to take the Devil's haughtiness out of the child's heart, to convert it and give it the lowly spirit of Jesus. After it had reached the head of the class he would tell it alone and in private that haughtiness came from the Devil, but humility was a quality of Christ's spirit for which the child should frequently and heartily join him in prayer to God. Thus he kept such children in his love. To those who were miserly he frequently gave a penny when they studied diligently and if they admired their gift he would tell them that money was the root of all evil, pointing out examples to them. He described for them deceptive riches and the subsequent disappointment if man is not rich in godly things. To the voluptuous and “Lecker-Maüler”[1] he sometimes gave a sugar pretzel, when they learned well. But he also told them that luxuriousness was a sin, that those who belonged to Christ crucified the flesh with its lusts and evil desires. He impressed them so earnestly with these maxims that almost all the pupils loved him. If any failed in the performance of duty, he would say: ‘I no longer love you,’ (Ich habe dich nicht mehr Lieb). Then they wept until he comforted them. The ill-intentioned, who were not affected by the promise of a penny or a cooky, he threatened with whipping. These then studied out of fear. With some he had to use the rod, but in each case he endeavored, first of all, to win their favor and thus secure obedience through love that they might not only learn their letters, but that they might be able to seek, find and know Jesus Himself.
“I remember still another one who, out of the love of God, loved his pupils as if they all were his own children. They, in turn, loved him dearly. Whenever he was obliged to reprove the children for ill-behavior, he did so with grievous words coming from his wounded heart, so that he frequently softened their hearts; and when they were about to cry, tears crept into his eyes. He studied out many plans so that he might not need to resort to the rod. On going to and from school the children went quietly and orderly without stopping to play, loiter and
- ↑ Sweet-toothed, dainty-mouthed.
