they see that you look on it as an awful and glorious being, the
child of God, the co-heir of Christ, they learn gradually to look
on it in the same light. They become afraid and ashamed (and it
is a noble fear and shame) to do and say before it what they used
to do and say; afraid to ill-use it. It becomes to them a
mysterious visitor (sad that it should be so, but true as sad)
from a higher and purer sphere, who must be treated with something
of courtesy and respect, who must even be asked to teach them
something of its new knowledge; and the school, and the ladies'
interest in the school, become to the degraded parents a living
sign that those children's angels do indeed behold the face of
their Father which is in heaven.

Now, there is one thing in school-work which I wish to press on
you; and that is, that you should not confine your work to the
girls; but bestow it as freely on those who need it more, and who
(paradoxical as it may seem) will respond to it more deeply and
freely--THE BOYS. I am not going to enter into the reasons WHY.
I only entreat you to believe me, that by helping to educate the
boys, or even (when old enough), by taking a class (as I have seen
done with admirable effect) of grown-up lads, you may influence
for ever not only the happiness of your pupils, but of the girls
whom they will hereafter marry. It will be a boon to your own sex
as well as to ours to teach them courtesy, self-restraint,
reverence for physical weakness, admiration of tenderness and
gentleness; and it is one which only a lady can bestow. Only by
being accustomed in youth to converse with ladies, will the boy
learn to treat hereafter his sweetheart or his wife like a
gentleman. There is a latent chivalry, doubt it not, in the heart
of every untutored clod; if it dies out in him (as it too often