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' ,^ hi <■ / 4 ■». *■ . fr ? /. .,' v:. \ .^ ^ V,. ,> v,r^- > . \ » \ \ ' \ ^ 'I 4 ~.iv n' V'-. .'■^:- . CJ \^ I' ^■,h —\p ^ t.f PROGKESS OF EDUCATION IN Nova Scotia during Fifty Years, AND J m6pf3 nw) ^p;^D()W3 ■if';. IN THE '&$.^ h 'r% IFE OF AN OLD EACHER. HALIFAX : Nova Scotia Printing Company. 1884. ^-1 m ■j4. vis ADVERTISEMENT. An Italian who delivered a coiirse of lectures in Kalifax, sotne years since, remarked that Ids colmtrywotnen Were surpassingly beautiful. AtnOhg other attractions for which he gave them credit was very beautiful hair. " But," said the lecturer, " there is one peculiarity about their bait* — a Very remarkable peculiarity — if in all their own.^^ Though the author of the foUoVvihg pages cannot say that the style or styles — fot there are several — are very beauti- ful — if the reader ^ay so he will not object — yet he caU truthfully say that everytliiilg herein contained is all his own except, it may be, an expression or two from the ReV. Mr. Harvey's lecture entitled "This Newfoundland of Ours.'' Even in these, though he ha» adopti^i a few ideas, yet he could not have followed the phraseology of the Rev. gentlcmeU Very closely, because not having a printed copy at hand, he wrote solely from memory, aiul did not know where to place quotation marks or where to omit them. Very little indeed, will be here found that is not purely original. THE AUTHOR. ■1 ■ o iiniiniMQoa«wcets to nwke a prosi)e4-ou s voyage, and enter iwrt with flowing sail. In other words, he rests in the calm assurance that an intelligent public wiU give his little book a cordial reception. Right here, at the very outset, he feels it his dult5 to disclaim all p^-et^entions to purely disintei-estfd motives, in th« undertaking in hand. That the perusal <.f his work will benefit many— of the young especially—he sincerly hopes ; that the liberal patronage which awaits it will assist in smoothing tlie last stage of a life of toil, he also hopes. It is this hope that induces him to publish it while living. If an intelligent people, thousandg n / J^ " PRfiFACR. of whom know tl.o author personally, and know, too, Uaw all tfio" best years of his life have been »i,orit, deem him wortliy of their patronge in this literary efFort-probably his last-he will receive- that patronage as a mark of their apprr,val, and estimate it aceordingly. Everybody knows that teacher«/ services, with few exceptions, have hitherto been too unremunerative to admit of the making of adecjuate provision for old age. The consciousness, however, of having done some ^ocyd, is a sweet solace to every earnest worker at the ck^e of his labours. Whatever awaits the author in the future, he cannot be deprived of this solace. With all his deficiencies he ventures to entertain the hope, that hi» life-work will leave on the sands of time •' Foot-prints that pei-haps another, Sailing o'er Life's 8f)lenin main, A forlorif mul ship wreolw considered indispensible to all teachers. That she could induct, her prospective pupils into the art of the first R, was; about all that was requii^ed, for a beginning at least. Her services were en^faged without difficulty, and next morning thei'eafter,. she was seateil on the horse behind her patron, w^io in due time lifted hei* dowm at his own humble door. Well, next moi'ning found the "schooT-ma ani''^ — to* use the parlance of the tiinje — ^at her desk in that little log school-house, with nine of the eleven pupils; before her. One of tho8e pupils who died some years; since, at a very ajdvanced age, descril>es his own experience in tliat very sch k>1 — ^to the following effect: — '*^We all had I>ilwoa*th*s spelling l>(x>k and the primer, as our only text lx>oks. At first only two of our number could i*ead w^ithout speliii:ig out. the words, and most of us had to beirin at tho letter A. We all thought that the spelling book. i 1 IN NOVA SCOTIA. 11 contained the stores of all necessary knowledge of a secular nature — quite sufficient for the most aspiring mind. The last part of tlie book, i. €., the grammar, was what we emphatil had been in operation for -several months," •continues the narrator, " it became necessary for mo Xo obtain a new Jjook, the old one having been thumb- ed out. Weeks elapstxl l)efore tluit book could be proeui^, as my tkthefer it t>^ " headquarters.'* The t*school-maam, exaimintKl it long aiwl ciitically, and finally declaim it to be a word of two syllables, which, bj niistjike, or by a trick of the printer's boy, had l)een placeil among monosyllables. What tJj^ siubJj/3rja little worrl was «he did not say, and it ■ii 12 PROGRESS OF EDUCATIOISr was evident to iis all that even she was imzzloA}. This formidable intruder amongp monosyllables pre- sented liis bold head and front, thus — a-i-s-I-e f This annisinI. S<3metimes; they would act like incarnate demons^ sometimes. \\k^ I i IX NOVA SCOTIA, 13 drivelling imbeciles, and .sometimes they would go to sleep ! For a long time the only I'cmuneration wliicli teachers i*eceived was their boai'd, received at is many tables as there were families in the ''school district," and six or eight pounds a year ; and truly many of them were too dear, even at that ]>rice. But the autlior must not omit all mention of some who were vastly superior to their circumstances. There were, indeed, some good teachers even at that dark period in our educational history — some pure gold there was amonc: a mass of dross and tinsel. For all such the pay waw miserably insufficient, and worthy men were doomed to a life of hai'dship and penury, while enixao'ed in tlieir Kmh and noble callini^. Old men of the present day, including tlie author, can remember some of those tea^^hei's to whom we owe a debt of everlasting gratitude. Yes ! in the old school-houses, seated on the rude rough benches, with the gentle breezes of summer fanning our cheeks through interstices in the walls, and the cutting air of winter biting our noses througli the same openings, have we received such lessons from faithful and efficient teachers, as have been a lifedong blessing to us. Can we ever cease to venerate the memory of such men ? For the author's own part, he can say,— if he forget them and their words antl woi-ks, " let ins tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth, and his right hand forget its cunning ]" Prominent among li PROGRESS OF EDUCATION the old teachers whom the author remenibers with such feelings, ai"e Israel T. Rand, John Mills, John Hall, Hezekiah Cogswell, and Thomas Rand. Alh with, it may be, one exception, have passed from earth ; but their works live and are following them, Coi'nwallis — beautiful Coi'nwallis— was the scene of their labors ; but doubtless other sections of our pro- vince were blessed with men equally true and faithful. Such men were bright exceptions to the teachers of their day ; — shining lights were they in a dark place. The first Provincial Parliament of Nova Scotia met in 1758. How strange it is that our pioneer legisla- tors, with the bright example of old Massachusetts right before them, ignored the great subject of Educa- tion in toto. Among the first public acts of the old Pilgrim Fathers, of impei'ishable renown, was the laying of a broad and fii-m foundation for the future greatness and glory of their posterity, in the noble system of Education which they wisely inaugui'ated. Oh, that our legislators of the last century had '' taken a leaf out of that book !" Had they recog- nised the obligation of the State to give all her sons and daughters a sound common pchool education, how different would our provincial record now be from what it is ! Beyond all question our little sea-girt province would to-(Jay be abreast of any country under the sun, in all things that make a people ti-uly IN NOVA SCOTIA. 15 great. It was not till the year 1811, that our provincial legislators made any provision for common schools, tliough nine years previously King's College, Windsor, was endowed by a grant of £4-00 a year. In 1811 the legislature offered £25 a year to every common school, sustainerl by an annual subscription of £50. This offer was little better than mockery, as very few schools could fulfil the condition, and, consequently, the provincial grant was unavailable. In 1826 a fixed sum was granted to each county, in aid of common schools. Small, indeed, was such aid, as the amount for the whole province was only £3250. Of this sum each county received a share in proportion to its population ; and this, when sub- divided among all the schools, afforded a mere pittance to ' ach. Little change was made during the next twenty-five years, and our progress in education was painfully slow. The old lofif school-houses, havinor fallen into decay, had been replaced by frame buildings ; but, oh, such buildings ! Had the main object been the securing of disease and death, instead of health and education, for the children, the builders could not have adopted a better plan. Not infrequently the most unhealthy site that could be found in the district was chosen, because some geveroiis donor gave the land ; and thereon parents would erect an ugly little den for their children, and call it a school-house. A T IG niOGRESS OP EDUCATION Yankee show-man once occupied one of these little buildings, and when he found it packed with his patrons, and as many more outside, wlio could not gain admittance, he opened the evening's entertain- ment with these remarks : — " Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, you call this hole a school-house, do you ? In the State of Maine fi-om wliich I came, we have better houses for pig-pens." Yes, our school- houses of that period were small, low, unpainted, and unadorned specimens of nondescript arclutecture, and just as forbidding in appearance as they couLlbe made. Inside, the desks still adhered to the walls, while most of the benches were of the proper height to keep the little ones' feet about six inches from the floor. Had societies for the prevention of cruelty (to children) then existed they would have found lots of work ready prepared to their liands in the school- houses all over the country. Where the author finds so much to condemn, he is happy to find some things to praise and approve. Good old Thomas Dilworth's " New Guide to the Enc^lish Toncfue," the admirable works of the erudite Lindley Murray, Mavor's fascinating spelling book, with some other works of merit, were the standard text-books in the schools of the time. The author cares not how many preten- tious individuals may sneer at those old works ; he is prepared to defend them, and to maintain, against " all comers," that for the time when they were in use. IN NOVA SUOTIA. 