A THIRD DAY IN MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL.

Third Day. A group of happy little boys and girls, were Mary’s scholars. p. 15.

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HISTORY OF MARY, THE TEACHER.

Mary rose very early in the morning, before five o’clock. She opened her chamber window to let in the fresh air, and she said aloud, “Oh! how beautiful is morning!”

The rain had ceased; but there were little shining drops all over the grass and on the leaves and flowers; the birds were up, singing 6their morning songs, and the air was full of sweet-smelling odours. There was a grapevine, in blossom, just under Mary’s window; and a honeysuckle, which was trained up the wall on one side of it, and a sweet brier on the other side, both in full flower, sent out such a delicious fragrance that she stood there a long time to enjoy it.

Mary thought of her mother, who had died when she was a very little girl, and she remembered that her mother had taught her to get up early, and see the sun rise, and hear the birds sing, and snuff the fresh morning air. Her mother had told her that our heavenly Father intended we should enjoy the beautiful world which he had made. For this end he gave us all the flowers and 7the green fields, and the springs of water, and the blue sky, and the clouds, and the high hills, and the music which the little birds made.

Then Mary repeated some verses from the Bible, which her mother had taught her to say, as they walked out together before she was old enough to read.

Mary remembered that her good mother had taught her to try to think of her heavenly Father as soon as she awoke in the morning. She had told her that He watched over her while she slept, and that before she left her chamber, she should ask him to watch over her in the day as well as in the night, and help her to love him, that she might be a good and a happy little girl.

Mary thought of all these things as she stood by the window, and her heart was touched and warmed with love and gratitude to her heavenly Father, who had blessed 9her, and watched over her all her life long. He had given her a good mother; and after He had taken her mother away to live in heaven with Christ Jesus our blessed Saviour, and all the holy angels and happy saints for ever and ever, He had still cared for her, and provided her with kind friends. Her father died when she was a baby, and her mother died when she was only nine years old; and now Mary had no parents; but she remembered that it is written in the Bible, God is a father of the fatherless.

Mary felt very happy. Her heart was full of love to God, her Saviour, and of thankfulness for his protecting care; and she sang the following little hymn, because it expressed her thoughts and desires on this beautiful 10summer morning. She was quite alone in her chamber, where no one could hear her, but she knew that God could hear her.

THE TEACHER’S MORNING HYMN.

Mary had been taught neat habits when she was a child, and she still observed them. She never left her chamber in the morning, until her bed was made, and every thing was put into its place. When she rose, she took off her night-dress, and put on a dressing gown which hung in the wardrobe or clothes-press; then she took the bed-clothes from the bed, and turned them, with her night-dress, to the window, to air; then she shook up the bolster and pillows, and placed them on the 13window-sill; and after she had combed her hair, and washed her person, and had thoroughly cleaned her teeth and nails, which occupied some time, she made her bed, and dusted the furniture before she finished dressing.

Such was the beginning of Mary’s day. She always looked fresh and pure, and came down stairs in the morning with a pleasant face.

14After breakfast, Mary set out for school early, and alone; and she told Charles and Harry Linn and their sister Lucy, to come at school-time.

Mary walked slowly along, stopping by the way to gather a nosegay of wild flowers. She found violets and the delicate white anemone, and buttercups and daisies.

The grass was quite wet, but Mary did not mind that, for she had thick shoes on, and she made a beautiful bright nosegay for the school-room. She liked to make it look pleasant to her scholars, and she opened all the windows to let in the pure morning air, and placed her flower-pot where they could all see it. After she had arranged the room to 15her liking, she sat down in the doorway to select a portion of Scripture for the evening reading; and then she read a chapter to herself, which was her daily practice. Mary was still sitting in the doorway thinking about what she had been reading, when her scholars began to arrive.

Third Day. Mary waiting for her scholars to come. p. 15.

