Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-08-31

SyhPutiy loI the slch, yet cToWuihS lHto
the profession for the sake Of the higher
pay.
That is just the case with our schools
to-day. Girls are everywhere studying for
teachers, to secure the better pay, when
they have neither love nor capacity for
the work.
There has been still worse result:- =
so much legislating for the protection Of
teachers has produced dislike and hostili-
ty in the minds Of taxpayers and parents
through the State, so now the natural
teacher, who has not already been driven
from the field, finds her path hedged by
an almost impossible barrier of antagonism,
and a want Of that sympathy between
parents and teacher without which dis
trict school is worthless.
Not long since, while passing neat
school-house the noise on the play ground
drew my attention. The pupils were
breaking up ano fashioned kitchen chair,
and at every broken round or slat they
cried out, "Poor old Hunks !" "Another
bone gone - "Shell out, old Hnnks =" &c.
| had occasion to visit 'old Hunks, found
him working, saving farmer, one
of class quite numerous half century
ago, but now alas. fast thinning its ranks
before the march Of improved liberaIi.
tyGD. .l. b..
The old man told me he paid nealry a
third Of the school expense in the district
adding with some bitterness, land every
little urchin knows it, and all the extra
expense they can make in the shape Of
broken chairs, pals, &C., they call bleed
ing old Hunks Last winter as [ passed
one cold day, they had the windows anC
doors AL open to let out the surplus heat
this was sweating old Hunks
"a few yeas ago | was taxed to buy s
big dictionary; last winter ! saw it witt
one side ,oru of, kicked about for foot
ball.
I'm the good Old times, ghon my chill
dren were going 10 school, it was the duty
Of the big boys and girls to keep the
school-rdom clean; my boys and girl.
were always eager for the work, but now
you'll see neighhor O.'s girls, strutiinl
along to school in the latest city fashions
hats tipped over their noses, aud switches
hanging dowu their backs, but not one 0.
'em can scrnb or mop; and for the past
years, my tax, just for keeping the room
clean, for those great lazy gals, has beer
from 8 to 4 dollars. Now while my wife
and were working hard saving, and ed
ucatiug oar 8 children without asking OIL
accepting aid, the father of the girls wa'
dancing about the streets in kid gloves
running in debt wherever he could ge
trusted, working when he could get grea
wages, playing and drinking the rest o
the time. He owes me for borrowed
money lent him % years ago, yet I'm now
called upon to give his children a far more
expensive education than gave my own
and he is the very man that is Away
talking Ioudest about paying more and Sc
eurieg better teachers The with nothing
but his poll-tax to pay.
Last summer we let him try, so he
hired Mrs. Ms dandy and our schoo
cost overS dollars per week, and dwlndlec
from ! 5 scholars down to 3, so much fol
paying more and securing better teach
ers.' For my part, I'm sick Of the whole
subject, and would give more for a gooc
old-fashioned school, where children were
taught to read and spell, than for dozer
of these Tippy Harry affairs; besides III
my notion governmesit has 40 right to in
terfeEe in the way it has done; 'tls bu
teaching children wasteful, ,extravgant hab
its, instead of 4old-fashioned economy anc
justice; It's but paying premium to idle
ness aud dissipation" '
Now old Hunks is not the only one whC
has been exasperated while watching
events, and to complete the climax of pro
gocations, See. Rhnkln in his Thirteenth
Annual Report, page 3S, recommend
compelling the attendance Of our children
on such schools, even by the appointment
of a vigilance committee Of ladieS in eacl
district" An, that reminds me so forci
bly, Of one Of memory's pictures, photo
graphed in days Of ''hoardng round! !
Pater famiias before the fire greasinl
boots; mischievous urchin dipping a 6nge
in the lampblack and just tipping his sire
nose; sire in voice Of anger commhhd
ing his mcek-eyed wife, "Liza, this younI
'pn Is getting impertinent; do you g
right out doors, get stick and give him
hard aogging."
We'll, fer my part, l, a tax-payine
non-citizen, would like. to use the Sec.
own language and say, Were it not fo
thcsceming presumption which il tbcspeak'