No More Learning

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? PREFACE.
xiii
game; he must get in debt, he must lie
to conceal his debt from his parents, he must
practise every species of falsehood and mean-
ness, to do as others do, who call themselves
manly, independent, spirited.
Parents, if you would prevent your sons
from setting at nought your influence, if you
would save your sons from destruction, moral
and worldly, give them, before you send
them to a public school, just ideas of what
is, or ought to be, meant by a manly charac-
ter. But can this be done so early 1 Yes,
it can. Mothers, when first you see the
infant ambition to be manly break forth in
your boys, smile upon it, encourage it, but
mark that you guide it well. Your boy
first shows himself eager to excel his com-
panions in bodily strength and agility. He
is proud to be able to walk, to run, to
wrestle, to ride, better than boys a little
older, or perhaps a little taller than himself,
and you praise him for being manly; and
this is all well, provided it be not done
in the mere spirit of imitation ; but if once
vol. I. h
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? siv
PREFACE.
you let that spirit rule, without reference
to what is good in itself, you will repent it as
surely as you and your children live. Teach
your son the truth, that manly exercises
are useful in themselves, as part of a manly
character, but not the whole. Teach him,
that to be manly, strength of mind is still
more essential than strength of body. Teach
him, that it is only the weak, who require the
support of numbers to prove to them that
they are in the right. Teach your son, that
manly strength of character is shown in
abiding by his conviction, and his resolution;
in defying ridicule, and in resisting all that is
wrong in every shape.
High sounding words ! too high, it may
perhaps be thought, for children to feel
or understand. No; try them, and you will
find that these sentiments are not above their
comprehension. When once the infant
thought has been touched with this noble
feeling, this generous ambition, the main point
of education is secure. Rest your hope,
and his own hopes of himself, firmly on
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? PREFACE.
XV
this desire and effort to improve. Do not
wear out his sensibility of conscience, by
teaching that slight deviations are irre-
parable ; for by this you will either make
your boy despair of himself, or teach him
to be an hypocrite.
Few can, or will, or ought, perhaps,
to give up so much of their time and attention
as Frank's father and mother did to their
son. The details of what was done by them
are given, not as models of imitation, but
as modes of illustrating general principles:
as hints, which the understanding and
affection of parents will easily apply in
varying circumstances. It is impossible to
mark the differences without knowing each
peculiar case. All that can be dope is to
give the example of a child, who probably
resembles in the principal points a large
proportion of boys of his age.
It will be observed, by those who were
formerly acquainted with Frank, and who
are kind enough to retain any recollection of
his early history, that he is become, we will
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? PREFACE.
not say more conceited, that is a harsh word,
but more fond of praise, than when we
parted from him last. In this tendency
to vanity he will be found, probably, to
resemble most vivacious boys of his age, who
have been educated, as he unfortunately was,
without any but female companions at home.
Some other faults have likewise broken
out in him, which are likely to be the result
of anxious private education. There are
two classes of parents to be considered, those
who are too careless, and those who are too
anxious. To the careless we have said
enough, we hope, to arouse them to atten-
tion : but the fault of the present day is too
much anxiety concerning details. Parents
and private tutors are not only too eager
to adopt every new receipt for teaching
much in a short time, but are also too easily
alarmed by every deficiency which they
perceive in their pupils, and draw too readily
evil auguries from every trifle. They are so
anxious to make their pupils go on, and
go right, and go straight, every instant, that
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? PREFACE.
they deprive them of the power of acting,
thinking, feeling for themselves. Thus they
turn them either into helpless puppets, who
must cease to move, or fall when the guiding
strings are no longer pulled; or, if they
be not reduced to this automaton state, they
become restive, wilful creatures, who, the
instant they are at liberty, set off in a
contrary direction to that in which they have
been forced.
Frank's father and mother are not wholly
free from this over anxiety, inseparable,
perhaps, from tender parental affection ; but
it appears, that they are conscious of its
danger, and endeavour, as far as human
nature will permit, to counteract its effects.
Their errors may, perhaps, be more useful
to parents than all their sense or their
exertions. In the chief points they can
scarcely lead astray those who may most
actively follow their example; nor is that
example calculated to throw the most timid
into despair. Without limiting to a par-
ticular course of lessons, they excite their
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? PREFACE.
boy to acquire that knowledge, which it
is most necessary for him to attain before he
goes to school; and as to the rest they are
content with inspiring him with that general
love of literature, which they know will
make him continue to read and improve him-
self, when he is left to his own guidance.
