Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-03-25
MISCELLA ANY.
The Hard School.

In the autumn Of 1912, | received Wis
it from one of the experimenting schoo
committee of the town of c., in the
State of New Hampshire. He introduced
himself as Mr. Bonney and at ooce pro.
ceeded with his business. He wished to
employ a teacher for one of the schools in
his town. He ran his eyes over my frame
and saw the result was satisfactory, for
I he Immediately expressed a desire to Sc
( cure my services | asked him what sort
of school it was.
WAL he said, with a peculiar mas al
twang, and a pronunciation not set down by
any of our photographers, its a pooiy
hard school, naow tell ye. But you've
got the bone an muscle, an / reckon as
how yeou might dew it,
He again ran his eyes over my sinewy
frame and rubbed his hands with evident
| satisfaction.
Have scholars been in the habit of
gaining control OF the school?' ! asked.
Bless ye, yes. Why, no master can
stand it week. Ye see, Squire. thar's
some pooty staout boys in that school. Ye
see they work in swamps, an they're
rough in their ways. We hearn tell O
yeou, and was sent TO see ye. An was
privileged TO offer ye forty dollars month";
| ef yed only come an, keep it. That's
| more'n twice as much as we ever paid
| atore.'
How large is the SCHOOL, / asked.
Wal-thar's nigh unto sixty scholars,
all told, when they come-some boys, an
some gals
had heard of the school before, and
had been acquainted with an excellent
Teacher, who had been thrown out of the
sehool-house and rolled in a snow bank by
the larger boys; yet | resolved to go and
try it. OF personal danger 1 had no fear,
for happened to possess a large frame and
a proportionate amount of nerve an mus
Gle. had exercised freely in our gymna-
stun, and there was not another man in the
place who could hold his strength by the
her iavors, and evil habits had not impaired
the faculties God had given me.
told Mr.. Bonney | would keep the
school. 1t was TO commence on the first
day of December and to continue three
months. But told HIM must have my
own way. That in all things appertaining
TO the school | must be master-that my
will must he absolute, even to the casting .
out of half of the scholars. He said !
should have my own way and he pledged
his word the Committee should not inter
fere in any way, nor under any circumstan-
ces.
At the appointed time | packed up my
wardrobe and school books. and started for
G.. When / reached the village |
learned that my school was in distant
part Of the town-in a rugged region,
known as RdloboRe HoHosC. On the fol-
lowing morning Mr. Bowen took me over
in his sleigh. found my school house up
on the edge of quite settlement, which
was located in wide valley, with high
bleak mountains upon all sides. | was
taken at once TO the place where | was to
board, and in this latter respect | was for
tunate.
My hosts name was Elias Bonney. He
was a well-to-do farmer-about forty-five
years of age, firm, intelligent man, and
one OF the selectmen of the town. He
had FIVE children who were to attend the
school-lne oldest being girl of nineteen,
named Lydia, and the youngest a boy of
seven.
MIR. Bonney remained to dinner, and
then took his leave | began TO enquire
particularly about the school. My host
shook his head with dubious expression.
You know what boys are he said, es-
pecially it they've had their own way for a
long time. For six winters we've had no
school. There are quite a number of
Stout boys, and they generally contrive to
get the master out at the end of week.
But think they'll find it hard work to get
you out
i don't know replied; but really
shouldn't want them 10 try it, for I'm not
apt to be very considerate when acting on
tie defensive against mere brute force
Bonney said he should think twould be
dangerous for the scholars to make an at
tempt But he added with another du-
bious shake of the head, they are not only
stout and hearty, but you must remember
there's number of them. Once get 'em
started, and they don't fear anything.
They have had some pretty stout masters
to deal with
: But how many are there in the school,
/ asked, who are ready to go ahead in any
evil prsnks