3
THE SCHOOL FOR SYMPATHY
I had heard a lot about Miss Beam’s school, but I did not get the chance to visit it till
last week.
When I arrived at the school I saw a girl of about twelve, with her eyes covered with
a bandage, being led carefully between the flower-beds by a little boy of eight. She stopped,
and asked who it was that had come in, and he seemed to be describing me to her. Then
they passed on.
Miss Beam was all that I had expected-middle-aged authoritative, kind and
understanding. Her hair was beginning to turn grey, and her round figure was likely to be
comforting1 to a homesick2 child.
We chatted3 for a little while, and when I asked her some questions about her
teaching methods, which I had heard were simple.
“...We teach only those things that are simple and useful to pupils — spelling, adding,
subtracting, multiplying, writing. The rest is done by reading to them and giving them
interesting talks. There are practically no other lessons.
“... I have heard so much, “ I said, “about the originality of your system.
Miss Beam smiled. “Ah, yes,” she said. “I am coming to that. The real aim of this
school is not to teach thought but thougtfulness — humanity4, kindness and citizenship5.
That is the ideal I have always had, and happily there are parents good enough to trust me
to try and put it into practice. Look out of the window a minute, will you ?”
I went to the window, which looked out on a large garden and playground at the
back.
1. comfort - /kVmfJt /(v) - to make somebody who is worried or unhappy feel better by being kind and
sympathetic towards them
2. homesick - /hJUmsIk /(adj) - sad because you are away from home and you miss your family and
friends
3. chat /tS&t /(v) - to talk in a friendly informal way to somebody
4. humanity /hju;'m&nJti /(n) - the quality of being kind to people and animals
5. citizenship /sItIzJnSIp /(n) - the legal right to belong to a particular country
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Text Book for General English
“What do you see ?” Miss Beam asked. “I see some very beautiful grounds,” I said,
“and a lot of jolly children. But what surprises me, and pains me too, is that they are not all
healthy and active. As I came in I saw one poor little thing being led about because of
some trouble with her eyes. And now I can see two more in the same condition, while
there is a girl with a crutch just under the window watching the others at play. She seems
to be a hopeless cripple1.
Miss Beam laughed. “Oh, no,” she said, “she’s not lame really, this is only her
lame day. Nor are those others blind, it us only their blind day.” I must have looked very
much astonished, for she laughed again. “There you have an essential part of our system
in a nutshell3. In order to get these young minds to appreciate and understand misfortune4,
we make them share in misfortune too. In the course of the term every child has one blind
day, one lame day, one deaf5 day and one dumb6 day. During the blind day their eyes are
bandaged, and it is a point of honour not to peep. The bandage is put on overnight, they
wake up blind. This means that they need assistance in everything, and other children are
told to help them and lead them about. It is educative7 to both of them — the blind and the
helpers.”
2
“Everyone is very kind,” Miss Beam continued, “and it is really something of a joke,
although, of course, before the day is over the reality of the disability becomes clear even
to the least thoughtful. The blind day is, of course, really the worst, but some of the children
tell me that the dumb day is the most frightening. There, of course, the child must use will8
power only because the mouth is not bandaged...... But come down into the garden and
see for yourself how the children like it.
Miss Beam led me to one of the bandaged girls, a little merry thing. “Here’s a
gentleman come to talk to you,” said Miss Beam, and left us.
“Don’t you ever peep9?” I asked, by way of an opening.
