Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1842-06-02
FOR THE LIrcWIELD ISossRER.
THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.

FOR THE LIrcKFIELo ENQssAER.
THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.
'Terribiles visu forma -
Ferreque Eumenidum ,haiami, OF Discorda demens'
Who has not some lingering affection for the old
District School House, the scene OF youthful sports
and unlicensed waywardness l never pass that of
my native hamlet without seeing much that calls up
the busiest reminscence 1t seems like the memory
of an aus,ere guardian whose prccep,s Of wis
dom in spite Of himself There i, yet stands, the
frowning crest of rolling HILL which in more than
one particular Stimulates Delphan Parnassus, tor
spring eushes from its base as sparkling and 6mpd
az the waters of the Castaan fount. Whether the
juveniles were inspired with pure classical venera
ton or not they made the old hill the theatre of their
most active pastmes. They topp!ed huge stones
from the summit for tn: sole delight of witnessing
their fantastic plash in the bed Of sluggish mire be-
low. This was practiced ill il became a serious en-
roachmen, upon the constituted rights Of the whole
amphibous republic. They thereupon assembled in
awful conclave, aud after sundry popular harrangues
in the peculiar pathos Of each, they unanimously re-
solved, viva yoce, in order to avoid more tragic
termination, to take leave o. their possessions fore
ver-the mud hole yet continues blank and silent
In winter sleds Of various dimension and model were
in active requiston, in whose construction and
Management was witnessed the enviable triumph Of
juvenile craftsmanship and prowess. Time, if no one
else, seems to have regarded the old house with
forbidding hand. To be sure, it is little more
wrinked and hOary the enormous nails have I'M
pudently thrust their necks through tho loosened
capboards, and perhaps the winds sigh in more pro-
longed and sombre homilies through the widened
chinks and knot holes. But wtha it stands toerably
cree, toward heaven AZ heretofore; its comedy auS
tuis and venerable characteristics remain as they
were won't There melhinks ere the enviable nlarsSs
which bore unerring test Of tenacious anow ball,
and our unrivaled excellence At target firing For
although contrary to the pedagogical code. the old
School House, from some inexorahe aversion, be-
came the innocent subject OF mercess peltiDgs.
Step in and witness this snug harbOr of the mu-
ses this miniature temple Of the commonwealth Of
letters. How natural and yet unique, very! Walk
around and survey its ve,eraR walls maniuly, no
body will hurt you. Alack There stands the same
groaning disocaed chair-stern, invncible, and I'M
changed. Apt psrsoni6cation Of our old choleric
master. Shuttle Where ore the other insignia. the
brchen sceptre which he so faithfully swayed over
this little empire Of mind? His glory departed with
him. learn that Shumasl Shuttle, Esq, Philom, is
in Production drscendng' with confirmed jaun-
dice which, the Doctor says. crept into him tnro
nervous excitement and that his studies are power
fully concentrated in cyphering out the probabilities
Of its termination according TO his rather peculiar
rule 1t was like this Suppose jaundice an un-
knopn quantity; well, according to the first princi-
pies Of inUOlution and evolution will be the known
quantity ultinate whether it be ualgGr fraction
and integral or square ront iAtsrminal.' s. ...g
Look about on the walls. which the capicious
hand of innovation has yet left unmolested; they
onamen,ed with inimiiable charcoal skefckes' Of
rare physiognomies, executed, I'll warrant, without
the dilgent wardship Of a studied Lavator. The
benches, and other wooden ware are inscribed
with numerous yhieroglyphic etchings and symbols
worthy the notice Of an amateur Chsmpollion. On
the door is graduated scale, which. like the bed OF
P.ocrustes limited the utmost extension for any
sortment Of urchns. These are traces of the once
prevalent iRqwisitori0l equity. Here the hapless Of
fender was compelled to stand in durance vile ill
the soteneG heart poured forth It's pentsntal extor-
tons.
School Meeting Of the District has recently been
held TO devise some Of repairing the concern.
The united sagacity and wisdom Of the neghbor.
hood was called into requisition to accomplish the
benevolent object. Mr.. Q. opened the meeting with
an eloquent speech. He observed. that the School
House had been warm and comfortatle through two
generations, and he would warrant il for q third;
but be thought the third time would conquer. Il
might be well to patch up the sides little, and il
was his mind to pat on new roof; but it was not
best TO be to the expense Of shingles, ms the roof
would bear to be covered with slabs, and ne had
large quantity at his saw-miH he would sell them
to the district At halfJ~ice.' This was hailed an
original idea accordingly il was unanimously re-
solved that the School House be slabbed at the ex-
pense Of the District -
At the late annual meeting of the American
Bible Society, the President, the venerable
John Cotton Smith OF Connecticut, presented
to the HISTORIAN Bishop, Mar Yohannan an
elegantly bound quarto copy of the Bible, in.
scribed as follows:
AooPY
OF THE HOLY BIBLE,
PRESENTED BIZ TIE
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY,
TO
MAR YOIIANNAN,
BIsHoP oF OoRooMiAR,
PERSIA.