Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
An English lesson at Dotheboys
He could not observe how silent and sad the boys all seemed to be. There was none of the noise and clamour of a schoolroom; none of its rough play, or hearty sincere happiness. The children sat crouching and bent and shaking with cold together, and seemed to lackthe spirit to move about… After some half-hour’s delay, Mr Squeers reappeared, and the boys took their places and their books, of which latter a reference to the books the average might be about one to eight learners. A few minutes having passed, during which Mr Squeers looked very profound, as if he had a perfact apprehension of what was inside all the books, and could say every word o their contents by heart if he only chose to take the trouble , that gentleman called up the first class. Obedient to this summons there ranged themselves in front of schoolmaster’s desk, half-a-dozen figures made by farmers to frighten birds, with holes in their clothes at knees and elbows, one of whom placed a torn and very dirty book beneath his learned eye. ‘This is the first class in English spelling and philosophy, Nickleby,’ said Squeers,indicating to Nicholas to stand beside him.
‘we’ll get up a latin one, and hand that over to you . Now,then, where’s the first boy?’
‘Please,sir,he’s cleaning the back-parlour window,’ said the temporary head of the philosophical class.
‘So he is, to be sure,’ rejoined Squeers. ‘We go upon the practical mode of teaching, Nickleby; the regular education system. C-l-e-a-n, clean, verb active, to make bright, to clean vigorously. W-i-n, win d-e-r, Squeerss' misspelling of window, a casement. When the boy knows this out of book, he goes and does it. It’s just the same principle as the use of the globes. Where’s the second boy?!
‘Please, sir, he’s pulling out the unwanted plants the garden,’ replied a small voice.
‘To be sure,’ said Squeers, by no means disconcerted. ‘So he is.B-o-t, bot, t-i-n, bottin, n-e-y, ney, Squeerss' misspelling of botany,noun substantive,a knowledge of plants. When he has leaned that bottinney means a knowledge of plants,he goes and knows’em. That’s our system, Nickleby: what do you think of it?’
‘It’s very useful one, at any rate,’ answered Nicholas. ‘I believe you,’ rejoined Squeers, not remaking the emphasis of his assistant. ‘Third boy , what’s horse?’ ‘A beast, sir,’ replied the boy.
‘So it is,’ said Squeers. ‘Ain’t it, Nickleby?’
‘I believe there is no doubt of that, sir, answered Nicholas.
‘Of course there isn’t’ said Squeers. ‘A horse is a quadruped, and quadruped’s Latin for beast, as everybody that’s gone through the grammar knows, or else Where’s the use of having grammars at all?’
‘Where, indeed!’ said Nicholas vaguely.’As you’re perfact in that ,’ resumed Squeers, turning to the boy,’ ‘go and look after MY horse, and rub him down well, or I’ll rub you down. The rest of the class go and draw water pull water up from a hole in the ground, till somebody tells you to leave stop for it’s washing-day tomorrow, and they want the large pans filled.’
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
An English lesson at Dotheboys
He could not observe how silent and sad the boys all seemed to be. There was none of the noise and clamour of a schoolroom; none of its rough play, or hearty sincere happiness. The children sat crouching and bent and shaking with cold together, and seemed to lackthe spirit to move about… After some half-hour’s delay, Mr Squeers reappeared, and the boys took their places and their books, of which latter a reference to the books the average might be about one to eight learners. A few minutes having passed, during which Mr Squeers looked very profound, as if he had a perfact apprehension of what was inside all the books, and could say every word o their contents by heart if he only chose to take the trouble , that gentleman called up the first class. Obedient to this summons there ranged themselves in front of schoolmaster’s desk, half-a-dozen figures made by farmers to frighten birds, with holes in their clothes at knees and elbows, one of whom placed a torn and very dirty book beneath his learned eye. ‘This is the first class in English spelling and philosophy, Nickleby,’ said Squeers,indicating to Nicholas to stand beside him.
‘we’ll get up a latin one, and hand that over to you . Now,then, where’s the first boy?’
‘Please,sir,he’s cleaning the back-parlour window,’ said the temporary head of the philosophical class.
‘So he is, to be sure,’ rejoined Squeers. ‘We go upon the practical mode of teaching, Nickleby; the regular education system. C-l-e-a-n, clean, verb active, to make bright, to clean vigorously. W-i-n, win d-e-r, Squeerss' misspelling of window, a casement. When the boy knows this out of book, he goes and does it. It’s just the same principle as the use of the globes. Where’s the second boy?!
‘Please, sir, he’s pulling out the unwanted plants the garden,’ replied a small voice.
‘To be sure,’ said Squeers, by no means disconcerted. ‘So he is.B-o-t, bot, t-i-n, bottin, n-e-y, ney, Squeerss' misspelling of botany,noun substantive,a knowledge of plants. When he has leaned that bottinney means a knowledge of plants,he goes and knows’em. That’s our system, Nickleby: what do you think of it?’
‘It’s very useful one, at any rate,’ answered Nicholas. ‘I believe you,’ rejoined Squeers, not remaking the emphasis of his assistant. ‘Third boy , what’s horse?’ ‘A beast, sir,’ replied the boy.
‘So it is,’ said Squeers. ‘Ain’t it, Nickleby?’
‘I believe there is no doubt of that, sir, answered Nicholas.
‘Of course there isn’t’ said Squeers. ‘A horse is a quadruped, and quadruped’s Latin for beast, as everybody that’s gone through the grammar knows, or else Where’s the use of having grammars at all?’
‘Where, indeed!’ said Nicholas vaguely.’As you’re perfact in that ,’ resumed Squeers, turning to the boy,’ ‘go and look after MY horse, and rub him down well, or I’ll rub you down. The rest of the class go and draw water pull water up from a hole in the ground, till somebody tells you to leave stop for it’s washing-day tomorrow, and they want the large pans filled.’
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