e._ When the school was first established, there
was no absolute prohibition of whispering. Each scholar was allowed to
whisper in relation to her studies. They were often, very often,
enjoined to be conscientious and faithful, but as might have been
anticipated, the experiment failed. It was almost universally the
practice to whisper more or less about subjects entirely foreign to the
business of the school. This they all repeatedly acknowledged; and the
scholars almost unanimously admitted, that the good of the school
required the prohibition of all communication during certain hours. I
gave them their choice, either always to ask permission when they wished
to speak, or to have a certain time allowed for the purpose, during
which free inter-communication might be allowed to all the school;--with
the understanding, however, that out of this time, no permission should
ever be asked or granted. They very wisely chose the latter plan, and
the study card was constructed and put up to mark the times of free
communication, and of silent study. The card was at first down every
half hour for one or two minutes. The scholars afterwards thinking, that
their intellectual habits would be improved and the welfare of the
school promoted, by their having a longer time for uninterrupted study,
of their own accord, without any influence from me, proposed that the
card should be down only once an hour. This plan was adopted by them, by
vote. I wish it to be understood that it was not _my_ plan, but
_theirs_, and that I am at any time willing to have the study card down
once in half an hour, whenever a majority of the scholars, voting by
ballot, desire it.

You will find that this system of having a distinct time for whispering,
when all may whisper freely, all communication being entirely excluded
at other times, will at first give you some trouble. It will be hard for
you, if you are not accustomed to it, to learn conscientiously and
faithfully to comply. Besides, at first you will often need some little
information, or an article which you might obtain in a moment, but which
you cannot innocently ask for till the card is down, and this might keep
you waiting an hour. You will, however, after a few such instances, soon
learn to make your preparations before hand, and if you are a girl of
enlarged views and elevated feelings, you will good humoredly acquiesce
in suffering a little inconvenience yourself, for the sake of helping to
pres