Next, however, to a visit to a school, comes the reading of a vivid
description of it. I do not mean a cold, theoretical exposition of the
general principles of its management and instruction, for these are
essentially the same in all good schools. I mean a minute account of the
plans and arrangements by which these general principles are applied.
Suppose twenty of the most successful teachers in New England would
write such a description, each of his own school, how valuable would be
the volume which should contain them!
With these views, I have concluded to devote one chapter to the
description of a school which was for several years under my care.[4]
The account was originally prepared and _printed_, but not published,
for the purpose of distribution among the scholars, simply because this
seemed to be the easiest and surest method of making them, on their
admission to the school, acquainted with its arrangements and plans. It
is addressed, therefore, throughout to a pupil, and I preserve its
original form, as, by its being addressed to pupils, and intended to
influence them, it is an example of the mode of address and the kind of
influence recommended in this work. It was chiefly designed for new
scholars; a copy of it was presented to each on the day of her admission
to the school, and it was made her first duty to read it attentively.
[Footnote 4: The author was still connected with this school at the time
when this work was written.
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