Representative women of New England/Annie Coolidge Rust

by Mary H. Graves

ANNIE COOLIDGE RUST

ANNIE COOLIDGE RUST was born in Richmond, Va., one of a family of nine children. Her father, Thomas Adams Rust, a very successful hardware merchant in Richmond, was a native of Salem, Mass. His wife, Miss Rust^s mother, in maidenhood Phoebe Cutler Chamberlain, was born in New Hampshire, but had removed to Boston with her parents when she was a child. She was well educated and very active in church affairs in Boston, being a member of the parish of the Rev. Robert C. Waterston, by whom their marriage ceremony was performed in 18— .

Richmond in those days seemed a long distance for the bride to be going from her home and mother, and it was agreed by the husband that a part of each year should be passed in "dear old Boston." The house in which they lived in Richmond, and in which Miss Rust was born, was a typical Southern house of many large rooms, the servants' quarters and kitchen being in a separate building. In this Southern home many Boston friends, also friends and business associates from England, were hospitably entertained.

While their children were still young, Mr. and Mrs. Rust, being anxious that they should have the best educational advantages, removed to Cambridge, Mass., and, after some of the children were graduated from the Cambridge schools, the family removed to Boston. The mother believed that it would be of great advantage to every young woman to have a knowledge of the Froebelian principles of education, known as the Kindergarten System, which applies to the life of the little child, but knew not of any such school in this vicinity. While visiting a friend in Cambridge one day, the conversation turned upon a "play school" that had been opened in Boston, where the children had no books. The term "play school" interested the mother. She looked into the matter, and learned that the name was given in irony by those who did not know what it was. To her great delight, it was a Kindergarten and Normal Class, which Madame Kreige and her daughter. Alma Kreige, from Berlin, had opened in Boston, they having been requested by their teacher, Baroness von Marenholtz Bülow, to come to America and introduce this system of education. Mrs. Rust was much pleased to find just what she had been looking for, and at her earnest request her daughter entered the school as a pupil in one of the first Normal Classes. Miss Rust brought to this work, besides an aptitude for it and the enthusiasm of youth, rare insight into child nature, a cultivated mind, and deep religious feeling. Moreover, ideas gained from conversations with her teacher were so unlike those by which she had been governed when in school that she was deeply attracted, and wished to learn more of this beautiful system, which made the life of the child and its studies so delightful. Therefore it was with great pleasure that she entered upon the work, which grew for her more and more in- teresting and absorliing.

Previous to this time Miss Ellizabeth Peabody had gone to Europe for the purpose of learning more of this system and its true meaning, and she was much pleased when the Baroness in- formed her that Madame Kreige and her daugh- ter had already started for America for the purpose of opening a school there. On the return of Miss Peabody, both she and her sis- ter, Mrs. Horace Mann, rendered all the as- sistance to Madame Kreige and daughter that was in their power, materially aiding the prog- ress of the school and work as a whole. After a successful course of study Miss Rust was graduated in June. She was in good health and very anxious to put her knowledge of the system into practice. A summer kin- dergarten was offered her, which she accepted, she being one of the first pupils of Madame Kreige to teach.

In the following autunm through her in- structor, Madame Kreige, a fine opportunity to teach a private kindergarten with a large salary was offeretl her in the A'est, which she accepted. There she was most pleasantly lo- cated, both educationally and socially, and by the many attentions offered her was made at once to feel at home in a strange city. Ac- cess was also given her to the private libraries of the most influential people of the city. The fact of this school being supported by the most influential people was what gave her these advantages.

At the approach of spring Miss Rust, much to her regret, found that the climate did not agree with her, and felt obliged to give up her position and return to Boston. Not long after a lady came to Boston to secure a teacher for a private school near New York. Miss Rust being recommended to her, she was en- gaged for this promising position with more healthful surroundings. Here, also, she gave satisfaction. One of the mothers, a patron, sending three children to the school, was so pleased that she invited Miss Rust to come to live in her home, for the sake of her soul- ful influence over the children, which she did, and remained through one school year, teaching the older children music on kin- dergarten principles, at the same time that she was holding her position as teacher of the private school. At the close of this school year Miss Rust was invited to visit the family at their summer home on the seashore.

From that place she was called South by her father and mother, to as.sist in the dispo- sition of their property, as her opinion was always desired by them in all matters of busi- ness. She remained South through a part of the summer, until this was accomplislied, the family returning in the autumn to their own house in Boston.

A parent who had heard of Miss Rust tlirough Madame Kreige desired that she should open a private kindergarten at her (Miss Rust's) own house, saying she would secure pupils for her from her own friends, which she did. Miss Rust was extremely happy in this kindergar- ten; she was able to do so much more for the children in her own home. One morning a mother entered, saying she would like to send her children to the school for a half-year, " not expecting them to learn anything," but from selfish motives, as she wished the children kept away from her in the morning, as she was a writer. One morning six or eight weeks later, instead of the maid, the mother came to the kindergarten with the children, offering an apology for the remark she had matle at her first visit, and bringing words of ajiprecia- tion from the father of what the children had voluntarily expressed at home, also asking the favor of coming every morning for the week, to realize what was being done for them and what it all meant. A few weeks after a lengthy arti- cle appeared in the Boston Transcript, written by this mother and relating to Miss Rust's work, then not a year old in Boston. This article was an elucidation of the system from a mother's standpoint, treating not only of the work done l)y tlie children, but of the in- fluence of the kindergartner upon the life of each child, which is the soul of the kindergarten. Instead of the children remaining the half year, as first agreed, they remained in the school for four years. As a result of the article in the Transcript there were many visitors to the kindergarten each day, both residents of Bos- ton and strangers. A gentleman from Chicago, an educator, after a visit to the school, pro- nounced it education in its highest sense, and said that he would like to take some of the material as a means of rendering instruction to his young ladies in .some of the higher branches.

And thus the interest grew, and the class increased in numbers, until a larger room was taken in their house. Here a Mothers' Class was started; and, as Miss Rust considered her- self too much of a novice to assume the respon- sibility of this class, at her request Miss Pea- body took the charge. She was a great in- spiration to the work, and this Mothers' Class and also this home was blessed by her presence, as she often remained after the hour of the class, and thus the family pas.sed many happy hours with her socially.

One of the patrons of this school now removed to Brookline, and, desiring her children to remain under Miss Rust's instruction, made arrangements for an afternoon kintlergarten to be established in her home, the location of which was unusually adapted to such a pur- pose, the house, with pine woods near, being surrounded by nature in all its beauty. This kindergarten was carried on until the city classes had gro^^l to such a size that they re- quired Mi.ss Rust's full attention, time, and strength. Not long after this the health of Mrs. Rust failed, her strength not being equal to hav- ing the school (which with its advanced classes it had now become) in the house; therefore it was removed from the home. These advanced classes were beyond the kindergarten age, but none were allowed to enter them who had not had previous preparation either in this kinder- garten or in another, equally genuine, thus making the school a strong, connected whole, without disturbance or confusion for the pupils' minds, one class, as it were, evolving from an- other. Children were received from three or four years of age, as the child's health allowed, until the age of twelve. All the instruction was given upon Froebelian principles. Usu- ally chiUlren at six years were startetl in the so-called primary work, which, with their pre- vious jjreparation, was easily grasped, the chil- tlren being just as eager about their arithmetic, for example, as they had been about the attrac- tive kindergarten gifts and occupations. The originality of each child had been preserved, and now was most beautifully manifested along the Hues of art, music, games, and so forth. Music was taught on kindergarten principles, and in this way it is a possession to the pupil not easily forgotten. Pupils returning to the school in the fall went right on with their music as if there had been no vacation. The folding oc- cupation, previously taught, prepared the flex- ible little hand for music, making the fingers deft and securing the right position of the hand, thus saving two or more terms of instruction. In fact, the analytical and synthetical method of the child's previous instruction made all its after work and study a pleasure, and proved that it was fully grasped, being its own posses- sion.

Miss Rust had desired to have the extreme pleasure of proving the benefit of the system by taking the children on in these advanced classes after the kindergarten stage, and it is now a great source of delight to her to look back upon this experience, and also to receive voluntary testimonials like this from pupils who have passeil (jn through other schools to the Boston Institute of Technology: "We did not know what was being done for us. Miss Rust, when we were little fellows in your kin- dergarten, but now we realize what it meant for us all along the line and here in our instruc- tion." In order to have justice done to this system, the child must have it as a whole. Thus much time and waste of nervous energy are saved in the higher grades.

In the meantime the school had grown to such a size that a hou.se was taken, and Miss Rust associated henself with a kindergarten-trained mother, they together undertaking the estab- lishment of a Kindergarten Normal Class for young ladies. Mi.ss Rust modestly felt that this mother, being older and more experienced in life, was better fitted than herself to under- take the responsibility of training young la- dies, although urged to do it. She, however, assisted this mother. After a while the health of the mother failed, and the class was con- tinued for one year, being finished by the assistance of one of its older pupils.

