A SCHOOL BOARD IDYLL.

Evening Star, Issue 6762, 29 November 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

A SCHOOL BOARD IDYLL.

When Carry Seymour first oame from the country to take charge of the Cross Lane Board School in London she was a very pleasant specimen of wholesome womar hood. Her cheeks were bright, her eye was clear and kindly, and she walked with a strong and steady step. She had no prim ways about her; ehe liked to put plenty of fun into the Bchool work when she could; and when she had charge of a class of infants she would press one of her pets against her deep breast as though there was no such thing as dignity in the world. The school in Cross Lane was filled with ordinary children of the artisan class, and after the first few weeks of confusion which passed while things were settling down Carry managed to make it a charming and orderly . place. The young mistress did not believe in working overtime. "Do all you can in the time-table hours, and stop punctually "—that was her rule. At a meeting of the Teachers' Association she once heard a mournful roan complaining that he had to work until 5,30 almost every evening in order to meet the exactions of the inspector. ''Great goose,"said Carry to her neighbor. "If I were his wife I would astonish him if he kept me waiting for tea till that time of the day." Carry knew better before a year had passed over. At that time the Board allowed probationers to take charge of schools, and Carry was rather anxious about her first examination. On the fateful morning there was suppressed excitement in the school. The teachers were all flushed and nervous except Carry, whose fine health enabled her to remain quite calm and unconcerned. The inspector aud his assistant entered in a very imperial manner. The assistant, in particular, looked like a dignified portrait of an ancestor, and he enjoyed the effect of hia eagle glance. Carry was sitting at her desk when the two gentlemen entered, but she rose at once and bowed courteously to both. The chief said "Give me your Form IX, and let the work go on as usual." He then looked down the statistical return, making murmured comments as he went on. " Caroline Seymour, hum! I see you were trained at . You are a Nonconformist, are you, Caroline?" "Yes, Bir, I attend the Congregational Chapel here." "Ah I Very good. Very good, indeed. I'll hear a Scripture lesson presently. I can't report on it, as you know, but I always like to hear. Do you always Bit at your desk, Caroline?" The girl was growing uneasy. The man had a sort of cold sneer which alarmed her, and his habit of calling girls by their Christian names was embarrassing. She replied: " I seldom sit in school, sir. I thing it better for teachers to stand as a rule." The inspector had a way of taking suddon likes and dislikes; he was evidently not pleased with Carry. When the Bible lesson was over the standard subjects were taken. The chief proceeded to examine the reading in a some-1 what advanced class. One of the girls read a few stanzas of poetry correctly, but with a tremulous voice. She came to the lines— Janet is sad: her husband is alone, Wrapped in the black shroud of this bitter night. And then the inspector Htopped her. "What is tin meaning of the black shroud of this bitter night? You don't know? You? You ? Next, next. What! the first five in the class do not know the meaning of the lines they read? This is not'satisfactory, Caroline. Well, what is a shroud ?" Please, sir, it's what they put dead people in." "Very what is the color of a shroud?" "White, sir." But this is a black ehroud. Can any one in the class explain?" No hands were held up, so the inspector marked five failures on the schedule, and passed to the sixth girl. "Go on at 'Sudden her human eyes, that peer and watch.' " And listening for a few seoonds the inspector frowned slightly, and said: " Caroline, these children sing a little when they read. Don't let them sing next year, Caro'ine, will you? And now, little girl, what is meant by human eyes?" " She was a woman, sir." "That is vague, but it will do. Now, tell me the derivation of the word human." This was a hard question, and the girls shot little side-glances at each other—just a quick, timiof flash of the eye, before the demure, forward gaze was resumed. About 35 per cent, of the section failed, and several of the girls were crying. Children, especially girls, are very eager to do well in examinations, and those little folks whose stood with trembling lips and moist eyes knew from the inspector's gestures that they had fared badly. There was weeping in many houses that day when expectant parents asked " Well, how did yon get on ?" When Carry spoke to the chief half an hour after the examination in reading was overj he smiled softly, and presented her with a balf-sheet of foolscap, on which one of the girls has written a piece from dictation. "Her spelling is weak, Caroline, weak,".observed the reverend official; and, indeed, the class had not grappled successfully with the extract, for the inspector had used the 'Saturday Review,' from which he selected the following pleasing fragment: - "Yet the revolutionary significance of this state of feeling must not be exaggerated. Perhaps the most that can be said is that these refined ecclesiastics would only battle with divided zeal and lukewarm affection in behalf of the Papacy in its present attitude and conformation." The girls had; made fine imaginative efforts on some of the words, and the general result was disastrous. "But I understood that you would dictate from their reading-book, sir," said Carry. "Never understand, Caroline; it is a bad habit, Now, let me tell you why your girls fail. You use the wrong books, I enly allow one set of books to be used in my schools, and next year I' hope to see them in use here, See to thar, Caroline, or you may be dia-i tressed by.ever so many more failures, I'm afraid you won'tget thegrantfor class subjects this year." 1 hen the soft spoken and paternal inspector departed to a class-room, where j he occupied himself in correcting,the shortcomings of a youthful assistant who had just come from the Normal School. He i said, "Now, Jane, give those children a lesson in grammar, and take care, The fifth standard know nothing of etymology; select a passage from your class reading-book, and give a lesson on it with special reference to etymology." Then he twitched the corners of his mouth humorously, and waited to see the girl make herself look silly. She did not know the derivations of the words very well, and she explained to her scholars that " familiar" came from the "Anglo-Saxon" language. ' She was clever enough in her way, and her girls were fond of her, but in this particular lesson she failed to keep the attention of the class, and her attempts to gain selfpossession seemed to amuse the inspector greatly. After a quarter of an hour's distress, the girl was stopped, and the inspector tested the grammar. After remarking "Now, we'll take the parts of speech," he put his hand on a Bible and asked "What is this !" The class held up their bands, and six girls, one after the other, answered "A noun." "You are wrong," Eaid the examiner. " This is not scientific reading, Jane. A noun is the name of anythiog. How can a Bible be a name ? Did you never think of that?" For half an hour the assistant heard sarcasms which she did not quite understand. Then the inspector went away, and left the girl biting her under-lip to prevent herself crying before her class. As she walked up the gangway between the desks a child took hold of her hand and said "Never mind, tsacher; well cheer you up after he's gone. I seen him a-making game. Don't you mind the old thing." The teacher said " Hush, Selina; that's rude." But the kindness soothed her all the same.

