The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-15
FREED CHILDREN IN WASHINGTON

They were queer enough, those first
schools, seven years ago. Everybody
wanted to come, and we could not make
the older people understand that they
were intended only for children. So,
gray-headed men and women came, and
poured oyer the primer through their
spectacles. Parents and children stud
led together from the same book; for
old and young alike had to "begin at
the beginning" and learn their letters,
or, as they called it, their A B C's. We
would sometimes ask of newcomers
who had mastered the alphabet, "Do
you know your letters2" and invaria-
bly, they would answer, "No, mann,
dunno dat ar, but knows my A B c."
Soldiers came in when they were off
guard" to "read verse;" Patients
from the hospital came in their gray
knit dressing gowns. Women came
with their babies and while they stud
led their lesson, let the youngsters chew
the corner of the book to keep them
quiet. A man would come in, and put
ting down an ak or a saw by the door,
say that he "jes come in for few min
utes to git lesson, an would de lady
be so kim jes ter show him how ter cut
his name on q slate" That was their
expression for writing.
Then, once in while, there would be
a regular stampede. A bugle would
sound, and the soldiers would start I'D
and march out with military step, their
heavy tread shaking The building. The
hospital bell would ring, and away the
gay dressing gowns would go, Tapping
and fiuttering like flock of turkeys,
perhaps in the middle of lesson. Or
o baby would cry and the mother would
have to drop her book and carry it
home. Sometimes there was SO many
babies that the room looked more like
q nursery than school. Children who
had little ones left in their charge while
their parents were at wark, brought
them to school rather than to stay away
themselves. Two or three came regu-
larly with baby and a emp of hominy.
They would. roll the baby in a shawl
and lay it on the floor, and once in a
while take it up and feed it with homi-
ny, giving it an occasional shake to
make it swallow faster.
You wonder they could learn any.
thing in such a place, amid so much
confusion and irregularity. where
children had the will, and 1t was won
derful what they accomplished.
AS soon as the children had learned
to write little, they developed per-
feet passion for writing letters to their
teachers. They frequently took this
method of making known their wants.
The usual plan was to write the letter
on their states with their lesson, to
make sure OF its being noticed. 1 once
returned a slate rather hastily, after
looking at the figures, and the owner, a
boy, handed it back, remarking, "Dar's
q letter un'erneaf." And read:
mi DEAR TEEcHUR luv you pleese
give me A pare of panckS."
He had been overlooked in the dis
tribution of clothing, and this was to
: remind me OF the fact. Whatever this
! epistle lacks, it certainly possesses the
rare merit of being short and to the
point.
In Washington met with the only
: child 1 ever saw who really could no,
/ learn. He was bright enough about
, work or play, but seemed absolutely
incapable OF learning anything In
: school Having tried every way ia
= teach him his letters, without success, ]
asked one day IL he would not like to
! learn to spell his name. He said Etyes,
and seemed to brighten up little. So
, l printed on the slate a big b, then an
. and so on, till he had Billy before him
= After working several days with this
, L said, NOW, can't you spell Billy, and
, point out the letters!'
"Yaas'm." But with no attempt to dc
: it.
5 well" ! said, ''ler me hear you
1 Spell Billy"
"T-h-e, Billy"
Finding that this result of months
: teaching was not entirely satisfactory
Q he thought q while, then said, "KiI
+ spell it 'noder way"
: SWELL, try once more. Now call eacl
letter as point to it."
"H-a-m, Billy" s-
This final effort not being received
|. with the unmixed appreciation tina
o Billy considered his due, he gave up il
disgust, shook the dust of the school
room from his feet and few days af
IS forwards hailed me from dirt cart
# which he was driving at break-necI
"a speed down Pennsylvania Avenue
Pulling his horse up with q Jerk, which
y IL he did not dislocats the animal
l. neck, was sufficient to have done so, b
p shouted to me, attracting the attentioI
: of all the passers-by.
"Aint gwine ter school no mo
Don't like it. Likes dis here heap BET
N ter. But kin spell Billy now. The
r Billy. Comm ter see yer some day
II Git up"
!. And the cart ratified down the stree
with Billy triumphantly ereet-the rag
of his Jacket and the rim of his ha
tapping in time with the motion.