A Word from a School in the Snow by Mary F. Rice

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 7, 1907

A Word from a School in the Snow

By Mary F. Rice

WE may have plenty of snow, but pupils will come. A mile up-hill in all kinds of Green Mountain weather, through drifts and over unbroken roads, is a good test of a child’s desire to learn.

In our Bible class the study of Acts has been helpful, while the youngest ones have been interested in their Bible nature lessons. What child could not learn much from nature in the mountains and valleys, the miles of fields and woods surrounding us? Some spare moments are spent cutting out stars and fishes, also pictures of flowers, vegetables, and fruits from catalogues, to illustrate the story of creation, in their occupation books.

The pupils look forward with interest to their manual-training classes. There are three classes,—on Monday and Wednesday, raffia for the older girls, and chair caning for the older boys; on Tuesday and Thursday, sewing for the younger ones. Those who can now work by themselves, and are sure of their lessons, have the privilege of caning chairs every manual-training period, and will cane all the chairs they can find in the villages. Little financial return has yet been realized, but we hope the work will help some earn their tuition.

It would be interesting to watch the children’s sewing class, each one intent on getting the model “just right.” Having the sewing models before them, was a strong incentive to learn well the first lessons in correct position, and proper use of thimble, needle, and thread, which they practised on pieces of gingham. Three rows of each of the different kinds of stitches used in plain sewing are made with a worsted needle and red yarn, on Java canvass, the squares enabling them to get the stitches even. This is the first model.

At first it seemed impossible to have the manual training in a church-school where there are so many classes, but the time is by no means wasted. The interest aroused calls forth greater effort in other lessons. The training is invaluable, and the good, healthy atmosphere brought in well rewards the teacher for the effort. There would be indeed something missing if this were dropped out of our school. MARY F. RICE.