The inspector was severo when he catno to examine the needlework. He was great on | needlework, and he liked looking over J baskets full of shirts and petticoats. Carry was rather proud of the sewing in her school, but her standard was not so high as that of the inspector. "There is a want of finish about the hemming done in your lower classes, Caro'ine, and some of the work is not clean," said tho critic. "Our lower classes are partly made up of the poorer sort of girls, sir. Most of our children are rather respectable, but some are not well off, and I always find it hard to ensure that their hands and nails are clean before the sewing begins." "Ah! You are good at explanations, Caroline—a useful accomplishment. Well, now, next year I shall expect your tnird standard to do what your fifth standard are doing now in needlework." " I fear it cannot be done, Bir." "But I shall expect it, and I shall expect the quality of your Swiss darning to be much improved,

Oh, I've no doubt we shall learn each other's trays, shall we not? Good morning." It was really afternoon, and the children were sadly fretful. Garry and her three assistants, gathered dolefully around the desk after the classes were dismissed. The junior assistant was going to speak, but her voice broke, and she only said "Ob, Miss Seymour, how can I face you ? Twenty of my girls failed in reading, and I wish I was dead." This set the others on, and the four women cried together until nearly four o'clock. When the head master of the boys'department went home he remarked to his wife "Old, Beast's been with us to-day, and he's left all the mistresses howling, as usual." It was very common to see schoolmistresses cry in this district.