17 tliey were not infei'ior to the books used in our schools of the present clay. It would be strange inde^sd, if, with the marvellous improvements in school-houses and apparatus, in recent times, we had been left without improvement in daily lessoi^-books of the schools. Yet it is a question if the improvement be so great as to justify the invidious comparisons that are frequently made, between the old books and the new. The author intends to recur to this subject in future remarks. In 1852, or about that time, our legislators awakened, at least partially, to the necessity of looking more carefully to the state of connnon schools. At that time Mr. Dawson was appointed to the office of Superintendent of Education. That talented gentleman concentrated a surprising amount of energy, zeal and intelligence as well as of pi^actical common sense, upon the duties of his office ; and the best results soon appeared. Better school-houses, improved furniture, more suitable and increased apparatus, and higher salaries to teachers, were some of the fruits of his indefatigal»Ie labors. He also made a vigorous etibrt to introduce the principle of general assessment for the support of connnon schools. To this end he fornuilated a bill, influenced several members of pi'ovincial parliament to support it, and had good reason to expect that, at the right time, it would, at least, receive the consideration from the 18 TROCmESa OF EDTJCATiriN legislature wliicli its importance deinanded. When tliat bill came up in the house of assenibl}', two or three hours were spent in discussing it, and then it ivccH rejected ! After such a slight, from the members of the house generally, those who best knew Mr. Dawson did not wonder that he almost innnediately resiixned his office. If his efficient services and cou)manding talents were not duly appreciated in his native province, Montreal stood ready to accept them ; and he soon took the high position of Principal of McGill College. That position he has held, with honor to himself, and benefit to the institution, as well as to the literati of the country generally, down to the present time. In 1854 the Rev. Alexander Forrester succeeded Mr. Dawson as Superintendent of Education in Nova Scotia. A man more eminently qualified for the office could not have been found in the country. A warmer, and more enthusiastic friend to the noble cause committed to his care, did not exist in the world. Immediately on the appointment, he visited the United States, and spent several months in making careful investigation of the practical working of the educational institutions — connnon schools especially — of that country. On comparing the teachers of the New England States with those of Nova Scotia, the painful conviction was forced upon him that our teachers, as a class, were inferior to theirs. IN NOVA HCOTIA. 19 To l)rint( a better class to the front, he clearly saw that a Normal School was indispensable. With earnestness and determination that would take no denial, he addressed himselt' to tlie accomplishment of the mighty task, and a mighty tank he found it. Possibly the legislature had learned wisdom from the expeiience of the past, and dared not repeat its foi*mer folly. Botli political parties in the two houses were pressed into acquiescence to the measui'e, and a !Normal School was provided for, Truro was chosen an the most convenient locality in which to place it, and Hoon a modest edifice was erecteo un.lo.- the .nana J: 1". n ot n.on an,| wouk., ,,„aIi«ocl to. tium- \Ia, TN NOVA SCOT! A, 21 I AVORKINO OF TIIIO XoRMAf. ScilOOL. St'OCEiSHFUL LaT]OI{s OP Dr. Forrehter. Ashessmkxt for Sceiooi,h oaixed, Mr. Rand appointed to the 8cim':rixtendenoy of Education. The good work stit.l proorehsing. Sixty- four pupil teachers, most of whom had h-jan teacliirig previously, attoiidod at tlie opeuino- of the fii'st term of the Normal School The attainments of all were more or less deficient, for the profession of teaching; and n^uch of their time was devoted to the acquisition of more extensive knowledge. Scholar- ships worth live pounds were provided for all who should succeed in taking diplomas of the first class. At the examination with which the term closed, only four came up to the re(|uired standard, namely, Joseph H. Webster, William Waddell, William Parkei-, and your humble author.. Two of these — Webster and Parker, have passed fi'om earth, and are now resting from their labors, theii- works follow. ng them. The two survivors are laboring still, God grant that our labor be not in vain. During the first term the Rev, Principal received the title D. D, from one of the universities of the •00 ITIOGUESS OP EDUCATION' United States, ai)d thenceforwai'd was known a?* Doctor Forrester. For sevei-al years Dr. Forrester worked with ■unabated zeal and nntirinor enero^y in botli liis offices. At the close of each term of the Normal School he made an extensive tour, lectarini^ on Education, enconraofino' teachers in their ai'duons work, and pi'omotinof the good cause by all the i-ich and varied means within the grasp of his majestic mind. Oh, 'how many desponding hearts have been clieered, and endued with new force, by his wise counsels and tjentle synntathiesl How many weak hands have %een streno-thened to theii* work by his encourao-intr and life- inspiring words! The effects of his efforts w^ere marvellous. Everywhere, from centre to cir- cumference ot th<3 country, teacliers of the " waif and sti'sy" type were falling out of the ranks, and their places tilling with men and women able and willing to do their work, avd to do it well. New and com- modious school-houses were erected on suitable sites, and equipped with increased and improved apparatus. Thus the grand work of Education received an impetus of such force, as sent it forward with accelerated motion and incret^sinof crlory. Another parlian^entaiy mt^asnre, namely, that of general assessment for the support of connnou schools, was needed to give full etl'ect to all that had been already accomplishxad. Dj*. Forrester was »i'|l^,-iH.n.vT^^.w*«i|4«it^.>|ii,i;>;f^f^ IN NOVA SCOTIA. 23 wn a** I witli offices, lool he cation, :, and varied Oh, I, and s and have ao'iriir itforts ) cir- t' and their illincy corn- sites, atiLs. an ivith t of noil had determined that this measure should be pressed through the legislature. No difficulties — and diffi- culties of mountainous magnitude lay in his path — moved him from his steady purpose. The reader knows the result. Complete success, after i-epeated attempts, was at length achieved, and our noble Free School System triumpliantly inaugurated. The prominent features of our excellent school laws were conceived in ])r. Forrester's lucid mind, and sketched by his facMle pen ; and he rested not, nor relaxed his etlbrts till, in 1H()4, his bill passe' nor eeilino- to liide them. Ovei'head some undressed boards, laid upon cross beams, forming what, in those days, was called the " chamber floor," answered the purpose of a ceiling and hid the rafters from sight At one end was a huge chimnoy, with a most capacious fire-place, in which a roaring wood-fii'e burned during school hours in winter ; but in summer it was occupied by a forest of evei'greens. Aj'ound the walls, and fixed thereto, ran rough desks very much inclined ; and many curious specimens of carving or engraving in wood might have been seen thereon. Before these rouofh desks were i-oui^her seats, in the foi-m of loni;^ benches, for the accommodation of the " big boys and girls," who sat with their faces towards the walls, and, of course, their backs to the teaclier. Near one corner stood the teachei"'s desk and chair ; around which a considerable space was kept clear ; and a number of low benches, for the use of the little boys and girls, occupied the remaining portion of the room ; the little one's feet dangling in the air, and, as the seats had no backs, the chubby urchins often tumbled oft' and lay sprawling and s(^ualling on the floor till reseated. tf;,-,»^"' .-V. LIGHTS AN D SHADOWS. 31 ' The Awkward as was the old arranofei^ient of desks attached to the walls, it had, at least, one advantaf^e over the more modern plan. While it was more difficult for the pupils to watch the teacher, it was easier for him to watch them. If, from the too close proximity of heads, he suspected mischief, he had only to rise from his chair of state, step lightly up behind the group, and look I'ight over their heads upon their proceedings. The author was eye and ear witness to some very ludicrous incidents which fell from tliis practice of watching. One of these he will here record. It occurred in the school already referred to, while it was in charge of a dapper little gentleman who bore an euphonious name, beginning and ending with the letter K. As that school- monarch was, on one fine afternoon, in the month of September, 1826, taking a leisurely survey of his assembled subjects, in that same queer old school- house, he espied two small heads close together over one slate. The fair owners of these heads were busily ena'ao-ed in a kind of exercise, which, thouirh not included in the cun-iculum, has doubtless been surreptitiously practised in schools from time im- memorial ; and probably will continue through all future ages. It requires two to perform it, one mak- ing the sign of multiplication and the other the figure in little square spaces, each occasionally rubbing out one or more of the other's peculiar marks, and insert- 32 LKJIITS AND «fIAl)()WS. inof his or lier own. Well, Mr. K., secinir those two !D little fair ones niost industriously employed in tliis very fascinating exercise, stole softly up behind them, and rudely interrupted their delightful opera- tions. The interruption was made in such a manner as to cause two shai-p reports, and suddenly heighten the colour of two pearly ears, one on the right, and the other on the left side of eacli of the flaxen heads. •Sw^eet little Kate bore the ruthless act with meek .submission ; but so did not the more impulsive Eliza. An indignant protest against such an outrage burst with veliemence from her rose-bud mouth, while her bright dark eyes bla/ed in angry defiance of the little monarch's power. Mr. K. was, for a few moments, dumb with amazement. Such resistance to authority, universally recognized as absolute, was wdiat he had not calculated upon. Such contumacy must be stamped out instanter, or there would be no safety for any goveivnment under the sun. Seizing a supple rod from his desk, he applied it smartly and rapidly to the thinly covered shoulders of the daring little rebel. But Eliza was not so easily subdued. Her spirit was up, and she was determined to main- tain the unequal war. Swinging her tiny feet out- ward, from her unfavoral)le posiik)n, she bounded upon the floor, closed with her antagonist, and attempted to wrest the sceptre from his hand. Vain, though brave, effort ! The dove contending with the 1| f ■#f«Sf#t%^jM%fe -% LICJITTS AND SHADOWS. 