the younger scholars were in the
habit, during recesses and after school, of ringing the door bell and
then running away to amuse themselves with the perplexity of their
companions, who should go to the door and find no one there. I explained
in a few words, one day, to the school, that this was wrong.

"How many," I then asked, "have ever been put to the trouble to go to
the door, when the bell has thus been rung? They may rise."

A very large number of scholars stood up. Those who had done the
mischief were evidently surprised at the extent of the trouble they had
occasioned.

"Now," I continued, "I think all will be convinced that the trouble
which this practice has occasioned to the fifty or sixty young ladies,
who cannot be expected to find amusement in such a way, is far greater
than the pleasure it can have given to the few who are young enough to
have enjoyed it. Therefore it was wrong. Do you think the girls who rang
the bell might have known this, by proper reflection?"

"Yes sir," the school generally answered.

"I do not mean," said I, "if they had set themselves formally at work to
think about the subject; but with such a degree of reflection as ought
reasonably to be expected of little girls, in the hilarity of recess and
of play.

"Yes sir," was still the reply, but fainter than before.

"There is one way by which I might ascertain whether you were old enough
to know that this was wrong, and that is by asking those who have
refrained from doing this, because they supposed it would be wrong, to
rise. Then if some of the youngest scholars in school should stand up,
as I have no doubt they would, it would prove that all might have known,
if they had been equally conscientious. But if I ask those to rise who
have _not_ rung the bell, I shall make known to the whole school who
they are that have done it, and I wish that the exposure of faults
should be private, unless it is _necessary_ that it should be public. I
will therefore not do it. I have myself however, no doubt that all might
have known that it was wrong."

"There is," continued I, "another injury which must grow out of such a
practice. This I should not have expected the little girls could think
of. In fact, I doubt whether any in school will think of it. Can any
one tell what it is?"

No one replied.

"I should suppose that it would lead you to disregard the bell when it
rings, and that consequently a gentleman or lady might sometimes r