150 SOCIAL POSITION OF TEACHERS. [CHAP. XT. 



on the number and pay of the teachers as on the interest taken 

 in it by the entire population, who faithfully d vote more time 

 and thought to the management of the schools than to any other 

 public duty. 



The cost of living in New England may, on the whole, be 

 taken to be at least one-third less than in Great Britain ; and 

 the spirit of the political institutions, the frugal manner of conduct 

 ing the government, the habits of society, and a greater general 

 equality of fortunes, where the custom of primogeniture does not 

 prevail, causes the relative value of incomes such as those above 

 enumerated, to confer a more respectable social position than 

 they would do with us. I was assured that in the country 

 towns the schoolmasters associate with the upper class of citizens, 

 holding as good a place in society as the clergy and medical 

 men, but not ranking so high as the lawyers. 



On this point, however (the relative position of the teachers), 

 I found great differences of opinion among my informants ; but 

 a general agreement that their pay and social rank ought to be 

 raised, so as to enable the state to command the services of men 

 and women of the best abilities and accomplishments. 



Channing had, for many years before his death, insisted on 

 the want of institutions to teach the art of teaching. There are 

 now several of these normal schools in full activity, where a course 

 of three years instruction is given. As yet, however, few can 

 afford to attend more than one year ; but even this short training- 

 has greatly raised the general standard of efficacy, and the bene 

 ficial influence has extended even to schoolmasters who have not 

 yet availed themselves of the new training. The people have, 

 in fact, responded generously to the eloquent exhortations of 

 Channing, not to economize, for the sake of leaving a fortune to 

 the rising generation, at the expense of starving their intellects 

 and impoverishing their hearts. It was a common prejudice, he 

 said, and a fatal error to imagine that the most ordinary abilities 

 are competent to the office of teaching the young. &quot; Their voca 

 tion, on the contrary, is more noble even than that of the states 

 man, arid demands higher powers, great judgment, and a capacity 

 of comprehending the laws of thought arid moral action, arid the 