33 VMii^^lo, or the laDvb with the lion, might as well hope to gain the victory. Failing to .securer the vnuA rod, and only bringing upon herself seven fold more vengeance, her next resort was flight. ])arting thi'ongh the open door, like a gleam t3f light, she lied homewards, wifch the celerity of a fawn. Out went Mj*. K., on her track, like a hawk in pursuit of a dove. During all this time the scholars ,sat in mute fear and astonishment. When the exciting ch^se commenc-ed, eveiy countenance expressed the hope that the dove would make her escape ; and for a time it seemed as if their hopes wouM be realized, so swiftly did slie speed. But a jnisfortiane brought her to the ground, and the poor fluttering, treml)ling one, was captui-ed. A nari'ow skirt and lono- strides caused the mischief. With no ■gentle luxnd the little capti\^e was brought back ; but her over strained nerves relaxed, and her resistance w^as ended. Mr. K., unduly excited though he was, had sufficient self control to refrain from administcu'- ing further punishment, and tlie little lieroine resumed her seat ; but tlmt game of tee-taiv-iex — if that is the correct way to spell it — was indefinitely postponed. On entering the school next morning Eliza demurely walked up to the teacher's desk, drew six large early pears from her basket, and ari-anged th-em in a row before Mr. K. Whether those "-coals of fire" w^ere felt or not, is unknown. He gave no :u LHJIirS AM) SIIAllOWiS.' sign (>r j)cii!i. From this spceinuMi of discipline it init<-lit \)v int\'n'(Ml that thu teacluM* was a huartlcss and cruel tyrant; ])ut though this one act niay seem to partially justify the inference, yet, upon the' M'hole, lie was a just and kind littler persoiiage ; and a teacher of no ujcan ahility. rfe rises upon the authors mental \ ision at this moment, as he sat upon his chair, behind his great red desk, or paced the tioor with (dastic ste]>, his hands locked Ixdiind his hack under the swallow-tails of his l)ri!»'ht hlue coat. A model of neatness was Mr. K. He usually appeared in a hlue dieas coat, huif vest, dral) pants, fine shirt,- with a front of innnaculate Avhiteness, and tlu^ narrowest of plaits, boots- as l)i-ight as niii'rors, and a hat of the finest bcavei*. hi statui'c^ he was small,, though compact and synujHitrical. His complexion; was florid, hair light, and eyes blue. His liands w^ere' smooth an.p3-^i*t0t*5*5%5«<^N^^i^'' LIGIITH AND SHADOWS. 37 plete tlie list of scliool-hooks, at least for a coninioii school, he Avonld choose MacKinlav's Graiuniar, Calkm's Geography, Hambliii Smith's Arithmetic, Chamber's Mathematics and Algebra, Collier's Histories, any good History of Br. America, — and Norie's Navigation. In teaching any branch he would depend more upon vive voce instruction, com- bined with the free use of the black-board, than upon text books ; and in teaching the fundamental prin- ciples of ever} branch, ho would depend upon this mode entirely. It is now time to resume the descrip- tion of Mr. K.'s school. Tliough that gentleman occasionally lost temper and freely used the ]"od, as in the case referred to, yet, upon the whole, he was kind to his pupils and faithful to his duties. His success, all tiling considered, was by no means small. Place one of the veiy ablest teachers of our time in his circumstances — with such a scliool-room, such furniture, and without either black-board or wall maps — and he will wilt, and withei', and fail. Yet ^\.th his meagre means and appliances, and in almost utter destitution of the apparatus now deemed essential to success, Mr. K. did very creditable work indeed. When the author sees a mite of a boy almost staggering under the weight of a satchel cranmied with books, and learns that the poor little fellow is studying arithmetic, and gi-annnar, and geography, and histoiy, and algebra, and geometry, M LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. and plnlosoph}', and Latin, and clu'nnstiT, find ever 80 nuiuy otlier subjects with liard names ; and that he is takinix them all simultan(!0uslv, memorv brinos vnvidly back, or ratlier forward, in contrast, the old school-house and the days of Mv. K., and of Dil- worth's spelling l)ook. The child who is oppressed with too many and too hard studies, at a tender aoe, might well adopt the sentiments if not the language of the poor Irish boy in a sinnlar case : — " Arrah ! bad look to ye, Fadther O'Leary, wdd yer geometry, yer philosophy, yer perlitical economy, and all yer l)odtlu'i'ation. I can't oondtM-sthand ye at all, at al!, God be wid the toime when wo wint to Fadther Maguii-e's school, wid the primer in our list, and a sod o' turf under our arm, and got all our lessons noice and aisy. widout sehaldinijf the heart and brains av US." Let not the readei*, howevei', infer that the author ignores the vast impirjvement wdnch has l)een made in our whole educational system and work since the days of good Mr. K., and his scliool at the head of Canard street, Cornwallis. Durino; the two last decades, especially, the improvement has been mai-vellous; and to-day few countries are blessed with abetter system of popular education, and more efficient connnon schools, than is this, our own loved and lovely " Land of the Mayflower." Still, with all the superior advantages which teachers now possess, it cannot be denied that not a few of our public LRlHi'S AM) SHADOWS. fj if scliools are inferior in usefulness and efficiency to rnany of those which existed half a century ago- Arnono' the trold of the present time there is too much brass and tinsel ; and, on the other hand, among the baser metals, of former times, there Was, at least, some sterling. gold. Few teachers of any period are or were more worthy of the distinction which this rr.etaphor implies than was Mr. K. Through his instrumentality more than one individual was placed fairly on the I'oad to learning and honorable positions in life,— and have since attained to an eminence which they would have failed to reach, had they not sat as disciples, if not at his feet, yet upon the rough benches of that humble school-house, under his faith- ful instruction. But it is time to take leave of Mr. K. lio'urntively, as his pupils—the author included— did liter .:/ over fifty years ago. On that day which memory so faithfully and distinctly recalls, we all went home with full hearts and overflowing eyes ; and even now the reminiscence almost causes the tears a^fain to flow. 40 LIGHTS AND SlIAD(JVVf^-. 0X31.^3=^0:^^1 XX. ilETROSrECT. TllK /\t;1]I0H BECC.JMES A TeACITEH. Looking forward, how long the time requisite to develope the child into the adult, appears ! Looking backward, after that important stage is reached, how all those years, which, in prospective, seemed almost interminable, contract into a span ! From early childhood almost to manhood, the author attended that same school, under various teachers ; the old school-house, growing dingier and more repulsive, as year after year was added to the annals of the past* Most of those teachers have pas>sed away from earth. Few of them equalled, and none excelled, the one faintly descril)ed in the previous chapter. Let the mantle of silence rest upon those who not onl}' stumbled, and sometimes /e// themselves^ but became stumblino'-blocks to others, causing" them also to fall. Let the exalted virtues and graces of others, who.se record is unsullied, live and work throucdi all cominnf ages. Where now are the former pupils — the author's school-mates — of tliat once distincfuished school ? In imagination he is back again, laughing, shouting, LTCMTS AND SHADOWS. 