Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-07-01
VOL. V. NO. %.

fool who went to chop wood without an
AK, I had nothing to do but trot back
over the thirty miles Of road which lay
between me and my character
Putting on as smooth face as the cir
cumstanccs would allow, took the back
track, bu, before reached home ! fell in
with a gentleman from a distant town,
who kindly gave me a seat in his carriage.
Before parting with him he informed me
tina, the school in his place was waiting
for a ,e'chsr. and tha, he would endeavoi
to obtain the situation for me.
returned home and set myself ta
watching the daily mails. and at length
received the following communication
from the school agent
.DI.R SIR:
Itesiycd your letter Desember 20 Aand
had TO delay wrighiing a fu- days 10 see If
cold git the man to give up the chooi. saw
him and he void not. for he "a that lie init,
got another If he had not ingagc my chool
il | had rsived your letter one day sooner you
cold had the chool.
l was very sorry that it SO happened that !
had ingaged 50 soon by Mr. recmenation a,
a very good school teacher.
Yours sc.
Again fount myself as distant from
the realization Of my life dream as evci
out nil desperandum, Japhet found his
father, and Ichabod found his wife, and
found school, but it was after long
and patient search one had school
teacher employed, another demurrcd to
my price thought fifteen dollars month
ru nous price, &c.-but as sal 60,
school, or rather engaged one, at fif-
teen dollars per month, with the privi-
legc of boarding round and building
my own fires. Now was to come the trial
of my life-the examination. Talk about
the Mason's, Odd Fellows or Jesuit
initiation, the first Speech in Congress
poppin the question, shaving the first
time, or any Of the many nerve trying
positions in which courage alone will bear
one through, all, all pale before that trial
of trials, the first examination by the
School Committee.
How | trembled. was sure should
say the earth was square; that the ocean
was a large body of land +; that Etymol
osy was the art of computing by point:
or stops to mark the different pauses, oil
something worse, perhaps.
Well, in due time found myself seat.
ed in the candidates chair. directly in
front Of the erect, correct, honorable
perpendicular. Peter Popngham, Esq.
supervisor of the town schools.
He was a fine looking old fellow, with
a shrewd money catching twinkle in his
little green eyes evidently man who
was doing considerable business, or a,
least, who would Ike to be.
We'll, my young friend was his
first salutation,' you are going TO keep
school, are you :
Yes sir l replied that is my inten.
ton, or rather, to teach school,
'Ah we'll, well, it is responsible
calling; consider yourself qualified
hey:
Il have spent some time in fitting
myself for the occupation;I ought to be,
but that is your business to ascertain.
We'll, well, there is many othe,
qualifications which go to make up the
perfect teacher besides book learning:
there's government now,-that's topic,
that requires good deal OF thought;
book learning haint nothin' to it. Why
when l was young, it wasn't nothing to
keep school; but now the responsiblitie:
of the teacher have increased with the
times, so that now, it requires response
BILE men to oversee the affairs of the
school. to aid the teacher, and haze a
general superintendence. you know,
here he stretched himscfup to his full
height nodded assent, and he proceed.
ed When l was young, the parents
governed their OWE children, so that
the teacher didn't have to do that are;
but now the times is different the all
absortin' theme now is money, and to
this one pint all the attention and
energy OF mankind is turned, to the ex-
clusion Of every consideration, conseq-
uently all the bringing up of children,
now days devolves upon the teacher;
so you see that he or she must necessarily
be person of strong mind; their in
auence over their pupils must be great
enough to keep them quiet through the
day; and they ought to get SO filled with
that influence, that it shall last them
from the time the school is out at night
till it begins in the morning. this is nee
essary, in order to keep them out OF
mischief. The last teacher we had.
though she kept good order in school,
was person of little or no influence, for
I and othar farpoars in .ha neigh hhorhood