njoyment, or subjecting her to
any disgrace, or giving her pain in any way in consequence of her
faults, except the simple pain of awakening conscience in her bosom, is
almost entirely unknown. I hope that you will always be ready to confess
and forsake your faults, and endeavor, while you remain in school, to
improve in character, and attain, as far as possible, every moral
excellence.

I ought to remark, before dismissing this topic, that I place very great
confidence in the scholars in regard to their moral conduct and
deportment, and they fully deserve it. I have no care and no trouble in
what is commonly called _the government of the school._ Neither myself
nor any one else is employed in any way in watching the scholars, or
keeping any sort of account of them. I should not at any time hesitate
to call all the teachers into an adjoining room, leaving the school
alone for half an hour, and I should be confident that, at such a time,
order, and stillness, and attention to study would prevail as much as
ever. The scholars would not look to see whether I was in my desk, but
whether the Study Card was up. The school was left in this way, half an
hour every day, during a quarter, that we might have a teachers'
meeting, and the studies went on generally quite as well, to say the
least, as when the teachers were present. One or two instances of
irregular conduct occurred. I do not now recollect precisely what they
were. They were, however, fully acknowledged and not repeated, and I
believe the scholars were generally more scrupulous and faithful then
than at other times. They would not betray the confidence reposed in
them. This plan was continued until it was found more convenient to have
the teachers' meetings in the afternoons.

When any thing wrong is done in school, I generally state the case, and
request the individuals who have done it to let me know who they are.
They inform me sometimes by notes and sometimes in conversation; but
they always inform me. The plan _always_ succeeds. The scholars all know
that there is nothing to be feared from confessing faults to me; but
that, on the other hand, it is a most direct and certain way to secure
returning peace and happiness.

I can illustrate this by describing a case which actually occurred,
though the description is not to be considered so much an accurate
account of what took place in a particular instance as an illustration
of the _general spirit and manner_ in w