11 to and taking' part in the excitinsj^ gamos of the noisy crowd, congregated on the " parade," near the old Baptist Meeting-lioiise ; or racing down the gentle declivit}'" upon wliose summit the old school-house stood. Again, he is seated at one of the long desks, puzzling over " hard sums," or drawing grotesque figures on his slate, as the spirit of work and idleness holds alternate swav. Old familiar forms and faces rise upon his mental vision, as he pens these lines ; but their real forms w^ill never again appear to his natural sight. Some — not a few — -have " passed beyond the bourn whence no traveller returns." Some are fighting the battle of life on foreign shores ; a residue have crrown old amid the scenes of their childhood ; and one — the author — is now writing these sentences in his room, in a fishing village of Newfoundland. The living as well as the dead are changed. The survivors of the merry crowd whoso shouts and laughter were so often heard in and around that old school-house, are not the Johns, the Williams, the Marys, and the Elizabeths, whom the author knew in the happy days of boyhood ; and if, perchance, he meet one of them in these later days, he meets him or her as a stranger. Veril}^ Temiyora mutdi^tur et "iws wutcmiiir cum illls. The year of grace, 1841, mai'ks an epoch in the life history of the author. In that yea^' he made his debut as a teacher. His first school was in a quiet, i i 42 l-TCillTS AXT) SHADOWS. rural settlomont on th(3 loft bank of the turbid Sluibenacadic. Up to that time but little improv^e- niont had been made either in school architecture or furniture. The same style of buildino-, and the same kind of fittinofs and fixinii:s,as those already describc(b prevailed througliout the country. Good old Thomas Dilworth and Lindley Murray's works still held dis- puted sway in ail the schools. Beyond reading, writinf''. and arithmetic, hiv^ tlie ultima iiiide of common school education ; and he who ventured into that region was deemed an adventurous youth. So, also, the teacher who could lead and guide his pupils throuofli the mysterious realms of the hii>'her educa- tion, was regarded by the conunon people with admiration and wonder equal to that bestowed upon the " Country School-master," so graphically described by the immortal Goldsmith. Sad, very sad, too, to record, is the fact that those were days when intemperance was regarded as a venial otfence, even in a teacher, and many, alas 1 of that class were frightfully addicted to the debasing piactice of that terrible vice. Some of the most intemperate were generally regarded as the most profound scholars; though the truth is, tlic majority of them were woefully illiterate, wdiile not a few were arrant imposters. A hackneyed quotation from a classic author, though often mutilated, if not murdered outright, some incoherent babbling upon philosophy LIGilTH AST) SHADOWH. 43 [ovo- |o or anie |bc(], pnas 'lis- ts'' or mathematics, were sufficient, however, to set the crowd astare. ''And still tliey gazed, and still the wonder grew, &c." A few were, indeed, men of education, though broken down V)y intemperate habits ; while others were teachers worthy their vocation — men wlio possessed both learning and moral worth. — The whole state of education in Nova Scotia at that time was deplorably low, as it had been for many years previously, and continued to be for many years subsequently. The clieapest, roughest, and most repulsive buil(lin'nition and encouraixement from the Provincial Lenislatuie, until about the vear 1826. At that time a small allowance in aid of comuion schools was pro- vided, and teachers, who expected to participate therein, were required to obtain formal license to teach. Local boards of education were also formed for the examination of candidates for license, for the appor- 44 LIGHTS AND SIIADOWH. tioninof of the Provincial allowance, and for the genei'al superintendence of schools. In the absence, however, of that strict and impartial supervision which a sultject of so great importance demanded, the public money was for many years little better than wasted ; and the common schools and teachers were of the type already described. System was entirely wanting, and the whole modits operandi was loose and disjointed. A teacher, when in want of a situa- tion, generally started on his travels, all his worldly effects on his person and in his hand, the latter portion usually tied up in a cotton handkerchief; and thus he went forth until he found a vacant school, for which he forthwith applied. The application was usually made in the followinix absurd and ridiculous fashion : — The applicant first called upon one of the nominal trustees, or upon some other influential person in the " district," and if he met with any measure of encouragement, he would draw up a memorandum of agreement, or produce one already drawn, and travel from house to house until he obtained a number of sigi;atures sufficient to warrant him to open the school. Sometimes a school-meeting w^as convened, and the business, if not very formally, yet more expeditiously settled. It not infrequently happened that there was a failure ; and then the applicant had only to travel further, in tlie hope of faring better. LlC.irrs AND SHADOWS. 45 *"'•►> the lee, ion the lan ere •se d or as JS le a V I Many years a<]fo one of those " kniofhts of tlio ferule " set out on his ti-avels in (juest of a scliool. Having heard of a vacancy far back in the country, he thitherward dire S.U0OHX '-'^ ^^as ieanin(^ Ion/-;*. Wy .,e,.,, „, ,',^, ,,,, i„ -. -|;'o %m^ ,,ef,>,,. ,„•„;. ^ Ul as the exjx.^.j'^'^^'^noer.sdothinov J to fei,o hi,ct that ht, h^A K f^^''^>". ^>t>^o test!- '^«t certainly not . . ''^''^ ^^'-^vn'n^r ^ vr-^r. ''^ '"-^ d.-e,s.s. t,«, ,,,:'^^ -" "»e of i, ^,,-J ^^'; ;- envelope,, i„ , ^ ^^-^- His ...al, pe, ' , -' ■^t.fFcol,,. n.ai,Uaine,U e, '' '"'^ "' "'h-- hlJ^ f^-f l-'-t of tl,e Hu, of ,;;!"' '"^'"--r wit,, tt *''"t was, after tf.e recen T' ^'"^^ ^' leaver • ! "aj "-•"''' J.y i..)a«ine T^ , ''" "^^""r, t,,e. *'^«''e.- ,„,e ,„ f t«'^- If vee.H do^^ees I,a,| ;,^Jer, a„ i„i,a,H w.i , i ^ '"^ "i^'''-, I'm. a goo 1 >e won,.,- fa...„e,, ,rtf '"•"'"'''- '"^■'■ely'' Pfc '^f i-aro am-asement • ° " **'"'"'g a pros ' :i'^;"f -on into hi,, h T/;;;;;''^^'' ^^- «., -..anr ; .^"^ ^'^'"''t.-ng that he ,nd , ".-""^■^' ^^'^ 'Le ni,,ht i """' "- ""Ponaat Jittle u,a„ .^v ""'""'" •eaciily accepted TJCITTTS A\D STfAPOWS. I'lORlty testi- .Sfcy/o |er a.s. the- Tluy did ';Ut 'I OS. (i 1 47 "^ 'tlie kind invitation, and was made welcotue. Aftoi' |)Mt'takinntertaiiiei-s by some accounts (►fids " tliravels ;" aiul also of what otlier " gintienun " of Ins acquaintance ho liad seen and done. Hei'e is one of the niai'velloiis •stories which he told in the ininutahle style of a native of the " Eraerald Isle." " The Unoited Stliates, zui', where I liave th ravelled, is a wonderful country intiiely. It is frdl of all sorts av quare bastes ; and one of the quarest is the cracodoile. Sure, zur, ye have heard about that nt^'liest and most dancferous of all craythurs," The waig tail ; but I cloimbed up a thi'ee, wdiere ^Iie couldn't raehe me, thou«2'h he tii'st thried to cut the «three down wid his tatche, and next to tear it up by the root^" wid the ind of his shnout. The three was too binf and touufh for liim thouufh, and I list sthayed •np in the branches till the ugiy divil wdnt oii widout aiiakinneofU,r«. "'— tl,e .acfc, mo,,: ,, , r :^/'^ '•-'<^ "'"-- -"'•age, Wl„-„ |,e .sl, ^J ,T , "''"' °"'-^ ^<"- ''^ "" one soide, .vhippe 1 o ,7 "^ "'"'"' '"^ J'"^ '^tippe,, ;'^- t^e „an.ato,, a.s Jl ^ "„ ,! ^'^''-^ ^?-^i«cation his entertaineis N.vf . ^"■'*''' amusement of .'■are ,specin,en of U^^l^;^'"'' '^''' "^^'^^^'-^t, thi, '"'i""-ies about tl,e .S' ^^7^'' '"""^^" '-^ '■"P«at hi.s marvellous 0,^!. ""' ^•^''^"^^ '" -'<' t'- waggish f,,4t;t,r "•''^ f-'"^.^' specially of «atu,.a , 2.!"""r'' "-^°"'- ^'"-'i-i astonished ,„e. I ha ' , r^"'"?'^-'^ ''^'^ '■«'% ^-nts and habits of he' el 'rf^''""' '^^ ^^^ "- position of the rocky o.,„ "?-•„" "^" ^'^ '' "- ™e- Doubtless yonr ' nr , ' *''^ ^'°" ^"lighteiied -i-]ly profound' b.rf"'^" "^^ otJ-r -biee,s i "-•gl,bo,.s would fa ' T''^ '""^•'^ f---- that ,„y ^^^-- place, where /ou h "h'::: -^"^ ''' '" -"' ^ J^igi^ attainments will U '*i T.rriiiTs AN'D sFFAno\\->;. 4!^ s!iro to I'ocoive were constantly occuri'ing from this custom of board- ino' fioui hoase to house. Any " old stao-er" who- followed it for a number of years might easily fill an interesting volume with such personal experiences. Here is one in which the author figured lather too prominently for his own comfort and convenience. Among his patrons was a man who, with his largfr family, lived in the very depth of .s(|ualor anxl poverty. His residence was an old log house very suuall and fast falling into ii reparable decay. As two of his- children attenuxl school, of course the teacher was expected to take his "tarn" of two weeks boarding ^, I in '': if- no LTCIITS AND SHADOWS. and lodjjinor at this house, or rather hut. The first turn came round in the severe month of February ; and in order to give the poor people time to pro- vide a few extra comforts, and make any available preparations which they ndght deem necessary, the author sent them a week's notice in advance. When the week was past, and the time came to commence the dreaded ordeal, he sent word by one of the boys, when he dismissed school for the day, that he would be at the place within an hour. Accordingly, just as night was falling, and a bitter night it was, he put in an appearance at the low door of the little cabin. The door was speedily opened in answer to his rather sharp knock, when out poured a volume of blinding smoke and out rushed a crowd of howling boys, hatless and shoeless, and almost sans calotte, as w^ell. The poor, quiet looking woman, who answered the knociv, ottered apologies in profusion for the annoy- ance of the snioke and tlie rudeness of the boys. Seated in the corner by tlie fire was an old man, enveloped in a large gray coat, which, at some period, had evidently done military duty, and had seen much service. A seat was provided for the author in the opposite corner wdiere he ensconsed himself in the midst of blindinof and sufFocatinof smoke. The woman explained that the old man was a poor traveller, and a stranger who had sought shelter and rest for the night in her lowl}^ dwelling; and that she could not I al ■«N» . ■'^ LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. 53 be so hard as to refuse his request. She further added tliat the man had been a great traveller, and had seen many wonderful si^^hts — not the least of which was the Garden of Eden, which he had sailed past, such, in substance, was the statement of the J simple woman, and she made it in perfect faith, on i the assurance of her guest. The old impostor looked ■^ with his bleared eyes through the intervening smoke I at the modest teacher, and addressed him to this effect : — " You're a school-master, are you ? I suppose you're well up in the Latin." The amazed youth, who had not, at that tiuie, learned the advantage of answering a quiz with a quiz, innocently disclaimed all knowledge of that ancient language. The dis- claimer had, at least the merit of truth, for, whatever he niay have since learned, the works of the old classic authors were then sealed books to him, " Don't know Latin ! " exclaimed the old man, " I doubt 3'ou're fit for navigation ! " Never having heard that any important nautical works were published in tlie vernacular of the Ancient Romans, the modest vounj; pedagogue wondered in silence what connection there was between Latin and navigation. To avoid further humiliation, the author, in turn, became the interlo- cutor. ''And you really have seen the veritable Garden of Eden, have you?" "Aye, vouni.