Carry Deacon was the first to come, and she ran up to Mary to kiss her, and tell her that she had not stopped on her way to school to see Mike Terry’s kittens; she had only just peeped through the garden-railing as she passed by, to look at his rabbits—little white rabbits with pink eyes.

A group of very happy little boys and girls were Mary’s scholars. They had now all collected for school on the green before the 16door, and they were pressing round Charles Linn to see a new kite, which he had made at home, all himself. Mary had told Charles he might bring it to school with him if he would put it out of sight until recess-time. Charles said to his little schoolmates:

Mary gave leave for all of them to go with Charles, down to the tool-house, in the wood, where they kept their playthings, to help him put it away. Some of them took hold of the kite, and one carried the little piece of wood on which the string was wound: and the little ones carried the tail of the kite. 17After it was put away they all returned to school, in love and good humour one with another.

This was Geography morning. The lessons were first said, and afterwards Mary had those who studied the map, to find upon it all the places which they had described in their lesson. Then she took a long stick, or rod, for a pointer, and told them to stand off at a little distance from the map, so that they could not read the names of the places, and as she pointed out the rivers and towns, and bays and creeks upon the map, they could tell her what each one was named.

The geography lesson of the little ones, was a set of questions which Mary had prepared; and my little readers who live in the 18country may perhaps like to try to answer them.

19When this class had taken their seats, Charles Linn came up to Mary, and whispered to her that he would like to ask a question. Mary gave him leave, and he asked if those who lived in towns would not starve, if the country people did not bring food to market for them to eat? “Mary,” said Charles, very earnestly, “the people in the city could not do without country people, could they?”

Mary told him that people in the city could not get along very well without country people, and country people could not get along very well without them. The farmers take meat and vegetables, and grain and fruit, and butter and milk, to market, to sell to the citizens. They get money for all these things, and with the money which they get, 20they buy from the shops and stores what they cannot buy at home. They buy books to read, and hats and shoes and other clothing, and sugar and molasses, and tea and coffee, and many other things which do not grow on farms in the country. We get all the books from which you learn your lessons, and the maps and slates and pictures and our Bibles too, from the book-stores in towns. And you would not like to do without any of these things, would you?

Charles said, “No, indeed I should not.”

Charles looked very thoughtful, and Mary asked him if there was any thing else he would like to know.

“I was thinking about something my father said at the breakfast table this morning. 21I do not quite remember it, but I think he meant what you have been explaining to me. Will you please to make me understand, Mary?”

“I will try, Charles. Your father remarked that our all-wise and merciful Creator has so ordered our wants and needs, that all classes of men are dependent upon one another for support. He meant by this, that farmers and merchants, and mechanics and authors, and men of almost every honest occupation, and poor people and rich people are necessary one to another.

“In saying this, your father told us one of the most important truths of this kind which we can learn; but, you know, he was conversing with Doctor May, and he did not 22speak so that a little boy like you could fully understand him.

“I will try to explain to you so much of what he said as you are capable of comprehending.” Charles looked very much pleased, and Mary said, “You know, your father took you to the city last week to see a ship. That ship belonged to a merchant, and how do you suppose he got it?”

Charles said he did not know.

“I will tell you,” said Mary. “A mechanic called a ship-carpenter built it for him. The merchant could not have built it for himself. He had to call a ship-builder, and tell him what he wanted, and then the ship-carpenter, with his men, built it, and the merchant paid him with his money. Do you see now how 23merchants and mechanics are dependent upon one another?”

“Yes,” Charles said.

“I will tell you more about a ship,” said Mary. “You know, that when you came home, you told us about all that you saw in the ship. You said the ship had masts and sails, and ladders made of rope, on which the sailors went up to spread out the sails, or to take them in; and you saw the little house on the deck where the steersman stood to guide the ship over the ocean; and the cabin, furnished just like a parlour, and the berths for sleeping rooms.

