(3.) The efforts described under the last head for gaining a personal influence over those who, from their disposition and character, are most in danger of doing wrong, will not be sufficient entirely to prevent transgression.  Cases of deliberate, intentional wrong will occur, and the question will rise, What is the duty of the teacher in such an emergency?  When such cases occur, the course to be taken is, first of all, to come to a distinct understanding on the subject with the guilty individual.  Think of the case calmly, until you have obtained just and clear ideas of it.  Endeavor to understand precisely in what the guilt of it consists.  Notice every palliating circumstance, and take as favorable a view of the thing as you can, while, at the same time, you fix most firmly in your mind the determination to put a stop to it.  Then go to the individual, and lay the subject before him, for the purpose of understanding distinctly from his own lips what he intends to do.  I can, however, as usual, explain more fully what I mean by describing a particular case, substantially true.

The teacher of a school observed himself, and learned from several quarters, that a certain boy was in the habit of causing disturbance during time of prayer, at the opening and close of school, by whispering, playing, making gestures to the other boys, and throwing things about from seat to seat.  The teacher’s first step was to speak of the subject generally before the whole school, not alluding, however, to any particular instance which had come under his notice.  These general remarks produced, as he expected, but little effect.

He waited for some days, and the difficulty still continued.  Had the irregularity been very great, it would have been necessary to have taken more immediate measures, but he thought the case admitted of a little delay.  In the mean time, he took pains to cultivate the acquaintance of the boy, to discover, and to show that he noticed, what was good in his character and conduct, occasionally to ask some assistance from him, and thus to gain some personal ascendency over him.

One day, when every thing had gone smoothly and prosperously, the teacher told the boy, at the close of the school, that he wished to talk with him a little, and asked him to walk home with him.  It was not uncommon for the teacher to associate thus with his pupils out of school, and this request, accordingly, attracted no special attention.  On the walk the teacher thus accosted the criminal: 

“Do you like frank, open dealing, James?”

James hesitated a moment, and then answered, faintly,

“Yes, sir.”

“Most boys do, and I do, and I supposed that you would prefer being treated in that way.  Do you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, I am going to tell you of one of your faults.  I have asked you to walk with me, because I supposed it would be more agreeable for you to have me see you privately than to bring it up in school.”