>; man," was the bold reply ; " I have sailed close to the walls of it, and seen the lovely trees, and the flaming sword. m^ 54 I-IO'IJTS AND SHADOWS. J Only the fear of being killed by that same flaming sword kept the captain from going on shore for a walk among the beautiful trees, in the fine old place. '^ The credulous woman paused in her culinary opei-a- tions, held up her hands in astOiiishnient, and bestowed a look of awe u{)on the man wdio had seen such wonderful thinijs. Presentlv, the evenins: meal wa!4 ready, and the ofood man of the house havinor just entered, we were all invited to "sit in." Sit in we did, to a really well spread table, the viands consisting of fried pork, potatoes, warm bread and tea. The author had the sad misfortune to lose the best part of his share of these good things l)y a mishap. Thi.s- was the manner of it : — The meat and gravy had been served round, leaving very little, if any, in the central dish for leplenishing the plates. The room was nearly dark and the table much too small for the crowd around ic. Scarcely had we conimenced active operations, when the author's plate attempted a summersault, but performed only the half of it, and came to a full stop, in an inverted j)osition, upon his- drawn up legs, Mdiile the meat and gravy lay partly between the legs of his best black pants, and partly on the floor. What caused that plate to play such a prardv was unknown ; but piobably it was moved thereto by a wicked looking urchin, who occupied the next place, in a stanows. 55 V SR to wlilcli to witlulraw — we all p;athoi'0(l round the Hiekiuinix fire, which aHorded the only liiiht we -enioved. Other stories were related bv-the man ofc* travel, all more or hss hiL,ddy colored with the niarvelh)ns, and all accepted by the gazinir and gaping listeners, with one exception, as authentic and un(jues- tionable as Holy Writ. Bed time having arrived, the author was informed that the old way-farer and he would be under the necessity of sharing the same room and bed. The prospect was not a cheerful one, but, making a virtue of the necessity, the author accepted the unpleasant situation with the best grace possible, in the eii'cumstances. Ci'ouehing close to the bare logs of the wall, recumbent on a hard couch, with sliii'ht eoverino', SiUd beside a l>ed-fellow whose person and clothing had evident!}' long been strangers to soap and water, was not the most enviable situa- tion, and proved rather too trying to the author's powers of endurance. iVfter sutFering inexpressible torture, mental and physical, till near midnight, he ■sprang bolt upright, and, in the act, brought the <3iown of his head sharply in contact with a nail or knot in one of the logs. Another spasmodic motion landed him, in a standing position, on the floor, and in a few minutes he succede- service to him. Of course tlie reader has rie-htly iruessed that the njysterious instrument was nothing more or less than a ther- mometer! Now, youthful reader, don't express so much contempt. JJon't exclaim "what an ignoramus"! Remember, that thermometers, and many other excellent thino^s, were not so common in the davs of your grand-fathers and fathers, as they are in yours. Be thankful that you live in a time of progress, and take care to avail yourself of your high privileges. Be sure " never to be ashamed to betray ignorance 1. Kail's AM) SllAlMJVNS. g:V /or the purpose ot* gaining knowledge." The bell liaving been finswered, we were niost courteoiislv received by the cliairinan — as noble a specinien of true dignity and geniality as ever bi-eathed. Those who had the honor to be acquainted with the late Thomas King, D. D.,— fainiliai ly known, in his time, as Parson King, will cordially endorse the afiii'mation. The dreaded ''-examination," after all, when at last it came, proved immeasurably less foruiidable in reality, than it had been in iiijagination. It was easily passed, and the much prized license gained. No lawyer or doctor ever looked with more complacency and self-gratulation upon his hai'dly won diploma, than did the author upon that narrow slip of paper o-ivinfr him the authority of the Board of Education to teach a common school in the County of Hants ; nor has any more pretentious (h:>cuinent since obtained, after many a hard struggle, given him luilf so much pleasure. Light as was the exauiination, however, it was a trifle weightier than that of a fellows-teacher, who thus facetiously described one of his experiences in that line: — "Having," said he "engaged to teach in a certain locality," I applied for the usual license. A worthy member of the Board conducted the examination, and 1 answered all his questions quite accurately. The examination was about as follows:" Examiner. — Have you ever taught before ? Candidate. — ^Yes, sir, u LiGiits a:^d siia'do\s'6. Cn??^ — At (naming the place.) J'Jx. — Had von a license ? Can.—Yes; sir. Ex.— Have you it with vou ? Crt7i.— Hero it is sir, (producing the document.) .t!x. — What saUiry do you receive ? Cct?i.— Thirty pounds per annum, with board. Ti^,^.— Where do you board ? Can. — All round. mJoc. — WeM, as you have already been licensed by a competent Board, I shall not ti*oable you with further questions; but shall with pleasure grant 3'ou a new license. "All these hard questions'' said the funny Can* didate, "I anrswered without a sinHe mistake." Having obtained the requisite authority, the author returned, and forthwith opened his second school ; the school-house, apparatus, "^nd text-books all being of the same old type and character. The number of pupils was much larger than at the former place, and often reached to fifty. Here too, the author intro- iluced the novelty of oral instruction, and for six months the school flourished. The elements of discord and disruption, however, were at work, both within and without the schoobroom. At that time there was living in the settlement a most remarkable man. He was a minister of religion, and a preacher "l.lGItTS Af^T) -^nABOWS. m tof t^omnianding- eloquence, as well as of marvellous •magnetic power. He was, moreover, a man of waim and generous impulses, as well as of indomitable will ^nd energy. This singular man had, in early life, belonged 'd the Roman Catholic (Jommunion, but had, wliile still a youth, left that church, and joined one of our leading Protestant denominations, namely, the Baptists. Soon aftei- conversion, or perversion •whichevei* the reader the that inity >arjy !e of )eeii No der ich tile 3a t 'id a.'-r \vomen, as is nsiml in such cases, were the most heat-' ed and most decided partizans for and aijjaiiist tlie accused. Of course the affair could not rest where it was; but iegal action must be taken at once. Accordingly off' to Halifax went the heroine, accom- panied by a retinue of friends, and the case was- placed in the hands of H. M. Attoiney-General. The Elder and his friends also secured the services of an astute minister of the law, — a resident of Windsor, — and lively preparations on both sides were made for a^ trial of no ordinarv interest. The author was amon<^ the many witnesses cited for the defence, as he was cognizant of the facts that only a few evenings prior to the accusation, the Elder had been an invited guest at the table of the piosecutrix ; that she had requested him to invoke the Divine blessing, and had honored him with the ordinaiy polite attentions recoo^nised in o-ood society. Such testimony, it was reasonably thought, would greatly weaken the charges of misconduct, which the depositions of the prosecutrix affirmed had been persisted in for a year or more. As the time fixed for the great trial drew near, the author and his friend, the defendant, had frequent interviews; and discussed the subject in all its prob- able and possible bearings and issues. At each of these interviews the author's belief in the innocence of the accused was 'strengthened. With streaming i 70 i.IGIlfS AND SHADOWS'. eyes, and in melting accents, lie would most solemnly appeal to his God in denial of the truth of the charge against him. Na3\ he would often go further and declare that, so far from seeking to subvert the virtue of his accusor^ he himself had been the tempted one ; and that, in his case, the history of Joseph had re- peated itself. On one of these occasions he expressed the h.ope that the case would be withdrawn, and further scandal avoided. He thought that a warning letter, purporting to come from the father of the prosecutrix, in whose supernatural power she so firm-- ly believed, might so Intiuiidate her as to induce her to acknowledge the falsity of her accusation, and suppress the pending suit. The author did not think much of the plan at that time; but when he subse-- quently learned that it had taken such a firm hold of the Elder's mind that he really intended to put it into execution, he — the author — was more deeply impressed with the belief that his friend was verilj^ a much wronged and innocent ian, If he really had been guilty of the offV^nce laid against him^ it would be worse than folly to attempt to make her retract, as false, what she knew to be true ; for she would naturally think that a letter, based upon the assump^ tion that she had made a false charge, could not come from her father; but nmst be a mere subterfuge. So at least reasoned the author. Not long after the idea of concocting such a scheme had been proposed, the LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. 71 Elder showed the author the draft of a letter, which he asked him to transcribe, in a disguised hand, and, after a little hesitation, he did so. The following is nearly, if not quite a verbatim copy of that MYSTERIOUS LETTER : — "Sept.