Without too rigid morality, they uniformly
press the great principles of right and wrong,
and endeavour to educate a conscience, that
shall neither be too tender nor too callous.
They try by all means to give Frank self-
control and self-command; knowing, that
if he obtain these he will have the best
chance of being able to resist temptation, in
whatever circumstances he may be placed;
and they leave much to a large chapter,
which has been forgotten in most modern
systems of education -- the chapter of ac-
cidents.
All this can surely be done by every
parent who really wishes it, and without any
pedantry of system, or apparatus of discipline
and masters : as the most classically eloquent
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? PREFACE. XIX
of modern moralists has observed, in a cotri-
prehensive essay on the question of " What
is Education 1"
"It is not necessary to devote to the
education of one child, the talents and the
time of a number of grown men, to surround
him with an artificial world, and to coun-
teract by maxims the natural tendencies of
the situation he is placed in, in society.
Every one has time to educate his child;
the poor man educates*him while working in
his cottage, the man of business while em-
ployed in his counting house. "
" Do we see a father, who is diligent
in his profession, domestic in his habits,
whose house is the resort of well-informed,
intelligent people; a mother, whose time
is usefully filled, Whose attention to her
duties secures esteem, and whose amiable
manners attract affection? Do not be
solicitous, respectable couple, about the
moral education of your offspring. Do not
be uneasy because you cannot surround them
with the apparatus of books and systems, or
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? XX
PREFACE.
fancy you must retire from the world to
devote yourself to their improvement. . In
your world they are brought up much better
than they could be under any plan of fac-
titious education which you could provide for
them : they will imbibe affection from your
caresses, taste from your conversation,
urbanity from the commerce of your society,
and mutual love from your example. "
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? FRANK:
A
SEQUEL
TO
EARLY LESSONS.
"Look, my dear Mary, look what my
father has given us," cried Frank, as
he came into the room, carrying a
basket, which was full and heavy.
"What is in it? " said Mary, eagerly
taking off the top of the basket. " Only
little bricks! " said she, disappointed.
" Do not you like little bricks? " said
Frank.
"I do; but from your great joy I
expected something else -- something
VOL. I. B
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? 2 FRANK.
new. You know we have had little
bricks ever since the month after I first
came here, and that is now above a
year ago. "
" But these are much better than
what we had before; look, these are of
wood, and they will not break; the
corners will not chip off as our plaster
of Paris bricks did; and these will not
whiten or dirty our clothes, or the
carpet, or the furniture; besides, we
can build a great deal better with these
than with our old bricks, because these
are heavier. "
" What heavy bricks ! " said Mary,
taking one in each hand; " of what
wood are they made ? "
Frank told her, as his father had told
him, that they were made of a wood
called lignum vitae ; he showed her,
that they were all exactly of the same
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? FRANK.
3
size; and he told her, that his father had
made some of them himself, to show the
carpenter how to finish them carefully :
they were all made in the proportion
of real bricks, so that the houses con-
structed with them might be built in the
same manner as real buildings of real
bricks.
"And now, Mary, what shall we
do first? I have thought of a great
many things. I should like to build
one of the London bridges, of which
we have a print; or Westminster
Abbey, or York or Lichfield Cathedral,
or a Roman triumphal arch, or the
ruins of Kenilworth Castle. "
"Kenilworth Castle, pray let us
begin with," said Mary, who had seen
tbe print of Kenilworth, at which every
body in the house had lately been
looking.
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? 4 FRANK.
" Mamma," said Frank, " will you
be so good as to lend us the print and
the plan of Kenilworth, which you have
in the great portfolio ? We will take a
great deal of care of them; and we can
build our castle in the bow-window,
where we shall be quite out of the
way, and how happy we shall be this
rainy morning, though we cannot go
out! "
His mother lent the print and the
plan to Frank, desiring him, at the
same time, to take care not to spoil
them. She said that he might consult
them as they lay upon the table, but
that he must not have them upon the
floor. ' 1 .
As soon as they looked at the
plan, Mary said it was too difficult,
and advised him to begin with some-
thing that would be easier to imitate
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? FRANK.
