00_1852-07-22 Diary of Martha Call 2021.061.001

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Tuesday Jan 11. [1882]

This has been a tiresome day with me, and tonight a careless remark has put a cloud upon my feelings, which I cannot mention even in my book. No matter! Perhaps it is better that every hope, every wish even, not connected with school keeping should be taken out of the poor little school maim's heart. Let one only learning to do my duty well, and I am sure my life will be a happy one. It's almost eleven and Mary is already in bed.

Thursday, Jan. 14. [1882]

Yesterday as our New Year's Present to Father Harty, Mary and I had our pictures taken.

I was rather a serious offeration, getting ready for of course we all wanted to look our very best but we finally succeeded in getting down to Burnham's rooms, sat three times, and the last picture has just been brought home. It is pronounced perfect, and Father and another are highly gratified with it. If one of us should be taken away, this which is now considered a great treasure, would become invaluable, and at any rate, we can never forget how we looked at the ages of twenty-eight, twenty-six, and twenty-one.

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Wednesday, Jan. 20. [1882]

This is my leisure afternoon, and I of course greatly enjoy it. I entered this forenoon's school in my book of accounts as pleasant - yet I was thankful when I got through with it. Some of my scholars are making good progress - recite very good lessions, read very well, and even give the definitions to quite long words in the most approved style. Some of the lower classes too are doing very well. This is quite encouraging yet I do hope that I shall not be obliged to spend another term in this school or in any other of the same class. This truth is I feel as if I am not in any right place, and Mr Neale in his lecture on Enthusiasm said that for any one to have a proper degree of enthusiasm, or to have really good success in anything it must be that thing for which they are suited. Whether I should find myself more contented in a higher school or not I do not know, but I hope to have an opportunity to find out. And sometimes a little discouraged about Mr Ode but suppose he will write when he has anything to offer me. If I do not hear from him I think before the close of the term I shall venture to write again, so that I may know whether to resign my present

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past or not - We have this week had two very excellent lectures from Dr Cheever of New-York on a "Course of Reading" - I think that I ought to write a sketch of them, but I am already encroaching on my time for practising -

He spoke very much of reading by subjects, and of reading with the pen in your hand -

My reading alas! is too much like picking up drift-wood, I shall never have anything better than a smoky slab fire -

When shall I reform?

Friday, Jan. 21. This forenoon father and Hennie Brown paid me a visit at my school-room - Father thinks that the school is doing very well, that the lessons are good and the order much better than it was a short time ago - That is really encouraging - a word of praise does me a world of good, particularly when it comes from my dear father - This afternoon things did not go on so well - there were sundry offenders against good order, some of whom I kept until after the others had gone, and made them a most touching appeal - The effect must have been shockingly great, judging by the manner in which one after another slamed the door to, after them as they left

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the room - "Did'nt I slam that door well?" I heard Willie Chamberlain boastingly remark to a fellowsinner - Another thing which is very pleasing to all of us girls, is, that father and mother are talking seriously of as soon as our lease for this year is out, which will be early next fall I believe, giving up boarders entirely, taking a little house somewhere, and living in by ourselves.

O how happy it would make us all!!!! not to have a stranger in our house - to have to consult no one in our arrangements, and to have no one have a right to find fault let us do what we would - We have been remarkably fortunate in keeping boarders, have had always the very pleasanter kind of people - yet it has been no pleasure, and no profit - We have had some stay with us for years, until they became almost like own folks, and then when we loved them as dearly found that their attachment to us was not sufficient to prevent their changing their boarding place, when it was slightly more convenient for them to be else-where - We have no private room except our sleeping-rooms, which with the exception of another's are the poorest in the house - we are never free from interruptions, must watch an opportunity even for family-prayers when we can be quiet, and are not always sure of

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of that - our friends are almost afraid to visit us on account of meeting so many strangers &c &c - I would not reherse all these things if it were not for the thought that before many months we shall be free from them all, "A little house all to ourselves." One that has never kept boarders cannot tell half that is contained in that little sentence - To me it is the very embodiment of delight -

Saturday, Jan 22. Have commenced today trying a little experiment with one of my scholars which I hope will prove successful - Among my scholars is a little Irish boy, seven or eight years of age - named George Colman - George's father works in the foundry, but he has a large family of children and probably finds it as much as he can do to feed and house them, without paying much attention to their clothing - The consequence is that George's jacket has become one mass of dirty rags, which will just hang on to his poor little body, and it has been an eye sore to me for many weeks - George in other respects besides his jacket is not a model boy - He is much given to making a disturbance in school, often comes late, and sometimes runs away altogether - His wretched looks have prevented my punishing