“Oh, no,” she exclaimed, “that would be cheating! But I’d no idea it was so awful1 to
be blind. You can’t see a thing. One feels one is going to be hit by something every moment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
cripple - /krIpl /(n) - a person who is unable to walk or move normally because of a disease or injury
lame - /leIm /(adj) - unable to walk well because of an injury to the leg or foot
nutshell - /nVtSel /(n) - to say or express something in a very clear way, using few words
misfortune - /mIs'fO;tSu;n /(n) - an unfortunate accident, condition or event
deaf - /def /(n) - (adj) - unable to hear anything or unable to hear very well
dumb - /dVm /(adj) - unable to speak:
educative - /edjukJtIv /(adj) - that teaches something
willpower /wIlipaUJ(r) /(n) - the ability to control your thoughts and actions in order to achieve what
you want to do
9. peep /pi;p /(n) - to look quickly and secretly at sth, especially through a small opening
Text Book for General English
13
Sitting down is such a relief.”
“Are your guides kind to you ?” I asked.
“Pretty good. Not to careful as I shall be when it’s my turn. Those that have been
blind already are the best. It’s terrible not to see. I wish you’d try!”
“Shall I lead you anywhere ?” I asked.
“Oh, yes,” she said, “let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I
shall be so glad when today’s over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.
Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch2 is almost fun. I guess. Having an arm
tied up is a little more troublesome, because you have to get your food cut up for you, and
so on, but it doesn’t really matter. And as for being deaf for a day, I shan’t mind that — at
least, not much. But being blind is so frightening. My head aches all the time, just from
avoiding things that probably aren’t there. Where are we now ?”
“In the playground,” I said, “going towards the house. Miss Beam is walking up and
down the terrace3 with a tall girl.”
“What has the girl got on?” My companion4 asked.
“A blue skirt and a pink blouse.”
“I think it’s Millie,” she said. “What colour is her hair ?”
“Very light,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Millie. She’s the head girl. She’s very decent5.”
“There’s an old man trying up roses,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Peter. He’s the gardener. He’s hundreds of years old!”
“And here comes a dark girl in red, on crutches.
“Yes,” she said, “that’s Berryl.”
1. awful - /O;fl /(adj) - very bad or unpleasant
2. crutch - /krVtS /(n) - one of two long sticks that you put under your arms to help you walk after you have
injured your leg or foot
3. terrace - /terJs /(n) - a flat, hard area, especially outside a house
4. companion - /kJm'p&niJn /(n) - a person or an animal that travels with you or spends a lot of time with
you
5. decent - /di;snt / (adj) - (of people or behaviour) honest and fair
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Text Book for General English
And so we walked on, and in guiding this little girl about I discovered that I was
times more thoughtful already than usual. I also realized that having to describe the
surroundings to another, makes them more interesting.
When Miss Beam came to release me I was sorry to go, and said so.
“Ah!” she replied “Then there is something in my system after all!”
I walked back to the town murmuring (incorrectly as ever) the lines :
Can I see another’s woe,
And not share their sorrow too ?
O no, never can it be,
Never, never, can it be.
(Simplified from E V Lucas)
EXERCISES
Word Power :
1.
(2)
Correct the spelling of the following words :
panioncom
_______________________
pplecri
_______________________
fortunemis
_______________________
anityhum
_______________________
fortcom
_______________________
Match the following words with their corrrect meanings :
A
–
awful
–
one of two long sticks that you put under your arms
to help you walk after you have injured your leg or
foot
nutshell
–
honest and fair
decent
–
to look quickly and secretly at sth, especially through
a small opening
crutch
–
to say or express something in a very clear way, using
few words
peep
–
very bad or unpleasant
Text Book for General English
B
15
How Much Have I Understood?
1.
Answer the following questions
1.
Why do you think the writer wanted to visit Miss Beam’s school ?
2.
When the writer arrives at the school, he sees something unusual. What is
it?
3.
In which part of the school does the writer meet Miss Beam ? ‘... her round
figure was likely to be comforting to a homesick child’. What does this mean?
4.
Which word in paragraph 3 suggests that Miss Beam’s school is perhaps a
residental school ?
5.
What the writer sees in Miss Beam’s school surprises and pains him?
Why ? Is he right in thinking that not all the children are ‘healthy and active’?
6.
How does Miss Beam give the children an idea of suffering in the world ?
