96 History of Hingham. 



The third period may be considered as ending in 1849, the 

 schools having been conducted upon the system adopted, in its 

 most important parts, in 1828, and with the close of this third 

 period the designation of " male " and " female " schools disap- 

 pears from our records. 



To say that the times had grown to the necessity of another 

 change detracts nothing from the praise justly due to those who 

 inaugurated the system which went into operation in 1828. It 

 was a great advance on that which had preceded it, as that, in its 

 day and generation, was an improvement on the former one. 

 " Tempora mutantur et nos in illis mutamur." 



The following extract from a letter signed "A." (supposed to 

 be from Mr. A. B. AlcottJ) to the " Hingham Patriot," July 16, 

 1847, gives an impression made by our schools at that time : — 



"With the schools in Hingham, both public and private, as a whole, I 

 am much pleased. In the first place, I find, with hardly a solitary excep- 

 tion, good schoolhouses. They have been recently built and are spacious, 

 airy, and convenient. 



" In teaching, superintending, and visiting schools for about thirty 

 years, I have always taken great pleasure in finding the laws of cleanli- 

 ness duly regarded. I love to see cleanliness of person, dress, books, 

 furniture, walls, and floors. These I love because they are exceedingly 

 rare — almost as rare as diamonds. They are valuable, moreover, just as 

 diamonds are, in proportion to their scarcity. 



" But these precious jewels to which I have alluded abound in Hing- 

 ham, and I take great pleasure in saying so. I do not indeed, by this 

 affirmation, mean to set the inhabitants of this place over all their neigh- 

 bors. Many, taking the whole of New England together, are beginning 

 to act nobly in this particular. At present, however, I must say, for 

 truth compels me, I do not recollect to have seen anywhere else such 

 clean schoolhouse walls and floors as in this re»ion." 



"to" 



The fourth period began in 1849. The systematic grading of the 

 schools, which in all its essential details is the plan of to-day, was 

 adopted, and we find in the annual report of the School Commit- 

 tee made in March, 1850, that there were twelve schools supported 

 by the town, viz. : two Primary, four Intermediate, four Gram- 

 mar, and two Mixed schools. To-day there are three additional 

 Primary schools, which were introduced in those districts where 

 the Intermediate schools had grown uncomfortably large ; but no 

 new districts have been formed. The High school has also been 

 added to the number of schools, — making sixteen in all. 



As in the former periods, so in this, the town, through its 

 School Committee, has been alive to the best ideas of the best 

 educators; and while a proper spirit of conservatism has always 

 tended to the maintenance of what has been found valuable, by 

 long experience, in methods of teaching, yet with a progressive 

 spirit, the new methods have received their just and adequate 

 consideration. Never a town to be led away by the gloss of ." the 

 new" solely because of its newness, it has always been ready to 