The report was a crushing one, and Carry was officially desired to show improvement next year. She bent herself to her task like a brave woman, and made up her mind to spare no effort. All day long the girls were driven hard. In the morning session they worked till 12.45; in the afternoon the sewing lesson was carried on till 4.0, and then the ordinary book-work lasted from 40 to 5.15. Carry Seymour used to send out for a glass of milk at one o'clock, and she stayed at school duriDg the dinner-hour, "setting" needlework for tbe afternoon. At night she and her assistants did all the cutting-out that was required. Then the books and registers needed attention, and Carry got into the way of making up most of her returns at home, so that Bhe Was often busy until nine in the evening. Each class had to undergo a rigid test examination by the head teacher every week, and thus Carry sometimes had as many as two hundred exercises in arithmetic and dictation to look over during the Saturday holiday. She kept up her spirits very well considering the circumstances, and at times when discipline was relaxed she would say to her assistants: "Never mind, girls; we shall be up to the mark next time he comes." But after ten months spent in this laborious way Carry Seymour's face began to look worn. Her eyes were clear and soft aB ever, but her mouth was drawn slightly, and the elastic strength of her beautiful walk tras lost. Her sweetheart came np to see her, and his first look made her almost frightened. He said quickly: "I say, Carry, ve can't have this; why, you're pale. Fancy you being pale, of all the girls in the world." She laughed lightly. "That's increased refinement, Master John. You don't expect a London lady to be like one of your barnyard beauties. I must teach you your place, sir." Bat Bhe was vexed a little, and next morning when Bhe was dressing she said to 'herself: " Good graciouß'. I believe my arms are growing thin. I shall be an old fright presently. I must think of poor Jack. He won't want to marry a scarecrow," Nevertheless the schoolwork went on as vigorously as ever. In the evenings Carry's feet were often Bwollen, and on Fridays she was always hoarse. Her large and sunny nature seemed to change as her strong. limbß gradually lost their power, and on one memorable, day she actually boxed a girl's ears in a Budden fit of temper. The child said: "Oh, Miss Seymour, please I'll try to be good"; and the schoolmistress went to her private room, where she Bat sobbing for a while. The children were puzzled and aghast. _ The pretty, fresh-looking mistress who smiled so gently and merrily on them long ago had become a pale, irritable oreature, capable of striking at a scholar! The youthful mind was immersed in confusion.

A fortnight before the examination one of the lady members of the Board called at Cross lane. She waa a young lady with a resolute, aquiline face, and a rapid, decisive manner of speaking and acting. She had the passion and tenderness of a woman and the masterful ways of a mar, " You're ill, Miss Seymour," she said. "No, indeed, Miss Max, I am not. We're all worried about the examination, of course, and I'm sure to pity the poor girls. We seem to have no pleasant times now." "I know j you're all worried. That girl in the west c!ass-room should be at home on a sofa instead of teaching a class. You must rest." "I dare not." "But you Bhall. I intend to ask for a substitute this very evening. You must go to Brighton or Eastbourne for a week, and then you'll be able to face the inspector better." Carry Seymour disobeyed this command, I am sorry to say, and crept to school daily until the morning of mornings broke once again. Her year's work had been severe. The dull girls had enjoyed life but little, and the steady repetition of mechanical tasks had made some of them.neavy and liatlesss., Tbey did not break down or show symptoms of complicated ailments, but they longed for bedtime every night, and they never were joyous as they sauntered to school in the morning. The new books ordered by the inspector were very hard and crabbed. Carry once said "I should just like to take that nasty Standard IV. Reader, and dance on it in the yard, for an hour." Carry felt sure. Bhe would succeed this time.. She was determined to have her certificate before she married ; because,: as she. said, "if my,husband dies,: J, shall always be able to maintain my children so long as I have my parchment." The inspector was more sardonic than ever during his second visit. He had.invented several new sarcasms, which he-used with effect on the frightened women, and his long stay was a great trial.; to them all. As he went he said politely-," You would like to have your certificate, would you, not. Caroline?" "Yes, sir, I shpuld indeed.'! "Ah! then buy a candle, Caroline;, buy. two candles; buy three candles; buy four, Caroline. Ypu'll need them all to see.it." The report came.. The summary ran thus: — " This school is at present jn a/very unsatisfactory state; the, bead-mistress has not. qualifications essential to success fc such a district." ..'.;','.', vi •..:.-. ■><■ Carry Seymour fell yery, poorly in health after this report arrived,, and her doctor sent her to Brighton. Her sweetheart came to see her there, and one night she said to him, "I used to think I should marry like other girls, John, and I made up all sorts of stories in my own mind about the way we should live together. But it seems as if it is not to be. I wish now J had never gone, to London at all." She . was white, and weak, and her powerful, limbs were much shrunken. Everybody did what they could for her, and the Board were most generous, but she had striven too. bard even for her. great strength, and she died in the spring of the year. On the night before she went, she Baid: " There won't be any examinations in the place where I'm going, John," and she tried to laugh. It was a poor attempt at a laugh—indeed I think her little joke was made in a sorrowful spirit. A good many teachers are going the way that Carry Seymour went, and it is a pity. —' Pall Mall Gazette.'