The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-12
CHAPTER IL.

FIRST Gong to School.
Twas born in the year 1925, on the banks of
the river Bann, two miles from Rathfriland, in
county Down. Ban in Celtic signifies hand
some, and the river well deserved the name.
Its clear waters flowed along a pebbly bed
The active pike and spotted trout sported in its
stream Its sloping banks waved the whole
summer long with green corn, (oats,) which in
that cool climate is sown in April, and harvest
ed in September or October. Its holmes flats J
were white with webs of fine linen, bleaching
for the foreign market. And the graceful swan
venturing up from Tough Neagh, sometimes
= Rathfriland was a market town. The first
syllable, "Rath," indicates that it was once the
residence of Celtic chief, and the ruins of an
old fort or castle points to the same fact.
AS far back as can remember, had two
elder brothers, Hugh and William, attending
school, with a teacher named McIlwain. When
they would return, my inquiry often was, "Wur
was the common answer, "when ] wud be done
sayin ma lesson, the masther wud tex me up
and bate me till We wud hear me cryin at Deb
by Hannas." Where Debby Hanna lived
did not know, but l supposed it was at least a
quarter of a mile from the school and | would
not go to him. At length, through the exertion
of the Kildare Place Society in Dublin, the
common schools were placed OH a better foot
ing, and Mr.. McIlwain had to yield his place to
James Moore.
The FIRST morning he came to school, my
father took me on his back, and started with
my two brothers for the school. Every man
he met, he asked, "Is the new marsther come
YETI" till the uniform answer, /" Ay," assured
me that all was right, for | was under serious
apprehensions that the old one might be there
yet But now got in high spirits, as we'll |
might, for my pockets were full of hard oaten
cake. had handsome paddle, with the al
phabet pasted on it, and l had some idea my
father would stay with me all day, In this ex-
pectation ! was doomed to grieyous disap-
pointment; but it was not the only disappoint-
ment experienced, both in school and out of it.
The school-house was respectable slate
covered brick building, with an earthen floor
Long desks, with seats attached to them, reached
from one side of the house to the other, merely
leaving room enough at one end for walk all
along one side Of the house. One end of the
schoo-house contained an open space for reel
tation, with fireplace, and a desk for the
teacher. Each class occupied single long
desk; and there they sat- in the order of merit
the best scholar sitting next the aisle, and the
| worst next the wall. Whenever he called a
class, it filed out went up to the teachers desk
and recited. Whoever missed word, and
was corrected by another, yielded his place to
| his superior. Returning, the lower end of the
class took the lead, and entered the seat first
Books, states, pencils, and paper, were supplied
| by the school, and the price included in the
school bill, or perhaps it came frop nabiie
| fund.
All this was great improvement on the old
| system, when every boy brought his own book
l L.. IL IL L. Il
a happy thing that novels wore scarcer then
| pal sahool.books. A few brought primers and
spelling books, some brought Rihles and Tesla
ments and far more hrought ballads or story
books. It was nothing unusual to bring the
| Westminster Catechism to school first learn
the letters in it, then spell and read it through
and afterwards commit it to memory. / knew
one man who did so, and, having changed his
creed, it was his great delight to argue agains,
its doctrines, yet it was eyidpnt he never under
stood them,
| If the teacher could find enough with one
book to form class he might do 90; but com
monty they recited one by one. They carried
| the Independent principle 30 far in some
schools, that every boy brought his own seat
| If he had one to bring; and If he had none, he
could sit on the floor. When they learned to
| write, q board placed across the knees served
for writing desk. Whoever had an inkstand
held it in his left hands and whoever had none
| borrowed from his neighbor, sometimes walk
ing across the Aoor for every pen-full of ink
Every scholar studied aloud the one that was
reciting spoke little louder, and the teache,
| loudest-so that the schoolroom sometimes
resembled miniature tempest,
But although our syssem was a great i'm
weary business, going to school. There VIC
sat, six long hours, without noon or recess. /
| any one were hungry, he might eat bite Al
any time. By asking permission, he might &c
out; but that permission was only granted ones
or twice o day, and that but tardily. 1t il
true we got walking up to the teachers sea-
Eve times q day, which was q great relief; bu
there was no mental exercise, such as question,
in arithmetic, to call our minds into play, moth