Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/403

 a screen, which formed a sort of moveable partition between them and the boys.

At first several of the children were refractory, and many symptoms of a mutinous disposition appeared; but by patience and perseverance, all were so completely brought into subjection, that by the time the minister visited the school, at the conclusion of the first month, all the plans he had suggested were completely carried into execution. Each of the three classes were, according to Manson's method, divided into three distinct orders; viz. landlord, tenants, and under-tenants: The landlord prescribed the lesson which was to be received as rent from his tenants: Each of the tenants had one or two under-tenants, who were in like manner bound to pay him a certain portion of reading, or spelling lesson; and when the class was called up, the landlord was responsible to the master, as superior lord, not only for his own diligence, but for the diligence of his vassals. The landlord who appeared