The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-06-11

"V"ii'S WIN tuc very pOOTi ncVcf-laillug
stock ofpatience, Immediately commenced
u house-to house visitation, and the result
was that We hired large room in the
old-fashioned houses at / 5s a month
tor the purpose Of schoolroom. The
education was entirely free to ali comers
On our day Of opening fifteen scolars at
tended, nine girls and six boys, and the
numbers increased so rapidly that in six
weeks our average attendance was sixty
the sexes being nearly equally divided
Some idea Of the success that attended
this effort may be gathered from the
fact that when another vicar was appoin-
ted to the parish, two years afterwards,
on the death of the gentleman before
mentioned, his first acts were, at the re.
quest of several friends of education, to
engage the services of a professional mas.
ter and mistress at good salaries, and to at
once commence building large and COM
modious school premises. On their com.
pletion the scholars were removed thither
and the school placed under Government
inspection
But the growing success in the parish
in my estimation, was the night school
for males and females, children and adults
which was also free, the only requisite
qualifications being that the pupil should
De engaged in some employment during
the day. The school hour was from half.
past eight to halfpast nine every other
evening. On Sunday We had school
from three to four in the afternoon, and
so well was it attended in the early sum-
mcr months that we found the room
much too small ; so when the weather
became sutry We removed our quarters
to ncighborng yard, let to us at eigh.
teen pence for each Sunday afternoon
and held our classes in the open air
The work prospered; in few weeks our
numbers had doubled To recount the
difficulties encountered in searching after
teachers would require volume. One
said, "Oh' should be exceedingly glad
to come il your school were not in such
a dlsreputabc neighborhood." Another
excuse was, "You see live a long dis
tance from the place, and although | am
heart and soul with you in your work
yes, in yourwork -"being a large en-.
ployer of labor in the district lat starva.
tion wages, 81 must really dccllne here's
a sovereign towards the expenses The
coin was invariable rejected We wanted
men, not money. High and low, late
and early, we sought for suitable teachers
and generally found them, although :hC
search was arduons indeed.
Were | to live hundred years
should never forget the opening of that
night school. We expected about dozer
pupils, but our arrangements would ac
commodatc a hundred if requisite. Great
was my astonishment, entering the school
room little before halt-past eight, al
finding fifty or sixty of the toughest o
both sexes and Of all ages making the
most horrible noises-taking, laughing
roaring, shouting, singing stamping
screaming, yelling, jumping, humping
and few of the men and boys wer'
smoking. | began my opening address
asking them 10 be quiet, but you "ish
as well have spoken to hurricane. Th'
women regret to say, were the mos
disorderly' invariably interrupting th'
the attempts to produce something like
order by such queries as :-"What b'
zee going to give us for coming here ?
1--WE dent want no larnin' all we wan
) is meat and beer" In reply to an obser
walton Of mine to the effect that | wa
willing to be put to some Inconvenience
to serve them, the cries were eyes, yo'
looks like it-has yer gone without
dinner today" and others of a simila
character. When distinctly told then
they were not to expect any gifts for at
tending, great many of the adults .et
the room, ,uttering such awful malediction'
as will not bear repeating. | felt a LITTLE
relieved by their departure, and increas
ed my efforts to obtain order but will
very Indifferent success. One little urchin
about nine years of age, was particularly
unruly. He was bright, dark.eyed, in
telligent-looking youngster, dressed in {
fustian suit, or rather the remains of one
for his garments were all rags and tatters
his trousers scarcely reaching his knees
T He wore no shoes or stockings, nor die
he appear to own any covering for hi
head, judging from the matted appear
ancc of his black, curly hair. From tn,
corner in which he sat, with a short pip,
in his mouth, he eyed me with suprem,
!, contempt, varying his audible opinions o
my appearance and remarks by snatche
of "comic" songs ofthe coarsest character
| rather liked his look of impudence ant
, independence, and made one or two at
! tempts to silence him without avail.
Seeing that it was next to impossibl,
to obtaih order, asked if | could do any
thing more before closing the school 70
the evening.
f ayes, tell US tale" said the youthfu
, disciple Of Sir Walter Raleigh and 81
r tale, tale" was echoed on all sides
Q And a tale told them to which the,
f listened attentively; it was the old, ol'
, story, in allegorical form. of mans dis
) obedience and Divine Love. We thel
sang the doxology, and the school wa
dismissed. A few of the elder "scholars
auu oho JouhS ohc icmaiucu lor tnc pur
0 pose of y chat with me,-the young one
. the precocous youth previously spoken Of
S minus his pipe, gravely listening to every
d thing.
f He was the last to depart, and stand
q ing in the doorway, he called out, 81 say
f guv'ner, you're one of my sort, your
just about the ticket. l shall look i
Y again" And giving an approving nod
: off he darted like a frisky young animu
e escaped from some menagerie.
a The second evening following schoc
= was resumed, and about forty pupils wer
|. present on my arrival with three able as
t sistan,s had secured in the interva
i They were nothing like so noisy as at tn
e previous meeting and with the exceptio
-. 81. =