At this tinie it was deemed advisable to "estab- lish a school in a new location out of the city, with larger grounds and surrounded by the beauties of nature. A location quite near Bos- ton was decided upon as being the most desirable and delightful one for a class of this kind. A kindergarten was soon started by Miss Rust, and after three years' time here again were the different classes above the kinder- garten department. It was impossible to se- cure suitable rooms for the size of the school, and for this reason for a time the school was limited to nearly one-half, consequently the patrons decided to build a model build- ing, with the understanding that Miss Rust should hire the building and carry on her school, as before, in a much improved way, and more in harmony with her ideas of a model Froebelian school, as all the work was based upon the Froebelian principles of educa- tion.

During the summer Miss Rust was often con- sulted as to the best arrangement of the build- ing, and helped in its plans, .she coming for this purpose several times from the seashore at Magnolia, where she usually passed her sum- mers, having nature-study classes, thus collect- ing specimens of sea flora, minerals, and so forth, for the fall classes of the new school. This building was soon accomplished, the promoters using the name of Miss Rust in sell- ing shares. Sixty shares at one hundred dol- lars each were soon sold, mostly to patrons of the school, with the understantling that the money was to be used for her school. Unfort- unately, one who had financial rather than edu- cational interests at heart, and who had with a view to this purpose bought up a number of shares of the stock, decided that other ar- rangements should be made, and that, while Miss Rust should occupy the building, she should be allowed to do so on a salary, and they would own the school. This Mi.ss Rust in a dignified manner positively refused to do, say- ing she had built a school and they had built a building, and she preferred to have nothing to do with it, unless she could carry on the school in the building as first agreed. With their plans her hands would be completely tied, as it was upon a financial basis rather than an educational, and her reputation as a teacher of these principles was far more to her than the salary offered.

At this decision of hers, generous offers were made by parents to retain her, saying they would make up the deficiency in salary if she would but remain; but Miss Rust, while grate- ful to these patrons for their sympathy and kind offers, said she saw no reason for accept- ing presents, it being with her a matter of principle ; as, under the proposed conditions, she would be unable to make it the model school she desired, or add to it her Kindergarten Normal Classes.

About this time an urgent appeal came to Miss Rust from a Western city to accept the position of head instructor in a Kindergarten Normal Class, which had been started by the Free Kindergarten Association, and also as instructor in one of the free kindergartens, numbering one hundred children, started that autumn, both of which she accepted. It is a great pleasure to her to refer to this large work with the less fortunate little ones. She was also very successful with the Normal Class. But the climate of that city, with its strong lake winds, was too severe for Miss Rust, and she was suddenly stricken down by pneumonia, for several days her life hanging upon a thread. Upon her recovery she was unable to resume her work there, and felt the need of returning to Boston, which she did. After a short rest she was advised to go to an inland . city, and having an opportunity to purchase in Worcester a private school, of chil- dren from three to twelve years of age, she accepted, naming it the Froebel School, at the same time starting a Kindergarten Normal Class, being urgetl to do this by a member of the State Board of Education, as there was no such Training School in Worcester. Her work there also was very successful, graduating large classes, employing some of our best pecial lecturers for the instruction of the classes as well as for the graduation exercises. Miss Rust, in addition to her school work in Worcester, gave talks before different clubs in that city and elsewhere.

After several years of successful work in Worcester, Miss Rust, being closely confined by the amount of labor required in her schools, realized that she was shut off from many things with which she needed to keep in touch in order to grow. She therefore felt that she must return to her former home, Boston, where she would have all desired advantages, and here re-establish herself in her Kindergarten Normal Classes.

Although urged by former pupils, being now parents, to again organize a kindergarten and school for children, she has decided to give her time to the instruction of Normal Classes only and to talks before clubs. Miss Rust has now returned to this city for her permanent home, and has her Kindergarten Normal Classes well established at the New Century Building. She was a member of the American Froebel Union started in Boston by Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody. This became the Kindergarten Department of the National Edcational Association. At this time s}ie was urged by Miss Peabody to join the New England Woman's Club. She is a member of the Eastern Kindergarten Association, the National Education Association, the International Kindergarten Union, and the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. She was formerly a member of the Worcester Woman's Club, and helped to organize the Women in Council Club, Roxbury, Mass. In all the years since she started as a Kindergartner, she has never lowered her high standard, nor hesitated to make any sacrifice demanded by the cause to whose advancement her life is consecrated. She belongs to Trinity (Episcopal) Church, Boston.

She has lived to see the children of her earlier classes develop in noble men and women, several of the number having distinguished themselves in literature, science, and art.

The strongest testimony to her ability as an educator is given in these results of character and achievement, which in a special way have marked Miss Rust's work in Boston and elsewhere in her Froebel School and Kindergarten Normal Classes. It is just and right, however, that those of a later generation who now reap from fruitful fields should acknowledge their debt to the pioneer kindergartners who prepared the ground and planted the good seed.