“I have a plan to propose,” said the teacher, “which I think may be the pleasantest way of promoting a reform in things of this kind.  It is this.  Let several of your number be chosen a committee to prepare statedly—­perhaps as often as once a week—­a written report of the state of the school.  The report might be read before the school at the close of each week.  The committee might consist, in the whole, of seven or eight, or even of eleven or twelve individuals, who should take the whole business into their hands.  This committee might appoint individuals of their number to write in turn each week.  By this arrangement, it would not be known to the school generally who are the writers of any particular report, if the individuals wish to be anonymous.  Two individuals might be appointed at the beginning of the week, who should feel it their business to observe particularly the course of things from day to day with reference to the report.  Individuals not members of the committee can render assistance by any suggestions they may present to this committee.  These should, however, generally be made in writing.

“Subjects for such a report will be found to suggest themselves very abundantly, though you may not perhaps think so at first.  The committee may be empowered not only to state the particulars in which things are going wrong, but the methods by which they may be made right.  Let them present us with any suggestions they please.  If we do not like them, we are not obliged to adopt them.  For instance, it is generally the case, whenever a recitation is attended in the corner yonder, that an end of one of the benches is put against the door, so as to occasion a serious interruption to the exercises when a person wishes to come in or go out.  It would come within the province of the committee to attend to such a case as this, that is, to bring it up in the report.  The remedy in such a case is a very simple one.  Suppose, however, that instead of the simple remedy, our committee should propose that the classes reciting in the said corner should be dissolved and the studies abolished?  We should know the proposal was an absurd one, but then it would do no hurt; we should have only to reject it.

“Again, besides our faults, let our committee notice the respects in which we are doing particularly well, that we may be encouraged to go on doing well, or even to do better.  If they think, for example, that we are deserving of credit for the neatness with which books are kept—­for their freedom from blots, or scribblings, or dog’s-ears, by which school-books are so commonly defaced, let them tell us so.  And the same of any other excellence.”

With the plan as thus presented, the scholars were very much pleased.  It was proposed by one individual that such a committee should be appointed immediately, and a report prepared for the ensuing week.  This was done.  The committee were chosen by ballot.  The following may be taken as a specimen of their reports: