The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-11-15
Recollectiona Ofthe piatriot School,

of Elementary Knowledge, we trod
the well.worn paths which led to the
"district school," for, bo II known,
our adolesOont ideas received their
frst instructions In tho target excr
eises in country school house, al |
though an editorial rival once insiuu,
O.cd that we had not enjoyed the ru.
dimcnts offs common school educa-
tioni weak invention Of the enemy.
Well do we remember the turbu.
lent Joy Of the "low seats" the audi
bic appreciation of the "Ligh seats, ("
and the delighted litter Of the "big
girls" when the master ANNOUNCED,
eOndcsccndingly, that he would open
the school house that evening for
spelling school. The master brings
his "ferril" down on the desk very
hard to restore order, aud then direct
ing all the largest scholars to "bring
candles,' the school is dismissed in
an uproar Of gladness. 81
Night comes and the school house
lis brilliantly illuminated by means of
the tallow candles brought from homo
--some Of them surreptitiously OBJ.
tanned, which are placed in the ends
Of long pine sticks prepared for the
purpose.
We can recall more than ono occa-
sion when those primitive candle
holders formed. ready weapons iu the
hands Of the beligerontly inclined, as
when for instance, scholars from RI
val district came to our spelling
school determined If they couldn't
outspell usSto "cloan us out" We
remember particularly rough delcga
ton who used to come from the "Bap.
tist neighborhood," ;" and who gave us
a good deal Of trouble, They were
equally at homo with the spelling
book or a shellalah; could take a
hand at ''spelling down" or knock
ing down"
The mode adopted for spelling was
to "choose sides'--that is, two schol-
ars, appointed by the master, chose
alternately until the scholars were di-
vided into two equal divisions, whom
the master 'put out words" first to
one side then to the other, record
being kept Of the misses. The side
missing the fewest words in a given
number was declared the victor.
There used to bo good deal Of
caucusing in the GENTRY before the
school opened, between choosers aud
certain susceptible youths who were
anxious to be chosen next their
swect-hcarts--for boys at district
schools have sweet. hearts, as VIC TO.
member well, If that little rustic
beauty does not, whose black eyes
pierced our tender heart through a
uItian jaeket--who promised to love
us for an incredible length of time,
but who, afterwards married butcher
in good circumstances.
Spelling down" followed the OK
ercise Of spelling in divisions, and the
ono who succeeded in spelling down
the whole school was indeed hero,
ICandor compels us to say that wc new
err got TO be hero. II was our fate
to stick ON one Of those easy appear
ing words, ingeniously disguised, We
used to think, to entrap echool-boys.
Our simple and con6ding nature uev-
er dreamed that " "t-i-a-z.i,c F" would
not spell phthisic, 90 wo had to yield
the floor. p4
4 Sometimes the spelling school
wouudup with declamations and dia-
logues, which invariably drew good
houses. Proud and admiring mothers
were there, to view with pride the
performance ofsuckihg Cieeros, who
were to food the world with oratoriC
talent when they greWup, (only some
how they did'nD and sweethearts tc
reward with smiles tho histronic Of
forts of their boyish lovers.
; What deolaimers We we're. Sir
John Moore was hurried over the ram
, parts without drum being heard OF
! funeral note New England's dead,
New EDglaad's dead" >" we're yividly
! represented lying on every hill in
!. WestmOreland we came "to bury
! Cmser not to praise him (" butcher
/ ing Shakespeare and busying Mark
2 Antony beyond a resurrection ! a lisp-
!, ing orator of eight summers, and .
:, Igood many falls, makes a trembling
request that you pity the sorrows Of
! . poor old man"
. "Rhodsrick Dhu " is one Of the
standard plays on these occasions
= having enjoyed successful run Al
!. the country school houses in America
When the curtain, consisting Of the
!, |. girls shawls pinned together and
+ strung upon cord, is drawn, snG
RhOderick is discovered pleeping-
with both eyes staring at the papel
bullets on the ceilings ten-pir
/ might be heard to drop in any part Q
J, the house.
!. When l,a Il ronaad hv tha anfr,no.