“Before he could have all these necessary things in his ship, somebody must go into the woods and cut down the trees, out of which 24all the timber was got, and then it must be sawed into large and small sticks and into boards and planks. Then, too, the merchant had to employ a sail-maker to make the sails, and a rope-maker to make the ropes, and a cabinet-maker to make sofas and tables. So you see that the merchant cannot carry on his business without the help of all these different workmen and tradesmen, and they could not get money unless they earned it by working at their trades. Then there must be a captain and mates, and sailors, to take the ship on her voyage, for she could not sail without them. The merchant pays them for taking care of his ship, and with the money they receive from him they support their 25wives and children who stay at home while they are away at sea.”

“I understand now, how merchants and mechanics are dependent upon one another,” said Charles. “But, Mary, are all sorts of people dependent upon one another in the same way? Are we dependent upon merchants?”

“Yes,” said Mary.

“The merchant’s ship goes away across the ocean to foreign countries, and brings back sugar and salt, and tea and coffee, and cloth and silks, and many other things which we use in our houses. Do you see now, how we are dependent upon the merchants?”

“Yes,” said Charles, “for we could not get these things unless the merchant brought them in his ship.”

26“Now, Mary, will you tell us, how we are dependent upon authors and doctors and mechanics?”

Mary. “Do you not know that printers and shoemakers and carpenters are mechanics?”

Charles said, “He never knew exactly what a mechanic was until Mary told him.”

Mary. “We could not get our books printed, you know, without the printers. We could not get our shoes made, without the shoemakers, and we should have no comfortable convenient houses to live in, if the carpenters did not build them for us.

“Authors are persons who write books, and if authors did not write books, printers could not print them; and you see that an author must write, and a printer must print what 27he writes, before we can have our books to learn from.

“If we are sick, we send for a doctor, because he can tell what ails us. The doctor’s business is to learn a great deal about the human body, which we have no opportunity to learn. He knows where our brains lie; and where our heart is; and where the lungs are placed through which we breathe; and he can tell how our bones are knit together, and what is the office of every nerve and fibre and muscle in our bodies. His knowledge teaches him the laws by which we move our tongues and our heads and our limbs; and if we are sick, he knows that something within us is out of order, and that disease is the consequence, and he can often tell what 28the disease is. Thus you see we are dependent upon the doctor, when we most need help, that is, when we are sick and cannot help ourselves. And if it pleases our heavenly Father that we should be restored to health, the doctor’s knowledge of our bodies enables him to cure us.”

Charles. “I know now, what my mother meant, when she said a little verse about God, after brother Harry got well of the measles.”

Mary. “Will you repeat it Charles?”

Mary’s scholars were all listening to her talk with Charles Linn: and she told them that our heavenly Father designed all classes 29of men to help one another, and he requires them to love one another too.

“Are we to love everybody, Mary?” asked Susan Field.

“Yes,” said Mary. “If we love God, we cannot help loving every one whom he has made: and if we do not love God, we cannot love our fellow beings as we ought to love them.”

“But we are not to love little dirty ragged boys and girls; are we, Mary?” said Susan.

Mary. “Yes! and we are to try to do them good: but we cannot love them and do them good unless we love our heavenly Father. If we ask our heavenly Father for his help, he will teach us by his good Spirit in our hearts how we may show our love to him. And if we love him, we shall feel as if we 30wanted to do something even for poor little ragged boys and girls; and when we help them, or instruct them, we shall find out in what ways the rich and the poor are dependent upon one another.

“And now, we must not talk any more at present: I intend to give you a long recess this morning. I promised you, you know, to go out with you to gather flowers and plants for our botanical exercise.”

Mary’s little boys and girls went cheerfully to their seats to look over their reading lesson. Soon she heard them read aloud, one by one, first the large scholars, and afterwards the smaller ones, who were just learning to read, and she made them spell every word as they went along. When the reading was over, 31they each repeated a Bible verse, which Mary required them to learn at home; and then Mary rang the little bell for a recess.

