The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1860-10-17

casion. In the meantime the younger
scholars vert to sleep, while the negro
made crooked faces at the others, thereby
keeping all ti.ering except myself, who
considered the address as deeply affecting
Towards evening, friendly neishbor
called me out, and informed me that my
competitor for the school had made an ap>
the matter had been kept strictly quiet, and
| ii was then near evening, had no oppor-
tanity of electioneering, and, therefore, pre-
pared TO face an outraged constituency
The evening came, and with it the whole
male population of the district, TO whom The
affair was of momentous import. stated
the objects of the meetng-showed letter
from one of the Directors giving me The
school-and finally handed my certificates
of examination in two counties My COM
petitor had no claim on the school-had
been turned out of three examinations for
unfitness-and declined my challenge TO go
before the County Superintendent and abide
by his decision On the vote being taken,
| was unanimously installed as teacher at
Mud Swamp, by the people in mass
assembled.
II required two or three days 10 get regu-
larly started. The school house was II #
by Ii in size 1t was built great many
years ago at the cost of $40. The sides
were OF slabs, inside of which lot of tan.
bark had been filled but the inner boards
rolting, the least motion scattered the bark
over the floor. The roof was of sieve
character, and tree in the swamp afforded
more protection than it. The floor was
composed of loose, unpaned boards, which.
however, had the advantage OF being so far
apart that sweeping was Unnecessary
would step on the unsupported end of
board, and stretch my length on the floor 10
The infinite amusement OF the scholars, and
my own disgust. | seriously thought OF
yoking some of the younger ones 10 prevent
their falling through and getting lost. The
sioVe was kept up by rarl passing under
il, though extreme care had still 10 be taken
10 prevent ii from being Jared over. The
pipe was rust eaten through, and whenever
a fire was built i'll the stove, the escaping
sparks resembied falling stars. The turkeys
would sometimes ali9ht on the chimney,
and thereby throw the brick rattling down
the pipe 10 the terror of the superstilious
children, whose conscience troubled them
several occasions, on account of brick
lodging in the pipe and putting out the fire.
The seats were rough slabs, with the flat
sides up, and young sapiings stuck in for
legs in the shape OF an X. OF cour>e they
were backless, and if | teach there again |
shall have 10 get small ladder for the
smaller ones 10 ascend 10 their seats. As IT
was. | had TO keep watching them, lest,
during i stale of somnolency, they should
tail off the bench-break their Iuckless
heads-and be indicted for Infants slaugh-
ter We had an abundance of ventilation,
and some were obliged TO tack their copy
books TO the boards 10 preyen; them from
being blown away.
Alter several weeks teaching, | had
managed TO collect il about twenty scholars,
trcts. Several of them banded together
with the no: very laudabe intention OF put
Ting me OUT OF the school house. This
is time honored custom among the Mud
Swampiles, aud every one of my prede
cessors had been poked through the window
or jammed into a snow bank. Though they
were all larger than myself, | managed TO
shut one of them outside-put another under
bench, while the rest jumped out of
the window. After chasing around the
school house and through the swamp. |
caught one of them who was sticking fast
in the mud, severely punished him, aud
from that on ] had no fragrant instance of
rebellion. have not the time Eor space
TO relate how they nearly upset the school
honss-plunged me in snow-drifis, &c -
Nor how Jared in "boarding round" living
mostly on sour kraut and shpec, while cold
buckwheat cakes and molasses constituted
my dinner. AT some future time may be
seized with the spirit OF inspiration and
again jot down few of my experiences,
and then | shall dilale especially upon the
advantages of walking through slush and
snow three miles every morning and, night,
at the rate OF Twelve dollars per month,
payable in orders on the store.
A0GUsT 29th, 1860.
FATTENISG TUaKEYs.-A writer in the
Germontolrn Telegraph furnishes that journal
with The folIoxvino stafemenf s:Much has