Studies of Elementary School Life.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 897, 10 May 1889, Page 5

Studies of Elementary School Life.

(H. J. Barker, in ‘Longman’s Magazine.'} A mistress has sent me a clerical effort by one of her little pupils, and I feel sure that those amongst my readers who are mothers or * grown-up sisters ’ will peruse it with especial pleasure. However as a rule, the exercises of girls are not nearly so piquant as those by boys. Girls' exercises are more frequently characterised by earnestness, by a pleasing halo of sympathy, and by plain, matter-of-fact perspicacity; and these features are observable to a greater or less extent whatever be the age or standing of the little essayiats. 4 THE LITE OF NOAH.’ When the gentleman called Noah lived, all the people in the world was so full of sins and marrying, that the land smelt of wickiddobs and uncleanness. It was so bad that the breath of the smell went up towards Heaven ; and behold, God smelt it. Noah used aotilly to stand on heaps of stones to preach to the people, and he told them that if they would not be rightyess, God would send such a heavy shower of rain as would drownd them a l and wash away the smell. But they only laughed at him, and pushed him off the stones, and hussled the poor man about, just*as I’ve seen people go on at the Salvation Army when they are talkin good things to us under the big blue flag. The people used to stand at the doors of their tents and boo and hoot at Noah, the same as the Army men and women is laught and whissled at by gentlmen standing at their doors and winders. My father says he is shamed to be called an Inglishman when he Bees how the Salvation is knocked about and prosßecuted. He says people will hold a drunken man up, but will knock a Salvation down. Mother says the polece is as bad ss the utbers, cause they pitend not to see anytbink of it. ‘Noah was bilding a ark when he wasnb preaching, and at last it was finished ready for floatin. God then drove annimals of every sort into the ark, and he told Noah to take Shem, Ham, and Jafit into it, and some ladies a 3 well. What a big thing it must have been, when it took a hundred and twenty years to bild it. I have never seen a real ship, but I know the ark was not like our ships, cause it was more like a monster dog kennel with rockers under, but no hole. While Noah was makin it, people used to take days’ outings from all parts to see it, like as people go now to big London. But those wickid people used to 20 only to make fun of it, and to eat and drink and get married. They actually had outings to it on the very day as Noah Baid he was going in. I wunder whether they felt kweer when they saw him climbing the high and high ladder, and get in the door at the top. I wunder whether they felt kweer when they heard the door bang, and saw the ladder pulled up. But those poor sinful people who used to laugh at Noah and hussle him about and try to get uther people not to bleeve him, they badnt time to think now. They hadnt time to laugh agen at him. It started rainin iu torrunts as hard as it could, directly the door shut. It wa3 too late to be sorry no w, and nearly too late to cry. O too late. All they could do was to run away, and see what to do not to get drownded by the porin rain. It soon got deeper and deeper, and those would be drownded quickest who eouldnt get planks and things. Then when the night came, I shouldnt think those on planks would live long. In a week or two I am certain there wouldnt be a single one left alive. Dear me, how dredful that great high box-looking thing must have seemed floatin about on the water. I think as even the ladies inside mußt have felt frightened sometimes, speshully when it jerked ; but then they knew that God was with them all the time, and its wonderful what that will do for people the Salvation says. When Noah thought the water might have gone down, he sent a raven out; but it kept away, so'the gentleman was as wise as ever. Then he let a dear little dove fly out, and the little thing soon came back with a leaf or two in its mouth. But when he sent it out agen a week after, it didnt come back to the ark agen. So then Noah knew it was safe for the ladies to get out. How funny must that Ararat Mountain have looked with that big cradle thing on the top, and Noah and his family sittin at the door, and all the animals skampering away down the hill-side, or flying in bunches through the air. ‘Noah lived to be 950 years old. How nice. I don’t know whether ladies lived as long as gentlemen, but I should think that they did nearly. What a long time to be married. I should like to think that my grandmother would live on like that; but its no use, spite of how much I love her. Dear granny. O God, you are kind, the teacher and the Salvation says, kinder than our fathers and mothers, so do let me see dear granny up in Heaven agen after she is hurried. She’s quiet as good as those ladies who went into the ark, she is ; so you must save my granny. The lesson, I think, we cugt to learn from these things is to take care that we are living as we know God wishes, and not to jossle and prosseoute the Salvation army, just cause they won’t get drunk, and they like to tell about God at all bitutseß,’

Another mistress, whose school is situate in one of the lowest parts of the metropolis, sends me a very pleasing description of a scene in her school on ‘ Inspection Day.’ Her Majesty’s Inspector was examining the first class in reading. On each little girl finishing her presciibed paragraph, the Inspector further tested her intelligence by putting a question on the meaning of some word or phrase which occurred in the piece the child had read. The mistress informs me that the Inspector had such a pleasant, chatty manner that she really believes her girls looked forward to and enjoyed his visit. If any child failed to answer a question put by this gentleman, it was not because she was timorous or nervous, but (frankly admits the mistress) because of incapacity, or on account of faultiuess or weakness in tuition. A dear child called Mary Cooper had read her allotted piece with such appropriate emphasis and such sympathy of expression, that the Inspector said to her in his kind sincere manner, * That was really beautiful, my child 1 And now,’ he added, if you can tell me the meaning of that word “ turf,” I shall give you my very best mark.’ Meanings of words are mountains of difficulty to some children, and the tears almost started to Mary’s eye because she realised that the Inspector had chanced to drop on a word whose meaning she had not lately studied. Poor child ! I wonder how often she had frolioked and tripped over Nature’s emerald carpeting ! Possibly never. But Mary had plenty of determination ; she felt that her very life almost depended on giving an answer ; and she lost no time in exercising herlittle brain to the utmost for some kind of definition : and ju3t as the Inspector was saying ‘ Well, never mind, child, I will pass on,’ she eagerly exclaimed, ‘Turf, sir, is grass and clean dirt stuck together by God.’ ‘ A most excellent definition,’ said the Inspector ; ‘in fact, the answer I looked for was not nearly so precise as that. You have gained my highest mark.’

The next paper is one by William Kempson, and its subject is ‘Seamen and the Sea.’

Seamen are what we call sailors, and captins, and training ship bo s. The sailors you see in the street are nice little fat men, with red and brown faces. They ware boys’ coats and ha is, and their trousers are too tite for them up above and too wide for them down below. It makes them feel very riled. Sailors dont ware collars, becose their necks are so thick ; and they allways have their boots blacked for fear the captin might see them round a corner, 'T’hey dont carry their best close in boxes, but they ty them up in big red and bine fiandkerchers just like Christmas puddens. Sailors are very fond of their mothers and sisters, and you neerly allways see them taking them out for a walk. The reason why sailors like to get drunk is becose it makes them roll about like as if they was on the ocheant.