—, 1842. My Dear Daughter, — I arrived in this city last evening, and took up my lodgings, at my old quartei s, in the hotel. After retiring to my room my mind became unusual- ly and unaccountably oppressed ; and my thoughts took the most gloomy and foreboding turn. It seem- ed that some mysterious, and undefinable calamity was impending, either over myself or some other person dear to my heart. 1 naturally thought of you, whom I have never ceased to love most affectionate- ly, though I have never seen you since I left you, a bright prattling little girl. While in this gloomy mood, I suddenly became conscious of the presence of a second person in my room, though the door was locked,— and no human or earthly creature could gain admittance without violence. I had already extin- guished my light, and was about to seek relief in sleep when this conviction of the presence of another came upon me. Looking in the direction of the door, a pale sulphurous light was first visible. Soon 1 saw that it hovered around a form resembling that of my 72 LlfUTTS AND SHADOWS. old fi'icnd, PalaAiti, who liad often rolease linif Ion, \tlv nd commands, all will yet ha well ; but if she refuse terrible consequences will fall, with crushing weight upon her own head. I liave now dischari^^ed mv duty. Farewell till' Not having distinctly heard the concludino- words of tlie last sentence, I looked up, but Palanti was gone, and I was alone. Re-lighting my lamp I hastened to comply with the commands of my fric^nd, wdio is now my slave, but who wnll, ere long, become my terrible master forever^ unless our compact be broken. I have now^ oril}' to most solemnly warn you to suppress that wretched law-suit, or I know all the threatened evils will come upon you. Farewell." This miserable rhapsody was sealed and sent to the lady's address through a distant post ofHce, and the denouement awaited in anxious suspense. The author long, long, ago, saw the extreme absurdity and folly of the whole transaction, to say nothing of the sin of " doinix evil that i^ood mio^ht come." While he seeks not to excuse, or exculpate himself, for his part in the worse than stupid business, yet it must be borne in mind that he firmly believed in the innocence of his friend ; and he too readily laid the flattering unction to his soul, that the end aimed at justified the means. Leavincf out the moral, or rather immoral aspect of the plan, might not he and his friend most reasonably have assumed that the letter w^ould be placed in the hands of the attorney for the prosecu- 74 LirJTTS AND SITAnOWS. tion ? Mini^ht they not have readily foreseen that, whatever rniglit be the effect of such an epistle upon the nund of a weak and credulous woman, it would exert a widely different influence upon the mind of an astute lawyer ? The reliance which the Elder placed in the means adopted to intimidate his adver- sary, was, however, to the author's mind, very strongs, presumptive evidence of his innocence ; and his opinion would never have been changed ii.id the Elder's subsequent career been unimpeachable. According to current reports the first effect of the mysterious letter was favourable to the Elder's cause. It was said that the lady did wish to quash proceed- ings, and that she blamed her friends for persuading her to take legal action at first. But time passed and no steps were taken to arrest the action, until at last, in the autumn term of the Supreme Court at Windsor, it resulted in A MOST EXCITING TRIAL. The court-house was crowded by men from far and near, all in a state of feverish excitement. The prose- cutrix, as witness for the Queen, in whose name the suit was brought, was first called and subjected to a very close examination. She adhered to the letter and spirit of her previous depostion ; nor could the most severe cross-examination shake her testimony ; and so the case For the crown rested. The defence was then called for, and several witnesses were \ •It-i-- it.-'. LICJIITS AND SHADOWS. 75 afc, oil hi examined. When the autlioi was called to the Avitni.'ss- stand,and had given his testimony the learned counsel for the crown arose, and with an aii* of ininiitahle di'ollery, handed him a paper, and asked if he had ever seen it before. It scarcely need be said that it was that wonderful letter, and it evidently took the counsel for the defendant by surprise, for he turned a puzzled look upon his client, and the two spent a little time in a whispered conversation. The defend- ant's counsel at lentrth turned to the bench and objected to the entertainment of the document by the Court, on the ground that it had no necessary bearing upon the case at issue. His sharp opponent, on the other hand, contended for the admission of the letter on the very opposite ground — that it had a direct and important bearing upon the case. The veneraljle Judge, after carefully reading the strange epistle, ruled that it should be admitted, and that all ques- tions relating to it should be answered by the witness. In these circumstances the author could not do other- wise, without committing peijury, than admit bin complicity in the affair, at least to the extent of transcribing the original paper,prepared and furnished by the defendant. In closing the case for the crown the learned counsel read the letter, eloquently harangued the jury thereon, and turned it against the defendant with tremendous effect. The counsel for the defence was so indignait that full confidence had been with* '■"^^- '^''- — ■^* f i »> MCTITH AXn STIADOWS. held fioni liini, tliafc lie aUaiidonod tlio case, and doclined tu fiu'ther address tho jury on the pait of his client. In siinnuin<^f up the evidence and puttijii^ the case fairly before the jury, the lijarned Jud/:, 80 J.IGIITS AM» MIAUUWS. ([uondfim fi'icnd, the defendant in the trial just: rec()rde SHADOWS. 83 since taken place in that neighborliood. The thick and silent forests which stood in solemn ofrandeur upon the margin of that beautiful sheet of limpid water known as the Grand Lake, have yielded to the sturdy blows of tlie Hxoman. Those giant trunks, the growth of centuries, have hopfi riven by the harshly grating saw, and converted into otlu'r forms better adapted to the purposes of eivili^^ed life The potent agency of fire has been added to the transforminof influences which busy man has brought to bear upon the scene ; and, last of all, the plough and liaiTow have been pressed into service in changing the face of nature; and truly the chanofe is maivellous. F( rtije fields and extensive grazing grounds, yielding in rich abu///J ance the food required by man and }i^'F^Bt, are rjow seen where grand old tre» -s v/aved thoir hraniii^^H for centuries, until civilized p:»an, with the varied para phernalia of husbandry, enter^'d upon tiie domain of his " untutored " biother, and greatly discomposed both him and the lower denizens of t})e forest, which it was his highest joy to hunt. Upc n this scene, too, cosy faim-houses and out-buildings, with plae<\s r>f religious worship, and school-houses, have here and there arisen ; nor have marriages in the churches and babies in the homes been wanting ; and thus progresH and population are on the increase. Reader, if yon knew the country, or rather the woodlands stretching awav back for miles fiom the western shore of Grand M LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. Lake, a quarter of a century ago ; if you ever ti"a versed tliose woods, or (gilded alono* the margin of the Lake in boat or canoe, under the sliadow of the giant trees, as the autlior was wont to do — go revisit the scene to-day and you will fully understand and appreciate the serjtinients ascribed by the poet to tlie Indian wlio stood at t]>e burial place of his fathers. Thus it has been, t]ius it is, and thus it will be on this continent, till the progressing race "shall (ill the land anE,«ON'S OF A FORMEit rfiiuou IN sm>roimN(i schools. Haity CHANOK IN FAVOU OF THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASSES. The actuor recomes a newspaper writer-edits a paper -TRAVELS AS A LECTLRER-RI'SUMES HW VOCA- TION. The author's next- remove was to Fall Hiver, twelve miles east of Dartuiouth. In this .listrict two schools-the lower one near Portobello, were placed in his charge. In or.ler to sustain those schools, three individuals, namely, Mrs. Marshall, Mr. George Taylor and Mr. W. Brittan, subscribed six pounds or twenty-four dollars a year each. Think of this fact, ye present (grumblers about your small schoo -taxes of three or fou.' dollars a year, an.l be thankful tor the Free School System. The lady and -entlert.en named paid at the rate of forty-eight dollars ft year each --for they had only half of the teachers time. Others subscribed very liberally to help along the work, and conse.iuently the schools were fau'ly sup- ported Mainly owing to such generous assistance, an,l to the kindly .sympathy of the supporters, the .schools came up to a much higher degree of excel- 86 LIGHTS ANT) SHADOWS. lence than those previously taiiglit by the author, had (lone. To say the least, his services were fully appreciated, and his popularity was as great as he deserved. While teaching at Fall River and Portobello from 1848 to 1846, the author began to write for the press ; and furnished many articles to the columns of the old Halifax Mornmg Post, then edited by the late John H. Crosskill. During the six years next suc- ceeding the author occupied the eilitorial chair of the Halifax Alonthig Pot^f, as has already been stated. It would have been more to his ad\ antage, if he had 8 pent tliose years in teaching. Then followed two years spent in lectuvUig on Mnemotechny, through \>\\\\ lower provinces, after which the old vocatior was vesun\ed. Passages tb\ough alternate light an-l sliade \vevon\udo d\uing thii two years ^ it in leciuring. At \\\^ Vi^Vy boglnnlnw' the autiior pa>s^d through a dark clmd lhu\!U^iallv. Owinr to the 1 'lity of his i\uu\er patron, fi. 11. C,to pay him a com^iderable suiti of aiiears, he left Halifax, on one dark Novem}*rr morning, with the ^um of six shillings and three pensr — #1.25, in his pocket, a valise in one han«i and a cane in tlu* ollua". Tha.s et^uipped be walkt 1 to Chester, tv distMUi^e of nearlr iiftv miles. Bv the time he arrived at that pretty village his finances were reduced to sevenpencf^-half-penny — 12^ cents I After ]ifi\ iiig planned an honorable retreat in case his ■■^^i^m)immm LTCiHTS AND SHADOWS. 87 lior, uJJy ■s he first lecture should prove a failure, he took up a tem- porary residence at the best hotel in the villaL,^e. His next step was to en£,^age the town hall for one even- ing — pi'ice one dollar and a half. Next up went hand-bills announcing the lecture. Then for two days the author sat writing in his room, and trying hard to " hope for tlie best." Each evening he took a walk, through the village feeling that solitary piece of silvei" in one of his pockets. The reader may be Bure tliat it cost a strong mental effort to keep hope uppermost during this time of suspense. On the cvonhig appointed for the lecture, the author saw the haj} duui' ajjoiiod, the i\i'e lighted, au'] a man in posi- tlmi to I'fefcelve the mUnMun fm. He then returned III ills h(iLe|, immI nervously awaiterl the iltffn /j,ppoin< ■ ed for his appearance o|i tlie platform, '^('he ^nini^jLe came; auJ, with 1^ flh'll'l, hfi pfissed qnt upon the street, and turned his fafce iaWiii'fU tll(^ hflflh His, spirits roiLi m he nlmiM'V^ed a crowd Wealkll/g In the same direction ; and when he saw thr crcivvd enter tlie building his joy overflowed. If a glad heart is an y assistance to the tongue of a speaker, the lecturer th^t evening had the full benefit of it. Nearly five dolla/fii were added to tl\e tiny piece of silver already mtiii- tioned ; and a class of thirteen members, at one dollar and a half each, was secured for a course of six lnHmitlH, At the end of the course, which occupied Ui ilny over a week, the author found about fifteen doll/irs in Itin S8 IvKUirS AND SHADOWS. pockci ; and bis i^onial liost ncv(3r know whether finances were In'u'h or low Avitli In's deval." G. — "I was not aware of that; but thouo-jit matches were the invention of some practical chemist." H. — " Where did chemistry come from but from the devil r G\ — " Doubtless you attribute all science to the same author." H. — " Certainly I do. Men are studying and wi'itino' on science, contradictinof the bible, bea'uilino- souls, and leading them to perdition." G. — " You use strong terms and speak as if you knew what vou are talkinii; about." H. — " I do know what I am talking about ; I like the good old ways, and hate all your new notions and inventions, because they are false and dangerous." At tliis point the old man went to liis morning work, and the autlu;)r was soon ensconsed in an old fasliioned rocking chair, by the side of a square stove in a back parlor. Soon breakfast was served and the ^ > Ka sSSm '<^ €4>. <$> 90 LIGHTS AND SIIABOWS. H. — "What is it that yoii are going to lecture about to-nig]it ? I can't iniderstand it, or even pro- nounce the word." G. — " The word is Mnemotechny, and it means the science of memoiy. It greatly assists and improves the memory, and it is therefore of great service to all classes, especially to professional men." H. — " I thought all God's works were perfect ; He made the memory and you think you can improve it." G. — " God made man with certain faculties mental, moral and physical. All those require development ; and means must be used to develope them, or man will be imbecile and powerless. The beautiful system which 1 teach greatly aids the memory, and all hard students, — particularly lawyers and clergymen, ought to avail themselves of its assist- ance." H. — "I would not go to hear a preacher wdio would resort to any such help. I don't believe that preachers ought to study sermons at all ; they ought to depend on the influence of the Spirit of God." The reader will understand that to reason with a man of such a type would be labor lost. The author, therefore, quietly subsided, and the subject dropped. Of course such a man would feel bound to make all the opposition in his power to the author's success ; but as his whims and fancies were all known to the connnunity, his opposition proved more se.^'viceable tlGilTB AND BTlAboWS. 91 }) tli^tu ills approval, would have done. On taking leave of his host, at the close of the course of lessons, the author thanked liini for his opposition, on which lie had counted from the moment when he saw that pro- cess of fire-kindling. In the year 1851 the anchor resumed his work as teacher. The beautiful vailey of the Muscuiodohoit was, this time, the scene of his labors. Now all readers of these pages may not know that Musquodo- boit held at that time, and long anterior to it, had held a hioh reputation for the intelligence and virtue of its inhabitants. From an early period they liad rioidly excluded teachers of " Waif and stray ' type, and consequently education Was in a more advanced sta'h out the country. Teacliers, as well as pupils of the pi'esent day, will be surprised to learn that, out of ten or twelve teachers, who oi'oranized themselves into a County Institute under Dr. Dawson's supervision, only two could give the boundaries of Nova Scotia correctly ' Earnestly and faithfully did that talented gentleman labor for the promotion of education in his native country. In some measure his labours were successful; but. they donbtless would have been inuneasui'ably more so, had his hands been streno-thened to his work ])y enliixhtened letrislation. Failino' to secure such legislation he resio-ned his office, and soon after took his position in McGill College , and thus Nova Scotia lost the invaluable service of one of her brio-htest sons. As the result of Dr. Dawson's labors durins: his short — too short — period of office, better school- houses and impi'oved apparatus v;ere provided ; Chambers' excellent scliool-booiv superseded the works formerly used ; l)lack-boards and wall-maps were introduced ; more spirit and life were infused into common schools ; and a new educational era dawned upon our country. It was jnst at the commencement of this transi- tional period that the author entered upon his labors at Meagher's Grant, Musquodoboit. He is thankful that he can look back upon the five years passed in J LIGHTS AN-1> SHADOWS. D3 >1V that peaceful vale, with a Ingh .kgrce of -ff^^ Trustees, parents and teacher un^fannly acted mc cert • and the progress of the pupils was, without eiption, ^eJy and rapid. While the au lior wa. en J-ed in this school the Rev. Alexander 1 one ter ;^s Appointed to the office of ^np-intend-t of^^^^^^^^^^^^^ tion in Nova Scotia. The wisdom of tha apo n inent was demonstrated by the indefatigable labors I that eminent and distinguished E' additional fun"i;le(I tln-niio'li sueeesst'ully, and tlie pupils sepai-ated,. never all to meet ai>ain on cartli. Some have since" crossed tlie dai'k livei*, let us hope to tlie hrio-lit sliore ; some have entered learned professions, other than teae]iinast. I Lid III .5 A.Vi) srtADoSVH. 101 •led nee • From Mns(iuo(l()l)oit, tlic author, tit t1»e request of Di', Forrester, removed t(^ the pietnre.s(|ue town of Anti^'onisli. Tlie ollieei's of tlie neliool to wliieli lie was recommended (hM»iun*ed to accept a first chiss diplonia From tl)e Nornuxl Sehooh as a sufficient guarantee of the (jualifieations of a teaclier for the rectoi'ship of their school. The «li1ficulty was surmounted by subjecting the author to a special examination, particularly in the classics, which he was so fortunate as to pass successfully. Here he became acquainted with Dr. Honeyman, who most kindly assisted liim over many a difficulty in the Latin and Greek laniiuau'es — a favor which he can never forixet. In tlie town of Antiu-onish, anvas much gratified that the " Land of the Mayflower" was very acceptable to the public, a!id met with an extensive and ready sale. The consciousness that it did some service is still pleasing. " Boys and girls," said the late Governor Howe, in an address t< the author's pupils in Musipaodoboit, LIGHTS AND .SHADOWS. 103 it lie' Vl'fcer )erly o a (I to " be sure to learn to read, spell, write, and cipher. Learn these branches tlionjiijjhly, and then it you never learn anything further in school, ^'^ou will Iniv^e education enonjili to enable you to achieve success in almost any department of industry you may choose. If you wish to obtain moi'e learninii* the road will be open to you, and you can learn whatevo' }'ou please without the aid of teachers." Then, turninii' to the authoi', he tendered this good advice : — " Be careful not to attempt too much. Do not try to teach too many branches sinmltaneously, or you will fail to teach anytln'ng well, and acconj})lish very little of practical utility." The advice was excellent ; but it was o'iven too late to be of any service to tb.e auth'or ; for experience — that best of teachers — had long before taught him the inutility — not to say folly — of " cranrming." That great P^ducator, Dr. Forrester, too, had duly impressed all his pupils with the same sentiments. The author next taught three years most success- fully at Little Kiver, Musquodoboit, and had tl>e satisfaction of *^"eing several of his pupils subsecjuently distinguish themselves in learned professions. At tha^ time there were a ninnber of very superior teachers in the beautil'Td chain of Settlements alono* the valley of the Mus(|Uodoboit. Their labors w^ere appreciated by an intelligent and energetic people, and, as a consequence, their schools gained and main- 104 LKilTTS AND .SIlAmnVS. taiiied an efficient and fiourisliing condition. Few, if any of our rural settlements have surpassed Musquo- doboit in this respect. Fj'om Musquodol)()it the author, by recommenda- tion of Dr. Forrester, went to the extreme west of Nova Scotia, and taught during several terms in the County of Yarmouth. There, many of his pupils were fine, manly youtlis, whose home was principally *' on the mountain wave." They aspired to rise above the position of fore-mast-men, and to walk the (piarter- deck ; consequently, they applied the energies of their intellects to the mastery of the intricacies of naviga- tion, and right well they succeeded. A large number of bright young women wei'e also learners in tliat school ; and learn with rio-ht fifood will and marked success they did. The patrons of the school were highly appreciative of the teachers efforts, foi* a time, and he occupied an elevated position in their estimation. The following little anecdote will show the docility and obedient disposition of the brave sailor lads who composed so large a part of the school :; — Oi\e day when the author returned tu his work from dinner, he found a company of the young men engaged in a game of cards. On calling the school to order, he informed liis pupils that card-playing, in the school- room, was strictly pi'ohibited. " Why do you disallow so harndess amusement as a (piiet ganie of cards?" LIGHTS AXD STTAPOWS. 