Litchfield enquirer., 1859-05-05
ON THE REMOVAL OF THE OLD SCHOOL
 HOJJSE

Es Alas! for thee, shau time-worn Seat, Where urchins oft were wont to mcef, 4 T o learn to re Id their A. E. C., Or reach l0ftier degree. f When win a grave and anxious look, - They read from Webster's Spel.ns- Book Thou fill thy former site no more, Thy former 2 lory nowsis ,.er, And thou must he compelled to stand, 4 1nglorious, another's land, Aud serve the purpose of stable. Or filled with hay up to thy gable, Be changed into barn, wherein, ~. Instead of schopiboy's drawling din, And teacher's voice. shall sound the blcat Of growing calves, and stamping feet 'Of cfibbihg horses iron shod Or tii.,u maysl be the foul abode .Oi gruuting swine and clucking fowls, II not of hideous bats and owls, Why shall we call thine owner cruel I Ovst not thou now belong to B-7 lie bought thee al an h,nesi price, And moved ihee hence all in trice, Considering, like man of sense, ;!, that s'nce no ;n,re thoa cnnsi dispense The light of learning fo he young, Nnr teach Them still ,heir moiher tongue. iou might'st as well. since thou art cheap, pc used for rearing calves and sheep. Alas. wha. busy memories thrOHg, DO numerous far for transient song! Our school-bnv days we oft recall When safe within thine ample hall, We in our desks were stnwed away To pass the gloomy winters day, h scrawsing straight marks, hooks and trammels, nd bending to our tasks ike camels, SNiisfalned the loug increasing weight pf scratching figures on he slate, IT working ont the snms from Daboll, While through green goggles peered each grey ,1 ,1 our tall ;en cher's alchful eyes, [ball Waiting 10 take us by snrprise, h case he found us narten,ive, 10 give us all a sound preventive; Hts long light a rm, with awful itching, hppiied most confounded switching. necal! ye not A.
 1is sceptre was not made of mullins, But of d sound and pIianf quince nat made young cuiprifs smart and wince, And held tine rest in sad terrorem, Lest they should be called up before him, 10 answer tor some misdemeannr; Well Knowing that no cut was keeper Than Peter Qnince's rod so taper, Ina. well could make him dance'and caper. And then, for rather light fences, lie tried some other moods and tenses: II once he found one chnckle.headed. That scarcely e'er could be persuaded, Io ca words spelt. by proper names. Whether his name were Bin or James,. He sat him on he dunce's s'ocl, A ridicule for all the school; And wnosoe'er refused 10 look Attentive on his reading hook, Soon had his careless profile graced With leathern specs, in comic taste. Such was the node in former days, Of teaching children wisdom's ways. Others there were who gravely taught, And pruned each little germ ot thought; But were ] 10 describe them all, Not mock Epic, large and tall As Hudbras and famed McFingail, Could well contain the long drawn glngls Of rhyme and metre necessary, To paint the scenes that ever vary With many sha des in Memory's eye That views the deeds of days gone by. What mimic forts of plastic snow, We built, to guard against the foe, With piles Of snOw.ba Is near al hand, To hurl against tli' invading band. Our sports and pasfimes, how they seem Like some departed pleasing dream! Alas old School House thou no more Their fond remembrance shalt restore. Farewell long farewell to thee Thy like we ne'er again shall see! And every time rooster crows, Or lambkm bleats, or helfer lows, Or hen doth eluck or piggie sqneai Adown our face. the tears will steal, Te think thou art degraded thus. Who once vert so endeared 10 us.
 HENRY WARD. .ifchfe13 Anrii 2l 1aYQ