5
than these ruins. But he set toi work
on the plan of Kenirworth. He built
iup and he pulled down, and he mea-
sured and made mistakes, and he aet
. Mary to lay out one part while. hp
was busy at another ; but Mary did
stot succeed in her part, and she said
. she did not think Frank's tower looked
dike the tower in the print. Frank
proved, as well as rule, and compasses,
atid figures could prove it, that all that
he had done was quite right, and he
showed Mary where her's was wrong ;
however, as she found it too difficult,
and as she was tired of not succeed-
ing, he good-naturedly swept away his
tower, and said he would do any thing
else, which Mary might like better.
Mary was pleased by his good-nature,
and he helped her to build her favourite
transparent round tower, which is easily
b3
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? 6
FRANK.
constructed, merely by leaving the thick-
ness of one brick between each that is
laid on.
This tower was raised to a
height above that of any edifice which
these little architects had ever before
erected; and when it was accom-
plished, Frank's mother turned to look
at it, and admired it as much as could
be reasonably expected. Mary next
assisted Frank in building his triumphal
Roman arch, which he endeavoured to
form by making one brick project be-
yond another till they met over the
open space, so that the inside of the
curve or arch resembled a flight of
steps upside down; but, before it
could be finished, bricks were want-
ing, and no resource remained but
to pull down Mary's tower. To this,
with good-humour, she consented, and
supplied him with bricks from its ruins
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? FRANK.
7
so fast, that he said that she was now
an excellent strawman.
" My dear Frank," said Mary, " how
happy we always are now; we play to-
gether without the disputes we used to
have. Do you remember that melan-
choly month, when we were separated
every time we quarrelled? Oh that
was a miserable time ! "
"It was indeed," said Frank; "but
it was well for us, because it cured us
at last of disputing; and now, when
. ? 0u' feel a little impatient, you stop
yourself in time, Mary my dear. "
" Yes," said Mary; " and Frank,
my dear, whenever you are going to
be angry you stop yourself too. Now
you give up a little and I give up a
little. '*
. "'Hush ! my dear," said Frank, "for
I am just going to join together the two
sides of my arch, you see. "
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? 8 FRANK.
" Very well indeed," said Mary,
who had remained quite still atrd
silent until the last brick was placed.
" And now, Frank, you will acknow-
ledge, that I have done more for you
than you did for me this morning:
because, when you bid me hush, I
hushed; but when I was in my great
difficulties, trying to make out' that
plan of Kenilworth Castle, you went
on talking so fast to me, that I could
not mind what I was about, and that
was the cause of all -- no, I don't say
all, but of a great many of the mis-
takes that I made. "
" But why did not you ask me not
to speak," said Frank? "How could
I imagine that you did not like to
hear me talk when you did not tell
me so? "
" I was afraid you would be angry
if I said, hush," replied Mary.
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? FRANK.
9
" Bat that was foolish of you ; I am
sure I am never angry now, am I ? "
said Frank.
" Not often," replied Mary; " but I
cannot say that you are never angry,
my dear Frank. "
" When was I angry last ? I do not
remember," said Frank.
* I do," said Mary; " but I do not
like to put you in mind of it. "
" I recollect, Mary, the last time
when you were angry, and that was
yesterday," said Frank.
" Oh no, I was not angry, I was only
a little, a very little impatient," said
Mary.
" Well, but if I allow that for you,
Mary," said Frank, " you must allow
the same for me. You must not say
that I was angry. "
" Perhaps I should not say angry
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? 10
FRANK.
quite, but very near being angry,'' re-
plied Mary.
" That is quite a different affair,"
said Frank; "no matter how near I
am; if I command myself I have the
greater merit. "
" May be so," said Mary; " but I
do not know what good, or merit, as
you call it, there is in being very nearly
angry. Now let us ask mamma. "
" Mamma, which do you think is
most apt to be angry 1" cried . they both
together, going before the table at which
she was writing; their eyes sparkling
and their cheeks crimson.
" My dear children," said Frank's
mother, " I have heard the word angry
too often within these last five minutes.
Compare yourselves with what you
have been, and observe as much as you
please whether you improve, or not;
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? FRANK.
11
that will be better than disputing about
which is the most or the least apt to be
impatient -- a point which neither of
you can decide, because you cannot see
into each other's minds ; but you may
both observe what passes in your own. "
" Yes, and I can govern my own
too," said Frank, proudly.
