Letter to Mary Gunn and Susan Gunn

Scope and content:

Written from Lexington, Virginia. Letter includes a detailed description of teaching at the local school, including a discussion of the curriculum and his discipline methods.

Language:

English

Other descriptive data:

Lexington, Va
March 15th, 1850

Dear Mary and Susan,
Your letter has been on hand over a week but if you do not get time to write when you go to school. What do you think of a poor fellow who has the charge of a school and you want to know what I am doing? Well not much of any thing. In the morning I go to the school house about eight o'clock at half past I commence school. Then comes hearing lessons that they have had to learn over night. This is the first thing and it generally takes me about an hour and a half for I have all the lessons learned out of school. After I get through with this I hear them all read then I have a class in Arithmetic after that I spell and then it is noon. In the afternoon I hear them read all round. Then I have a class in passing then a class in arithmetic and spell and get through about five. Though in the time I have two recesses of half an hour and a noon spell of an hour and a half. The history of one day is the history of every day for it is always necessary to have the work go on as regular as clock work and that makes the children regular. Mary if you go to teaching school begin right at first make them know that you are the master. If any thing comes up that you don't know never let the scholars see that you are at a loss. Give your opinion freely and if they show you a book different declare that you are right and the book wrong. If I was you I would never whip unless absolutely necessary, make them set on the floor it hurts a great deal worse than whipping if they refuse to some do not tell them half a dozen times but take them by the hair and drop them one or two [?] in this way will be a lesson, that the whole school will remember. Never threaten without performing. Always be regular. Follow these rules so far as you go and they will reach and you need have no fear of succeeding. Explain your lessons as much as you can, for you can learn as much in one day by talking it to the as they will learn in a week from the book. Get ambition in your school by some means. I have not a scholar in school but if they get down in the class they will cry and I have some grown. Always make it a practice to review once a week all they have learned that week and once a month for the month. Susan what do you intend to do this summer? You said nothing about your prospects. I have been almost sorry that I came home last summer, if I had not I would come this and go to school to Uncle Fred. I would like to study surveying and some other things. You should have wrapped your flower seeds in something if they were in the letter when I got it for I lost them out in the dirt as I opened it as I walked along. I hope by this time Aunt Amarilis and Don will be well. Since I wrote to father two have died right close to my schoolhouse and three more have been taken sick. I am up watching almost every night for everybody round here are afraid of the fever. In some of the houses there is no once goes in through the week but the Dr. and me. How is Louis now. You must both of you write to me so soon as you can and let me know what is going on for I have no correspondent in Washington except at home. How many scholars have Uncle Fred. Send me some more seeds if you can find any but wrap them up better. Give my love to all inquiring friends. Tell Father that I received two newspapers from him this week for which he has my thanks. Has Oliver got around there yet? Write soon. Be good girls and don't forget
Giles

[Hand-written upside down at the top of this page]
Do not read Sam's letter but see how he likes it and tell me the next time you write

Subjects:

Lexington (Va.)—History
Correspondence

Places:

Lexington (Va.) -- Schools -- 19th century

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