass thimble. Whenever a child is reprimanded or punished, the other pupils laugh as if enjoying the discomfiture of a class-mate, thus showing the worst influence of the teacher in the lives of her pupils.As the curtain goes up, theDameis speaking to the girl who brought her puppet to school.
The Dame(teacher) is a sour-looking old woman. She wears side curls and a high comb, a kerchief and hoop-skirt. Her voice is loud and rasping.
The pupils in old-fashioned costume—boys in long trousers and short jackets, girls in full long skirts and plain bodices and aprons—are seated on benches made by placing boards on two wooden horses or other supports. There is no rest for the pupils’ backs; the feet of the shorter children swing above the floor. The boys are seated on one side, the girls on the other. A boy with a high peaked cap, on which the word “Dunce” is printed, stands on a stool at one side of the room. A little girl stands on a stool on the other side. About her neck is hung a placard on which is written, “I brought my puppet to school.” Her puppet, a rag doll, lies at her feet.
The Damecarries a switch in her left hand. A bundle of switches lies on her table. On the middle finger of her right hand she wears a great brass thimble. Whenever a child is reprimanded or punished, the other pupils laugh as if enjoying the discomfiture of a class-mate, thus showing the worst influence of the teacher in the lives of her pupils.
As the curtain goes up, theDameis speaking to the girl who brought her puppet to school.
Dame.Thou hast stood on the stool now for thirty minutes—time enough for thee to repent. Sit thou now on the stool for another thirty minutes as an example to others.
Child obeys, crying. She lifts her apron to wipe her eyes.
Child obeys, crying. She lifts her apron to wipe her eyes.
Dame.Put down thine apron at once. (Sarcastically.) Wouldst cover thy beautiful placard? Let us all see thy shamed face and thy repentant tears. They are a sign of grace.
While she is talking, a little girl whispers behind her book to another.Damespies her.
While she is talking, a little girl whispers behind her book to another.Damespies her.
Dame.So, thou canst not keep thy mouth closed without help, Susie Gray? Well, I’ll help thee!
She takes a large handkerchief from table and ties it over child’s mouth.
She takes a large handkerchief from table and ties it over child’s mouth.
Dame.Now go back to thy place! Next time, I will paste thy mouth shut.
She raps child over the head with her thimble, andSusiegoes weeping to her seat.While theDameis discipliningSusie,a boy reaches out his foot and draws the rag doll toward him. He has all but secured it when theDamediscovers him.
She raps child over the head with her thimble, andSusiegoes weeping to her seat.
While theDameis discipliningSusie,a boy reaches out his foot and draws the rag doll toward him. He has all but secured it when theDamediscovers him.
Dame.So, Johnny Green, thou likest the puppet, too. Well, I think we will let thee play with it for a while. Bring it to me. (Boy comes sheepishly forward, carrying the doll by a leg.) Nay, that’s not the way to hold thydear puppet. Take it in thine arms, so! (To girl on stool.) Bring thy placard here. Here is one who needs it more than thou. (She removes the placard from about the girl’s neck and hangs it about the boy’s.) Now take thy place on the stool, that we may all see how well thou canst hold thy baby.
As the boy takes his place, the other children snicker. The owner of the doll giggles with them, until she sees the boy slyly tear a leg from the doll. Then she begins to weep, but is afraid to tell theDameof the boy’s act.
As the boy takes his place, the other children snicker. The owner of the doll giggles with them, until she sees the boy slyly tear a leg from the doll. Then she begins to weep, but is afraid to tell theDameof the boy’s act.
Dame(to boy in dunce-cap). Come here, little dunce, and see if thou knowest thy lesson now.
Boy climbs from stool and takes position beforeDame,with hands folded behind him.
Boy climbs from stool and takes position beforeDame,with hands folded behind him.
Dame.Spelljoy.
Boy.G-o-y, joy.
Dame.Back to thy stool, and stay there until thou hast learned thy words.
Boy(retreats toward stool, then turns at bay). An thou keepst me on the stool for a week, I cannot learn my lesson without a book!
Dame.Insolence! Come to me and I will teach thee respect to thine elders.