There was great alacrity in putting up books and slates, and soon every boy and girl was ready for a long walk with Mary.

Charles Linn ran off to the tool-house, and all the boys and girls after him, calling out:—

“Now for my kite! Now for my kite!”

When he attempted to take it out, he found that the bobs of paper, of which the tail was made, had been so twisted about and entangled in the string that he could not disengage them. The more he tried, the more entangled they became. The scholars were all round the kite, waiting to see how high it would fly; for Charles had told them it 32would fly away almost up to the clouds, until it looked no bigger than one of their balls.

Mary had stopped to gather a bunch of dogwood blossoms, and now they all ran in search of her. They knew she could help Charles out of his trouble about the kite. They found her coming towards them; and she laid down her flowers and took the kite out of Charles’ hand, and showed him how to disengage the papers from the string; and then she showed him how to prevent such a mishap in future, by putting it away more carefully.

Mary told Charles he must not attempt to fly his kite in the woods, for it would be caught in the tops of the trees. She led the way across a little stream of water, which 33Mary first, and her scholars after her, had to jump over, into a fine open meadow. Soon up went the kite, and the boys cried out,

“Hurrah for the kite! Hurrah for Charles Linn’s wonderful kite!”

It rose higher and higher; and Charles was so proud of having them to praise his kite, that when he had unwound the string to the very end, he thought he would like to have it rise higher still, and very foolishly let go the end of the string.

Poor Charles! He had scarcely let it go when the kite began to come down, and presently it plumped into the water, near where they were standing. Charles looked as if he would cry—but Mary laughed and said—

“Never mind, Charles. Pick up your kite, and leave it here to dry, while we take our walk. We will not suffer the loss of a kite to spoil all our pleasure. Another time you must hold the string fast.” Charles looked very sorrowful; but Mary helped him to get his kite out of the water, and then she took his hand, and said, “Come now, let us have a race.”

Mary took her scholars over the meadow, and they scampered about in high spirits; 35sometimes stooping to gather buttercups and violets; and then they would hold the buttercups under one another’s chins, to see who loved butter best. Then they would play tag, and when they were tired of play they all sat down around Mary, on the grass, and she talked to them.

She showed them how perfectly the little flowers were formed, and how beautifully the leaves were coloured and shaded; and she told them that our heavenly Father made these to grow, for the delight of our eyes and to give us pure tastes. Then she pointed out to them the great variety of trees, and their blossoms, and their different odours. Mary wished her scholars to have as many enjoyments as their situation in life admitted of; 36and she knew that little children who lived in the country, would enjoy life more if they were taught to observe what was wonderful and beautiful around them; and she thought they would love God more, if she taught them that He made every thing that was beautiful and wonderful in the whole world. Eddy Forester was lying on his back upon the grass, and he said,

“Mary, I like to look at the sky and the clouds; and I like to see the sky when the sun sets; for then God paints the clouds with gold and red and all the beautiful colours; and I like to look at the sky in the evening, when the stars come out. When it is dark and I go to bed, I can see the sky through the window, and it makes me think 37of God; and the stars seem like eyes looking down upon me—like the angels’ eyes—the angels that live with God in heaven.”

Charles Linn said he did not care about looking at the clouds and the sky. He would rather look at the cows eating grass.

“Look, Mary,” said Charles. “There, over in the other meadow, are the red cow and her calf. The calf is only four days old, and you know she is to be mine. And there is Brindle, chewing her cud under the great chestnut tree.”

Harry Linn said he liked horses better than cows, and his father allowed him to have a ride on the gray horse every morning before school.

Lily Forester was sitting on Mary’s lap, 38and Mary said, “And what does little Lily like best?” Lily said, she liked to play with Harry Linn better than any thing.

Then Carry Deacon came and put her arms round Mary’s neck, and whispered to her that she loved her better than playing. Mary kissed Carry and patted her dimpled cheeks, and said to her: