Mr. Henderson pronounced an
authorised school a necessity. My father had scruples as to vested
rights, for the old woman was the last survivor of a family who had
had recourse to primer and hornbook after their ejection on 'black
Bartholomew's Day;' and when the meeting-house was built after the
Revolution, had combined preaching with teaching. Monopoly had
promoted degeneracy, and this last of the race was an unfavourable
specimen in all save outward picturesqueness. However, much against
Henderson's liking, an accommodation was proposed, by which books
were to be supplied to her, and the Church Catechism be taught in
her school, with the assistance of the curate and Miss Winslow.
The terms were rejected with scorn. No School Board could be more
determined against the Catechism, nor against 'passons meddling wi'
she;' and as to assistance, 'she had been a governess this thirty
year, and didn't want no one trapesing in and out of her school.'
She was warned, but probably did not believe in the possibility of
an opposition school; and really there were children enough in the
place to overfill both her room and that which was fitted up after a
very humble fashion in one of our cottages. H.M. Inspector would
hardly have thought it even worth condemnation any more than the
attainments of the mistress, the young widow of a small Bristol
skipper.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139