As the boy comes slowly toward her and her upraised switch, she detects another boy holding his slate so that a girl may see a picture he has drawn of theDame.She pounces upon him, while she wavesthe dunce to one side. The dunce takes advantage of her preoccupation with the second boy, to seize a book and study half-aloud, “joy, j-o-y,” before resuming his place on the stool.
As the boy comes slowly toward her and her upraised switch, she detects another boy holding his slate so that a girl may see a picture he has drawn of theDame.She pounces upon him, while she wavesthe dunce to one side. The dunce takes advantage of her preoccupation with the second boy, to seize a book and study half-aloud, “joy, j-o-y,” before resuming his place on the stool.
Dame(ignoring picture of herself, speaking sarcastically to young artist). Oho, so he wants the girls to see how clever he is! He would like to amuse the girls! Go, then, and sit with the girls.
Second Boy.I don’t want to. I’d rather take a whipping.
Dame.Oh, be not so modest as to ask butonepunishment. Thou shalt have itafteryour pleasant visit to the girls’ bench. Take thy place in the middle, little girl-boy.
The girls crowd together, to make as much room for the boy as possible as he takes his place in the middle of their bench.
The girls crowd together, to make as much room for the boy as possible as he takes his place in the middle of their bench.
Dame(to boy on stool). Now, dunce, come here. (Boy advances and stands before her.) Spelljoy.
Boy.J-o-y, joy.
Dame.Take thy seat. Have thy lesson to-morrow or—(Holds up switch and shakes it.)
As the boy goes to his seat, he “makes a face” at theDame,which she cannot see, but which is enjoyed by his classmates.
As the boy goes to his seat, he “makes a face” at theDame,which she cannot see, but which is enjoyed by his classmates.
Dame.The first class in reading will now come forward. The rest will sit with folded arms as a punishment for the disorder in this school to-day. And let me see no one talking or swinging his feet, or it will go illwith him. I have a fine new bundle of switches itching to be used.
Curtain
EducationandAny Cityappear before the curtain.
Any City.A very much exaggerated picture. I am sure that children never were so tortured in school.
Education.An exact picture of Dame Weary’s school in Colonial days. And you have not seen half the tortures inflicted on her hapless pupils as recorded in authentic records. When force rules, a despot reigns, and a despot can beget naught but despotism. The strong bullies; the sly escapes; the unscrupulous gathers the spoils. There is no foundation laid for a true brotherhood of man. In short, there is nothing in the teaching or in the discipline in a school of force that fitly trains pupils as present and future citizens of a democracy.
Any City.No, not in the school you have just shown me. But what of the little red schoolhouses? There we had true training. The pupils were not helped over-much. They had to solve their own problems. Those pupils could spell. Think of the good old-time spelling-matches! They could recite the orations of America’s great men. Those little red schoolhouses turned out scholars and patriots.
Education.All honor to the splendid men and women, teachers in the little red schoolhouses of the past! Far be it from me to decry in any way their work. But, methinks, the ruddy glow of the exterior and themellowing influence of time have thrown a warm glow over the cold hard facts concerning the work that was carried on in the interior of these buildings. And, even if the little red schoolhouse was all that fancy has painted it, it has served its time; it is as inadequate to the work of training the boys and girls of to-day as are the primitive stones to the task of grinding wheat for the people of America in the twentieth century. You say that the little red schoolhouse turned out patriots. The first of these schools were built by English-speaking people who sought civil, religious, and educational freedom. They built their fort, their meeting-house, and their school at the same time. I tell you, the little red schoolhousereceivedpatriots, patriots bred in democratic principles. Our schools to-day receive people speaking many languages, bred in ideals far removed from those of a republic. When you speak of the schools of the past, you think of the best; when you speak of the schools of to-day, you speak as if you knew only the worst. How long is it since you actually visited a real American public school?
Any City(embarrassed). Why, I—really—I must confess that I have not visited a school since I was a pupil. I left when I was in the sixth-grade.
Education(with light shining on tax paper). And you presume to pass on present day educational needs with a hazy idea of what education has wrought in the past, and absolutely no knowledge of what she is accomplishing to-day?
Any Cityshows signs of embarrassment and discomfiture, but does not answer.
Any Cityshows signs of embarrassment and discomfiture, but does not answer.
Education.Come with me. We will visit a sixth-year grade of to-day.
EducationleadsAny Citybehind curtain.