How is the blind day educative to both the ‘blind’ and the helpers ?
7.
In what way is the dumb day more frightening than even the blind day ?
8.
On which day is ‘sitting down such a relief ? Why ?
Language Practice
Look at these sentences.
1.
We eat the natural dates.
2.
I wish to inspect areas outside the wall of the city.
Both the sentences above refer to a present time, and are, therefore said to be in
the present tense. Since they show a plan or course of action that is indefinite in
the present time. Thus the tense can be termed as present indefinite or simple
present tense.
With I, we, you, they and plural subjects, the base (present) form of the verb is
used.
With he, she, it and singular subjects - s/-es is added in present (first) of of the
verb.
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Text Book for General English
We use the Simple Present Tense for (a)
things that are always true, as-
(b)
The sun rises in the east.
(2)
Oil floats on water.
(3)
Bats fly at night.
things that happen again and again, as-
(c)
(I)
(1)
(1)
I play cricket every Sunday.
(2)
Oshi usually gets up at 6 o'clock.
(3)
We watch T.V. in the evenings.
things that stay the same for a long time, as(1)
My uncle works in a bank.
(2)
They live in Bhopal.
(3)
Everybody likes her.
Choose the correct verb form from those in brackets:
(a)
The earth_____ round the sun. (move, moves, moved)
(b)
The dates_____ good. (taste, tastes, is tasting)
(c)
The rain_____on your land. (fall, falls, falled)
Review
How to form the Simple Present Tense
I / we / you / they and
other plural subjects
root from the
verb e.g. stand, go
he / she / it / and other
singular subjects
root from the
verb + s(es) e.g. stands,
goes
Text Book for General English
17
Where to use the Simple Present Tense
used to express actions
done as a matter of habit or
actions done
repeatedly
used with these words
always
often
usually
everyday
Example :
1.
Boys usually wear trousers.
2.
He sometimes gets up late.
used to express
permanent truths
Example :
1.
The sun sets in the west.
2.
The earth revolves around the sun.
Listening Time
Your teacher will read out the passage from the text. Listen to him/her
carefully and fill in the missing words in the space given :
Miss Beam _________ “Oh, no,” she said, “she’s not lame really, this is only her
2
lame day. Nor are those others _________ it us only their blind day.” I must have
looked very much ____________, for she laughed again. “There you have an
essential part of our system in a ___________. In order to get these ____________
to ____________ and understand misfortune4, we make them share in misfortune
too. In the course of the _______ every child has one blind day, one ________
day, one deaf5 day, one _________ day. During the blind day their eyes are
___________, and it is a point of honour not to _________. The bandage is put
on overnight, they wake up blind. This means that they need ___________ in
everything, and other children are told to help them and lead them about. It is
____________ to both of them — the blind and the __________.”
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Text Book for General English
Speaking Time
Given below is a bar diagram, which has been drawn on the basis of data obtained
after a survey of class - VIII students of a school. Now go through it carefully. The
members of Team A will ask the questions given below and the members of team
B will answer those questions. This activity can be repeated. (Team B will ask
questions and Team A will answer them)
G
G
I
R
L
S
B
O
Y
S
Achievement
I
R
L
S
B
O
Y
S
Creativity
Team A
G
I
R
L
S
G
I
R
L
S
B
O
Y
S
Feeling of
patriotism
B
O
Y
S
Risk taking
ability
Team B
(a)
Whose learning achievement is higher?................
(b)
Do boys and girls differ in their feeling of patriotism? ................
(c)
Whose risk taking ability is higher? ..................
(d)
Who are more creative? .................
Writing Time
Write a letter to your friend telling him/her about the lesson “School for Sympathy.”
T hings to do
Go to your school library and read any story about Helen Keller or any
other successful blind / deaf / lame person and on the basis of your reading
take notes and discuss it with your classmates. Ask your teacher to help
you.
Text Book for General English
19