The Friendship with Miss Dillingham

A teacher's faith in a young immigrant that helped change her into a writer.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Discipline with Understanding

Discipline with Understanding The Whisper During Prayer A Jewish boy told Mary not to say the Lord's Prayer because it was Christian. She kept saying it, and both whispered during prayer. The Punishment Miss Dillingham degraded both pupils from the honor row. Mary long resented the boy but eventually understood the lesson. The Teacher's Authority There was a time and a place for religious arguments. The schoolroom belonged to civic common law.

Snow and the Printed Name

Snow and the Printed Name The Composition Miss Dillingham sent Mary's paper on snow to an educational journal. The child had studied English for only four months. The Moment of Transformation Seeing her own words in print revealed a new self. Mary understood she could write again and be read. The Beginning of a Vocation "I could write a book" was the huge thought born in her mind. The teacher had midwifed a writer.

The Longfellow Gift

The Longfellow Gift The First Owned Book Miss Dillingham presented Mary with a thin volume of Longfellow's poems. It was the first book Mary owned. The Lessons in Meter They repeated miles of poetry together, and Mary tried to write verses. Her lines limped until she learned about accent. The Library Begins The gift started Mary's library and deepened her love of English. Longfellow's rhythms entered her voice.

The Boston Common Talk

The Boston Common Talk The Rendezvous Mary begged Miss Dillingham to meet her on Boston Common. It was a gray, drizzling day, and she was cold on the bench. The Unspoken Diagnosis Miss Dillingham understood the symptoms of adolescence and said nothing of them. She took Mary's complaints gravely. The Nobler Counsel She counseled courage, selflessness, and living each day with all one's might. Mary went home comforted.

Letters to the Departed Friend

Letters to the Departed Friend The Almost Daily Letters For some time Mary wrote to Miss Dillingham almost daily, pouring out griefs she could not rhyme. The friend answered with wisdom. The Reproachful Picture Miss Dillingham died before Mary could give her triumphant answer. Her eyes look from the mantel with a reproach no longer merited. The Permanent Presence The friendship survived death in Mary's sense of obligation. She wanted to justify her teacher's faith.

shortly after entering Miss Dillingham's class

during the first school year in Boston

during the Chelsea school years

during Mary's unhappy adolescence on Wheeler Street

the years after Miss Dillingham's death