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Article THE GIRLS' SCHOOL. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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The Girls' School.
There was one , part of the proceedings to which we most decidedly object , and we call attention to it with the less hesitation because we are aware tl ^ e Brighton Brethren are not responsible for it—and we cannot , therefore , be accused of " looking a gift horse in the mouth " —we allude to the introduction of the children into a crowded and overheated room , to sing , at the conclusion of the dinner of the brethren and their friends ; keeping them standing , after the fatigues of the day , during the delivery of some inordinately long speeches , the greater part of which could not be heard—at least in that portion of
the room where we were sitting . There is an old proverb that " enough is as good as a feast ¦ ; " and we have , no doubt that the brethren and their ladies who were present would have been perfectly as well pleased with merely hearing the children raise their infant voices in praise after their own dinner , and the concluding " good night , as they were by the more lengthened and , to the children , tiring performance . Indeed , we consider this portion of the day ' s amusement naturally detracts from the children ' s enjoyment ; and could Bro . Crew disabuse himself of the idea that the whole of the pupils are
juvenile Grisis , Piccolominis , or Bosios , whom it is his mission to introduce to the public on every possible occasion , these f etes would be productive of more real pleasure to the children , and become something more than they now are—merely " sliow ' days . WeknoAV that Bro . Crew is devoted to the interests of the school—that he regards the children almost as members of his own family—but he has an amiable weakness in believing that the best way of promoting these interests is
exhibiting the proficiency ot the children in music , which , from the necessity it entails of keeping them " tidy , " that they may be presented to their patrons with due decorum , destroys all chance of their enjoying themselves , w hen out for a holiday , like other children . In the course of his speech , acknowledging the toast of " Prosperity to the Freemasons' Girls' School , " Bro . Crew assured the company that they saw the children then as they ordinarily appeared—and they would see them exactly the same if they were to call at the schoolhouse on any day , or at any hour . We have no doubt that Bro .
Crew spoke sincerely , but we should be sorry to believe that the children always appeared as they did on Thursday . Indeed , we have too much confidence in the common sense of Miss Jarwood , the matron , and of Miss Souter , the governess , to believe that they would endeavour to keep them under continual rule , or wish to do so ; for were they to attempt it , they would be educating their charges so as to make them premature old women , rather than the merry little
fays we would wish to see them . No ! Mrs . Oordy Burrows , and the other ladies who assisted her in the distribution , showed that they better understood the natural disposition of children when they presented each with some befitting toy , as a memento of the visit ; and the battledores , shuttlecocks , balls , and skipping ropes , will lie of comparatively little use if a dirty hand , dishevelled curls , a bonnet awry , or a soiled pinafore , are iiGvt- > r to he seen at Battersea IaHsc .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Girls' School.
There was one , part of the proceedings to which we most decidedly object , and we call attention to it with the less hesitation because we are aware tl ^ e Brighton Brethren are not responsible for it—and we cannot , therefore , be accused of " looking a gift horse in the mouth " —we allude to the introduction of the children into a crowded and overheated room , to sing , at the conclusion of the dinner of the brethren and their friends ; keeping them standing , after the fatigues of the day , during the delivery of some inordinately long speeches , the greater part of which could not be heard—at least in that portion of
the room where we were sitting . There is an old proverb that " enough is as good as a feast ¦ ; " and we have , no doubt that the brethren and their ladies who were present would have been perfectly as well pleased with merely hearing the children raise their infant voices in praise after their own dinner , and the concluding " good night , as they were by the more lengthened and , to the children , tiring performance . Indeed , we consider this portion of the day ' s amusement naturally detracts from the children ' s enjoyment ; and could Bro . Crew disabuse himself of the idea that the whole of the pupils are
juvenile Grisis , Piccolominis , or Bosios , whom it is his mission to introduce to the public on every possible occasion , these f etes would be productive of more real pleasure to the children , and become something more than they now are—merely " sliow ' days . WeknoAV that Bro . Crew is devoted to the interests of the school—that he regards the children almost as members of his own family—but he has an amiable weakness in believing that the best way of promoting these interests is
exhibiting the proficiency ot the children in music , which , from the necessity it entails of keeping them " tidy , " that they may be presented to their patrons with due decorum , destroys all chance of their enjoying themselves , w hen out for a holiday , like other children . In the course of his speech , acknowledging the toast of " Prosperity to the Freemasons' Girls' School , " Bro . Crew assured the company that they saw the children then as they ordinarily appeared—and they would see them exactly the same if they were to call at the schoolhouse on any day , or at any hour . We have no doubt that Bro .
Crew spoke sincerely , but we should be sorry to believe that the children always appeared as they did on Thursday . Indeed , we have too much confidence in the common sense of Miss Jarwood , the matron , and of Miss Souter , the governess , to believe that they would endeavour to keep them under continual rule , or wish to do so ; for were they to attempt it , they would be educating their charges so as to make them premature old women , rather than the merry little
fays we would wish to see them . No ! Mrs . Oordy Burrows , and the other ladies who assisted her in the distribution , showed that they better understood the natural disposition of children when they presented each with some befitting toy , as a memento of the visit ; and the battledores , shuttlecocks , balls , and skipping ropes , will lie of comparatively little use if a dirty hand , dishevelled curls , a bonnet awry , or a soiled pinafore , are iiGvt- > r to he seen at Battersea IaHsc .