Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-09-15
From he Mao England 00;ring.
A SchOolmistress' FIRST Day,

or, TEACHING OUT WEST.
Enter and what have We here A
small room bounded by four walls Of rough
logs. badly "chinked" with a floor whose
vide lnterstices look omnons Of lost slate.
pencils, books. and pens--to say nothing oil
our lpollsh npprehsnsions Uf snaky heads
which may peep up through the gaping
boards square aperture, where a window
might Be, aud three or four long, unpancd
benches. On the highest Of the latter is
perehed a little white headed boy. whose
unshod feet depend from his wide, blue
trousers, vainly seeking a resting place on
the floor below. A tall, red haired girl is
opposite him, aud with sundry sun.burnt
lads aud lasses, among whom are interspers-
ed some fair aud intelligent faces, the hu.
man furniture is complete. No; here are
the committee men," each with a little
blaek'eyed boy in his hand, come TO con.
suit with US OH the prosecution OF our new
occupation. All those committee men /!
why do they come before We had made ac.
qua,ntance with that row Of sharp, eager
eyes. or got the 'hang Of the school house r.
How can iyro endure their criticism D
we will elnde il. aud pass the time in jok-
lngly devising ways aud means" until our
Mentors must return TO their plows
They're gone; and our juvenile corps is
marshalled into something like acting or
der; though nothing eau induce the white
beaded boy TO descend from his perch. He
SAYS he'd "heap rather sit with the big
iellers." To the inquiry. "What is your
name ," lie replies, "Bub" This SEEM
ing TO US an ambiguous appellation. "e .p-
peal To the urchin at his side-"Do you
know this little boys name r.
IL reckon It's Bub Amt il. Bub ~ he
answers. with frightened look. A voice
from the opposite bench solves the mystery.
Ills my cousin his name is Jeames we
iis, call him Bub, for short"
Now comes the muster Of reading books.
One has brought an English Reader" an.
9th National" and another an "Elec-
tic, aud the golden iressed'' Young lady,
the second volume Of novel, in which she
"dito'cS" she can learn TO pronounce the
hard words as well as in anything else
Such power" Of books, aud no two alike
II is dlsmaying. At length we commenced
operations by eudeavoring to hear little
roguish. eyed johnny" say his letters IT'S
a novel task but the memory OF our good
dame, whose instructions enlightened our
infancy, assists US.
Whats that letter, Johnny ,"
Oats A. reckon"
"And ihati"
what dat little ielly down yonder p
Oats J, amt III"
Our gravity is in great danger Of cap
size aud, TO increase its peril, three
year.nld nrchin- whose AGE kill account To-
his strange syniax, looks up. and with
rery serious face remarks, "Miss, l hop,
school will quit commencing before il get
very long" A sentiment with which W,
entirely sympslhize, when we have BY
mental process decided its meaning.
We proceed to arrange the larger pupil
into CLASSES; but what a task In peoara
ply. Smith, Olney, Worcester, and Mitchell
each presents a work.esiablished claim. Ii
grammar, Murray, Smith, and Kirkham ar,
disjunclively imperative and absolute; an,
IN arithmetic, the multiplication of author
overpowers US. In despair al ever bringing
order out Of this chaos of science, we man
age, we know not how, until noon, when
the happy children csper about in rejoicing
freedom among the dinner baskets.
Is them lnJ'n rubbersf asks girl
turning the over'shoes about as carefully al
II they were made OF gold. I've heer'
on EN-. but never seen any before"
Lets go GU, and play" says another.
mo. Pop and mother said shouldn'
60 out in the sun to get the dgnr."
"Oh, the mistress says It is time TO tax
up school ~