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40 Juvenile Letters. 41

harmony subsists between the scholars of the different schools. I am happy to say, that I seldom see or hear of any fighting or quarreling. The boys in our school have agreed, that, whenever any dispute arises, the parties shall submit their cause to three of their schoolmates, and abide by their decision. As to fighting, we think it a disgrace to a christian people.
      I am, dear cousin,
         Your friend and humble servant,
                PHILIP PLAINHEART.
Master Timothy Thinkwell. 

             LETTER XVI.
        Answer to the foregoing.
                                   Boston.
DEAR COUSIN,
      I THANK you for your friendly letter; and will answer your queries according to the best of my abilities.
  I have the honor to belong to one of the public schools in this town; institutions founded by our wise and pious ancestors, and venerated by their posterity. Here, "the rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all." Every citizen has an equal right to send his children to these schools; and notwithstanding the largeness of the number, it is generally allowed that their improvements are equal to those of private schools, which consist of smaller numbers. After the annual visitation, I will endeavour to forward you some of the specimens of penmanship, which will then be exhibited by both sexes. You will then examine, and decide for yourself. It is not for me to judge in my own cause; but, I assure you, we boys are by no means ready to concede, that "the girls beat us in writing." It is but justice, however, to say, that the young ladies, by their behaviour and improvement in the various branches of science, do honor to the institutions.
   The books used in our schools are such as I believe you are acquainted with, except the "Historical Grammar," which has been but lately introduced. Morse's Geography, the American

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