Lessons in history are often spoiled by futile questions put in as it
were for conscience' sake, to satisfy the obligation of questioning, or
to rouse the flagging attention of a child, but this is too great a
sacrifice. It is artistically a fault to jar the whole movement of a
good narrative for the sake of running after one truant mind. It is also
artistically wrong and jarring to go abruptly from the climax of a
story, or narrative, or lecture which has stirred some deep thought or
emotion, and call with a sudden change of tone for recapitulation, or
summary, or discussion. Silence is best; the greater lessons of history
ought to transcend the limits of mere lessons, they are part of life,
and they tell more upon the mind if they are dissociated from the
harness and trappings of school work. Written papers for younger
students and essays for seniors are the best means of calling for their
results, and of guiding the line of reading by which all oral teaching
of history and study of text-books must be supplemented.
When school-room education is finished what we may look for is that
girls should be ready and inclined to take up some further study of
history, by private reading or following lectures with intelligence, and
that they should be able to express themselves clearly in writing,
either in the form of notes, papers, or essays, so as to give an account
of their work and their opinions to those who may direct these later
studies.
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