"And so can I," said Mary. "Well,
what shall we do next, Frank 1"
Frank proposed building, with what
remained of the bricks of Mary's tower,
a flight of winding stairs, like one of
which they had a print. At this they
worked very happily ; but, before they
had finished it, a carriage drove to the
door.
" Who is it ? " said Frank and Mary,
looking out of the window.
. It was a lady whom they had
never before seen, who had but lately
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? 12
FRANK.
come to live in the vneighbourhood.
Upon the barouche seat of the car-
riage, by the side of the coachman,
there sat a little boy, who looked rather
taller and older than Frank. This boy
did not get down, though it rained. He
sat still, kicking his heels against the
foot-board, and playing with the coach-
man's whip, while the coachman held
an umbrella over his head.
After the lady had been a little while
in the room, Frank, watching for a time
when neither she nor his mother were talk-
ing, went to his motherland whispered,
" There is a little boy sitting on the
barouche seat of that carriage : it is rain-
ing very hard, mamma, shall I go and
ask him to come in? "
The lady heard what Frank whispered,
and she thanked him; but said her
son was so shy, that she often could not
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? FRANK.
13
prevail upon him to come into a room
where he expected to see strangers.
*. And besides," said she, " Tom is so
fond of being with the coachman and
the horses, and of having a whip in his
hand, making believe to drive, that I as-
sure you he would rather sit there in
the rain, from morning till night, than
do any thing else in the world; and,
as these are his holidays, I let him have
his own way, and do just what he
pleases. You know boys, ma'am, are
kept strictly enough at school with their
lessons and their masters. "
Soon afterwards the boy touched the
horses with the coachman's whip, which
made one of them start and rear; upon
wh,ich the lady, alarmed, ran to the win-
dow, beckoned to her son, and desired
him to get down, and come in immedi-
ately. Very unwillingly he obeyed.
vol. i. c
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? 14
FRANK.
He came into the room, looking asha-
med or sulky, and setting his back
against one side of the chimney-piece,
he scarcely answered any thing that
was said to him.
However, when something to eat was
brought into the room, he recovered
a little. Frank's mother desired him to
help the stranger to whatever he liked;
and Frank did so, without giving
him the trouble to say more than yes
or no. After they had finished eating,
the boy let Frank lead him away
to the bow-window, where Mary and
he had been playing; and Frank,
pointing to his little bricks, asked if he
had any such as those 1
" Not I," answered Tom ; " at school
we have other fish to fry. "
" Fish to fry ! " thought Mary, "what
can that mean ? "
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? FRANK.
15
" But in the holidays," said Frank,
" should not you like such bricks ? "
"Not I," said Tom, "they're baby
bricks, fit for girl's play. "
Frank, colouring a little, said, his
father thought they were very useful,
and he began to explain the uses that
could be made of them. But the boy,
knotting a whip which he held in his
hand, said he knew nothing of such
things, and he did not like them.
11 Perhaps you like prints," said
Mary, " here are some very pretty
prints in this port-folio; will you look
at them ? "
"No," Tom said, he thought prints
were great bores.
"Great bores! " repeated Mary.
" Yes, especially in the holidays,"
said Tom, " horrid bores. "
" What can he mean by horrid
bores," said Mary to Frank.
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? 16
FRANK.
" Hush ! my dear," said Frank.
" Not know what a bore means;
why what quizzes you would be thought
at school! "
Mary, ashamed to ask what was
meant by quizzes, of to confess that
she did not know, was silent for some
moments, but then said, " I shall never
go to school, I believe, but Frank will,
some time or other. "
" Do you like going to school ? "
said Frank to the boy.
" No," said Tom, " who does ? ':
"Why don't you like it? " said
Frank.
" I don't know," said Tom, turning
half away; "because I don't. "
Another silence: but Mary, who
was curious to hear more, asked Tom
how old he was when he first went to
school ?
" About nine years old," said Tom.
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? PRANK. 17
" And how old are you now? "
" I shall be eleven next October,"
said Tom.
" And Frank will be ten next July;"
said Mary, " and I suppose he will go
to school then. "
" Then let him take care he gets the
Latin grammar well first, or he'll get
finely flogged. "
Mary and Frank looked at each
other. Frank looked very serious, and
Mary rather dismal.
" How glad you must be when you
come home at the holidays! " said
Frank.
" Only I have no horse yet," said
Tom.
"Have you books at your home? "
said Frank.
"No," replied Tom, looking very
grave in his turn.
c3
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