BRIDGE-STREET SCHOOL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 157, 1 July 1878, Page 2

BRIDGE-STREET SCHOOL.

The precocity of colonial youth is notorious everywhere, but Nel3on must be credited with the latest and fnllest development of this very objectionable characteristic. The proof of this is given in a letter which we print below addressed by the boys attending 1 Bridge-street school to Mr W. Trice, their | master, who, as is well known, recently re- I ceived notice from the Local Committee that his services were to be dispensed with. Of course it is all very proper for pupils to present a master, with whom they are about to part, with a testimonial if they think lie is deserving of it, or are deairou< that he should possess some little article that in future years might remind him of those whose education had been entrusted to him, but most people will, we believe, fully agree with us that in the present instance the testimonialists have been guilty of a piece of gross impertinence in takiug upon themselves to criticise the action of the Local Committee, and, by implication, complaining that they had not been consulted in the matter of the dismissal of their master. Mr Price in his reply expresses a doubt that the ietter was a genuine production of the boy3, and this deprives bim of some of the pleasure he would otherwise have derived from its receipt. ( T"o us, however, the sole redeeming point in this extraordinary address is the extretne unlikelihood ot the boys having had anything to do with it beyond 1 copying some older, but not very judicious, person's hand writing and attaching their signatures thereto. The following is a copy of this precious document: — " Dear Sir. — We believe wo are to be deprived of you as our ttacher j before parting we, the undersigned, desire to convey to you our hearty ttiuntfs fbr Hie Kind interest you have manifested in our progress in learning. We hope the lessons of (ruth and justice you have tried to instil into our minds durinsr the two years we hive been your scholars" will not be lost upon us in the future ; but that both morally and intellectually we may advance ouward, and upward. Your aim has been to teach us thoroughly every branch of knowledge in connection with our classes, and we exceedingly regret that just at this' crisis of our school lifey the governing powers " Wills it' for" reasonsheft fcnottn tr> themselves, and unknown to us, that we are to be withdrawn from your excellent teaching to be tossed about we know not wliither. We be* of you to accept this small present, trusting you will receive It as expression of our warm esteem and regard towards you— .We are, &c." To the foregoing Mr Price made reply. We know nothing of which has taken place between the Committee and Air Price, but we are at a loss to understand how such action as they may consider it necessary to take in the management of the schools entrusted to their charge can be characterised as " unjustifiable interference " This, however, is the manner in which Mr Price speaks to the boys of the conduct of the atithoi kits. His reply was to the following eiFi'ct:— " My dear boys, thi3 act of yours is one of great surprise to me. I never imagined that you would be moved to do anything of the kind. I will not pretend to say but that it is very gratify iug to me, the more so, possibly, because so altogether unexpected. The address I shall prize far more than the bandsome present that accompanies it. Was T fully satisfied that the address was wholly of your own inspiration and dictation my satisfaction would be very great indeed, as its sentiment and its spii it is so fully in agreement with all I have endeavored to impress upon you. You say most truly that I have endeavored to teach you thoroughly, and I am satisfied that as far as we iiave gone together the teaching has been success ful to a good extent, and you know we should have gone much farther if we had not been unjustifiably interfered with, but even as it is, I know and you know that in all the subjects we have studied you are the best educated boys in Nelson. I don't say that by the way of foolish boasting, but as a fact known to us if others refuse to be convinced of it. And nothing would afford me so much pleasure to-day as to be allowed to place you iu competition with the best boys of all the schools in Nelson. Although" all our elder boys left for business during the last half year, yet you, as you are to day, would be more than a match tor them, "uud in geography and grammar would bo preatly iu advance of any and all of them. Now let me impress upon you once more what you know 1 set higher value upon thau even the making of progress in your stu-Jies : the cultivating the habitsof truthfuluess, honesty, and generosity. I need not tell you now what I mean by truthfuluess. You know there are lies besides those of word. There are lying acts— as much to be despised as lying words. Never hide a fault or a wrong by a lie. We all do wrong sometimes. It is easy to forgive a wrong, but a fault covered by a lie is mean and cowardly, better take punishment a huudred times over " than tell a lie to hide a fault." As 1 have often sought to impress upon you I would say again— Every path to distinction and honor is wide open before you in these colonies, and if you are diligent, honest, and truthful in all your conduct you must succeed. It will be a great satisfaction to me to hear of your progress.