This text is part of:
[292] pupil read from any book he pleased. Such teaching would not secure long patronage; and Mr. Woodbridge relinquished school-keeping for baking, and failed also in that business, in Charlestown. He then moved to Connecticut; and we lose sight of him. Mr. Joseph Wyman, of Woburn, who had kept the public school in Medford, built the house now owned by the Bigelow family, and there opened a private school for boys and girls. He taught only a few years. Mrs. Susanna Rawson succeeded Mr. Wyman, and opened a boarding-school for girls in the house which had been occupied by him. She was a lady of uncommon attainments, apt in teaching, and able to govern. Her school deserved its high popularity; and that its numbers were great, may be inferred from the following vote of the town:-- “ May 12, 1800: Voted that the second and third seats in the women's side-gallery in the meeting-house be allowed Mrs. Rawson, for herself and scholars; and that she be allowed to put doors and locks on them.” This lady was quite an authoress; and one of her novels had extensive circulation. Mrs. Newton succeeded Mrs. Rawson, occupying the same house from 1803 to 1806. She was a native of Rhode Island, and sister of Gilbert Stuart, the painter. Her success was so great at one time that she had sixty pupils, some of whom were foreigners, and many of them from neighboring States. Some of her pupils became distinguished ladies in New England. She removed to Boston, and continued her school there. Dr. Luther Steams (H. C. 1791) opened a classical school, first for girls, and afterwards for boys and girls, in his house, which fronted the entrance of Medford turnpike. This was a boarding-school; and but a few children of Medford attended it. Dr. Stearns had been tutor of Latin at Cambridge, and ever showed a preference for that language. His school was filled with children from the first families of New England, with now and then a sprinkling of French and Spanish blood. A kinder heart never beat in human bosom; so kind and tolerant as to forbid that imperial rule and uncompromising decision so needful for a troop of boys. He prepared many young men for college; and some of us who are of the number remember with delight his mildness and generosity. Dr. John Hosmer opened a private academy, for boys,
John Wilson and son. 22 School Street. Boston. 1855.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.