y
recitation, and as many hours or days as the visitor chooses to devote
to it. I was first conducted to a recitation in arithmetic. The room
contained accommodations for fifty pupils, and the seats were filled
by girls about thirteen or fourteen years of age. Wooden desks and
seats (the outer row for three pupils each, the central for four
each), a slightly raised platform for the teacher, with a plain desk
and two chairs, several cases of butterflies and beetles, on the walls
a map or two, a small blackboard behind the teacher's desk, in
grooves, so that it may be elevated or lowered at pleasure, make up
the furniture of the room. The light, as in every room I visited, was
from one side, to the left of the pupils. The teacher--a man with gray
hair and beard, but young enough as to vivacity and enthusiasm, and a
gentleman in manners--bowed me to the chair he offered, and with a
wave of the hand bade the children, who had risen on our entrance, be
seated. The lesson was wholly oral and mental. Addition, subtraction,
and multiplication were carried on by means of numbers, given out with
so much vivacity and judgment that every eye was fastened on the
teacher and every mind alert. Most of the right hands were raised for
answer to every question, with the index finger extended; and the
pupil selected was chosen now here, now there, to give it audibly.
Rank was observed from left to right, the lower changing places with
the higher whenever a failure above and a correct answer below paved
the way. Large numbers were often used; for example, adding or
subtracting by sixties, and multiplying far beyond twelve times
twelve,--all apparently with equal facility. The second half of the
hour was devoted to a visit to a class of younger girls. Another
arithmetic class, taught by a younger gentleman; the pupils were in
the eighth class, or second year at school,--age about seven. The room
accommodated the same number, and was lighted and furnished in a
similar way. Here figures were written on the blackboard by the
teacher. The early part of the lesson had evidently been in addition;
now it was subtraction, which was carefully explained by the pupils,
and the hour closed by a few mental exercises in concert. In the ten
minutes' recess which followed, I again chatted with the teachers in
their private room. Thirty teachers are employed to teach these eight
hundred girls,--twenty gentlemen and ten ladies. I said that in
America the lad