105 VV, if quo- :a- iiKpiired one of the young men. The autlior giive a variety of reasons, and earnestly advised them to refrain from the practice, and thereby avoid tlie dano-er of beino* enticed into the vice of ffiimblinix, OCT O i^ ' which is so easy for one who lias become addicted to plavin<>' merely for amusement. " Well," said the young man, " I don't think that anything could tempt :ae to enter a gambling house, though I can see no harm in an occasional game for amusement ; but, when I am at sea, I must obey the captain's orders, and, as you are captain here, I shall follow the same course." The author replied — " that is a very correct view of the case, how many of you agree with it ? " A forest of hands rose, and thus the affair was pleasantly and amicably settled. From that day not a card was seen in the school-room while the author had charge of the school. One cloud, black and heavy, cast its dark shadow athwart the author's path before he left his noble school in Yarmouth. He neither criminates nor exculpates himself, in this place, in reference to that time of darkness. If he could put his readers in possession of all the facts of the case, he would adopt the language of the great poet, Thompson : " Ye prudes in virtue say — my ye severest ^ What would you have done ? " From man's erring judgment the author is ever ready to appeal to the Judge who reads the heart. lOG LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. i^jp V Before that holy Judge he bows lowly in the dust ; but, in the presence of his fellow-sinner he bears his brow aloft ; always excepting any whom lie may have injured. From all such he meekly sues foi* pardon. The author cannot take leav^e of Yarmoutli with- out a passing notice of the magnificent institution of learning in the principal town of that fine county. About the year 18G3, a few residents of that flourish- ing town were one evening speaking of sending their sons abroad for an education. One of the gentlemen, thus infoi'mally convened in one of the stories of the town, asked why they could not have a school of their own, and, not only educate their children at home, but also bring students from abroad, to receive the higher education. The suggestion was most favorably received by the others, and they resolved to take the first step in the business there and then. Before separating, the three or four gentlemen agreed to subscrible most liberally to the laudable enterprize. Next day the su])ject was discussed all over the town and met with general approbation. Soon a large and enthusiaetic meeting was convened, and the munifi- cient sum of $16,000 subscribed, it was decided to make the school free, with the exception of the liigh department, and to support it voluntarily, quite independently of provincial grants. The sole control of the institution was to be vested in a Board of Education of their own choosing. The building was '.S LIGTTTS AND RITAPOWS. 107 US of commenced without delay, and, in an incredibly short time it was pushed forward to completion, at a cost of over $20,000, all subscribed and paid by the pubac- spirited residents of Yarmouth ! The author has not seen that truly magnificent edifice, so highly creditable to an enterprizing com- munitv ; but,"from reliable reports, he believes that it is not inferior to any similar building in Nova Scotia, not excepting the Normal Scliool, Truro, or the High School of Halifax. It was only m the course of erection when he left Yarmouth. Eight or ten departments were made, and most thoroughly provided with first class furniture and apparatus, and an efhcient teacher for each was engaged at a liberal salary. After the institution had thus been successfully started by the people of Yarmouth, upon their oivn base, the Superintendent of Ee laid upon the Presbyterians for the failure. That body, nurnerieally weak in the island, would gladly have united with ?the Wesleyans, who are much stronger in numbers, dor the purpose of obtaining such legislativ^e action, iis would have secured the desired object. The Roman Catholic and Anglican churches stood opposed to the aneasure ; but, had the Wesleyans and Presbyterians .-united, the opposition would, in all probabil'ty, have been neutralized, and the necessary legislation 'Obtained. The schools of the island have for many years been running upon denominational lines. Four bodies H no LTOIITS AND SHADOWS. only are recoo^nizofl, namely the Roman Catholic, the Chuich of Englanrl, tlie Methodists, and the Presby- terians. These comprise nearly all the inhabitants of Newfoundland. A \ery liberal piovincial grant, for suppoi't of education, is divided among these four bodies, each receiving a sum proportionate to its number ; and the balance of teachers' salaries is made up by tuition fees. Each body has its own Superin- tendent of Education, and there are also denomina- tional boards of education in the various sections of the island. When will the masses receive the bless- ings and benetits, resulting from the general diffusion of knowledge from such a systeui ? To this question the author volunteers the answer: — when a large Held can be unifor-mly and sufficiently watered, by the use of a watering pot. The school at Cupids was very large and very interesting. Over eighty bright boys and giils were enrolled, and were regular in attendance duiing winter; but in summer many families shut up their houses, and go oft to Labrador, where they remain during the fishing season. All, both male and female, who are able to take part in the operations of takinof and curin^: fish, are enofa<]fed in the work ; while the little ones run wild on the wild shores, and lay in a stock of irrepressible vitality — to say nothing of tricks and pranks — sufficient to set the teacher wild, too, when they return to school. To teach a young LIGHTS AND H1IA1)()W^^. 111 , tho shy^ ts of for oiiv its lade vin- na- i of ion on Newfoundlander to pronounce many of our English words accurately is no easy task. He will persist in saying Juirse — often omitting the aspirate, though you tell him fifty times a day that tlio wo.d is horse ; and so with all other w^ords in which the letter o has the short Saxon sound. One thinix in connection with the schools of New- found land might be adopted, with advantage, by other countries. There is usually attached to the school - house, or at the distance of a few yards from it, a commodious and comfortable dwelling-house for the teacher. Such was the arrangement at Cupids, and doubtless it continues. The school-house there was of ample dimensions — 30 x 45 ft., — and the teacher's house was a model of neatness antl convenience. One great disadvantage with us in Nova Scotia, is the frequency with which our teachers are changed, at least, in very many sections. Another is the employ- ing of too many young, and inexperienced teachers — ladies especially — in large miscellaneous schools. If suitable dwellings were provided, teachers of experi- ence, with families, might be more frequently induced to remain several years in one school, and thus have time and opportunity to accomplish much more than is usually done. No young teachers should be eligible to employment till they have served an apprentice- ship, of one term at least, in the Normal and Model Schools. Even then it is desirable that they teach for U'2 LKillTS AND SIIADO^NTS. # a year or two in one of the siilH>rdinatc departnierrts-. of a jiraded scliool, before takinij sole cltarnfe of a larij-e iiiiscellaMcous school., too unwieldy for them to liandle- Avith any considerahle decree of couifort to themselves,, or benefit to their pupils. Thouiih foi'eian to the design of this little work,, it may not be unacceptable to the reader that the author i>ive liere a short sketch of tl^e oeneral state, prospects, and history of N.ewfouiidland. Appropriate as was the nanie it beais in the days of Henry YII, Avhen the island was discovered by Cabot,, it is now a mimomer, inasmuch as N.ewfoundlanil is the oldest British colony in America, if not in the world. In* the year 1588, the brave Sir Humphrey Gilbert took formal jX)Ssession of it in the name of Queen Eliza- beth, by unfurlini^' the British fkii^ over the site now occupied by the city St. John's. 301 years have passed since that day ; and the history of the Nova Terra, throupulses of the times. They now have a raih'oad from. St. John'.s to Bay St. George, through the very heart of the country; and the vast rich and vai'ied resources, of the rough old inland, are about to be brought forth in astounding abundance. When the land, both from? above and l>eneath the surface, as well as tbe depth of the sea, shall afford this rich abundance of coin- rriodities for exportation, then will the advantageous, position of Newfoundland he known and appreciated by the business men of the world. Before the mer- chandize of Ontario, and other sections of America in the remote West, can reach the sea-board, for ship- ments to the markets of Britain and Europe, that of Newfoundland may be half across the Atlantic, thus- effecting a large saving of time, to say nothing of the saving expense ia the transport o.ver long, lines- of railway. 11 1 I.ICJUTS AND SIIAPOWS. Does the roadcr inquire wliat are the resources of Ne\vf()un(llan