Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-01-14
General iHtscrlIanp.
TILE HARD SCHOOL.

business He wished to employ teacher for
one of the schools in his town He ran his
eve over my frame, and saw the result was
satisfactory, for he Immediately expressed a
desire to secure my services. ! asked nm
what sort Of school it was.
oval, he said. with peculiar nasal twang,
and a pronunciation not set down by any OF
our photographers, "it's a pooty tarnatlon
hard school, naow tell ye. But you've got
the bone an muscle, an reckon haow yeou
might dew it.
lie again run his eyes over my large, sinewy
frame, and rubbed his hands with evident sat
! islaction.
"Havo scholars been in the habit Of gaining
control of the school = | asked
Lord bless ye. yes Why, no master can
stand it week Ye see, Squire, thar some
pooty alfred staout boys in that ere school
Ye see they work in swamps an they're kind
orough in their ways We hearn tell o yeou,
an was sent to sec We. An ] was privileg-
ed to offer ye forty dollars a month, cf ye'd
only come an keep it. That's more'n twice
as much as we ever paid afore.
] "How large is the school Z; ! asked.
"Wal-thar's nigh onto sixty scholars, all
told, when they comc-some boys, an some
gals"
had heard Of the school before and had
been acquainted witha an excellent teacher who
had been thrown out from the school-house
and rolled in snow-bank by the larger boys
vet | resolved to go and try il. Of personal
danger had no fear for ! happened 20 pos
scss a large frame and proportionate amount
of nerve and muscle had exercised freely
in our gymnasium, and there was not another
man in the place who could at all hold his
strength by the side of mine Nature has
been lavish in her fayors, and evil habits had
not impaired the faculties God had given me.
/ told Mr. Bowen / would keep the school.
, IL was TO commence on the first day of De-
cember. and TO continue three months. But
3 told him must have my own way. That
in all things appcrtaining to the school must
be master-that my viii must be absolute, e.
ven TO the casting ONT Of half Of the scholars.
b. lie said should have my own way and he
/, pledged his word that the Committee should
not interfere in any way, nor under any cir
b cumstanccs.
At the appointed time ! packed up my
q wardrobe and school books, and started for
= c.. When / reached the village ! learn
ed that my school was in distant part of the
T. town-in rugged region, known as Ra'obon'
Holioc. On the following morning Mr.. Bow
. en- took me .over" in his sleigh. found my
@ school-house upon the edge of quite a settle
r. ment. which was located in a wide vallcy,with
&c high bleak mountains upon all sides. was
[, taken at once TO the place where ! wa1 to
board and in this latter respect was iortu'
= nate.
: NV hosts name was Elias Bonncy. He
h was well o-do-iarmcr--about forty-hvC
,r years Of age, firm intelligent man. and one
"a of the sclectmen of the town. He had tv'
!, children. that were TO attend the school-th'
oldest being girl Of nineteen named LYDIA
i- and the youngest boy of seven
I, Mrs Bowen remained to dinner, and theT
=. took his leave and as soon as | was alone
y with Nj Bonney, began to inquire particu
larly about the school My host shook hi'
head with dubious expression
you know what boys are, he said "es
peciaily if they've had their own way for
long time For six winters we've had ~.
school here that could be called school
= There are quite q number of stout boys anS
u they generally coutrivc TO get the master on
at the end ofaw week. But think they Il fine
:, it hard work to put you out,
Il don't know ! replied. But l reaIl'
I, shouldn't want them to try it, for I'm not ap
5, to be very considcrate when acting on the dc
e fensivc against mere brute force.
!. Bonney said he should think 'twould b'
t. dangerous for the scholars to make the at
tempt. "But. he added with another dubl
= ous shake Of the head. "the boys are not onl,
" stout and hearty but you must remember
;, there's number of them. Once get en-
l. started. and they don fear anything They VI
t. had some pretty stout masters to deal with
s, "But how many are there in the school,
II asked. ''who are really bad-who are ready tC
90 ahead in any evil pranks
Bonney pondered a few moments and ther
, replied
why. there's only two of them that are
really ugly; and even they amt bad neigh
d bors. They're kind and ready in cases o
need, but they seem determined to resist the
school-master."
We kept up the conversation, at intervals
d until bed time, and when | retired for the
night had about made up my mind as to the
nature of the work / had to do. had learn
\ ed enough to assure me Of several important
facts. In the first place, each succeeding
Il teacher had gone into the school-house with
e. the firm belief that he had got to fight his
y way through This very feeling had servet
4, to excite his combativeness, so that his frs
position to the scholars was an antagonisti'
~ one The result had been inevitable A
I. fighting the large scholars were handy, they
had prepared for it and expected it. and con
sequenty were easily led to an exhibition o
y their pugnacious qualities,
On the next morning, went to the school
- house little earlier than the usual hour fo
is commencing. found the building nearl,
pit new, and looking clean and neat. likec
). that | went in and arranged my books OF
the desk. MIR. Bonney had given me the key
~ to this desk, at the same time informing M
a. that he believed there were some implements
I'd there ! might need. found heavy rock
IN maple ferule, some two feet long by two inchc
c. wide, and three-quarters of an inch thick.
1t was perfect club, and was, moreover
enough to excite the ire of any decent persol
who might see it brandished about in tn
+ hands of superior. 1t was not alone.
IN had companion in the shape of a long, stout
Il heavy raw-hide, or green hide as they ar
sometimes called. let them remain in tn
a., desk.
AT nine o'clock rang the hand-bell wit
which my host had supplied me, and the schol
ars took their seats. The school was full, an
ID as gazed carefully around, was pleased wit
Isl. .f, q Al Il. M