The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-03-18
OBED AS A SCHOOL DIRECTOR.

Il WndJ tiioy WanVeu W bppOluI me, ODe-
diah Smith school director for What did
know about education, generality To
be sure I'd been to school in Batesville,
every winter since was ten years old, and
cut up as many shines, and tux as many
tloggings and got as much learning as the
other boys, except Lawyer Morton and
Squire Bliss-never had, so much figure
head as them fellers. AS for the grammar,
l never did think it any great go, and as
told Sally Ann, what possessed the fools to
elect me school director, couldn't see.
Well, Sally Ann, says she: "Now, Obed
Smith, don't make pesky fool of your
self / reckon you kin jest meet with the
rest and hold up your head as big as any of
'em, and if you amt as good a scholard as
Tim Bates and Joel Barker it's tarna
pity, that's all"
Now, always hev done jest as Sally
Ann said ever since we were married.
Amazin' smart woman, Sally Ann is. If it
hadn't been for her, don't know as I'd
hev got married to this blessed day. You
see, she kept kinder hintin' and hintin',
telling what long distance twas tween
the two farms, and what amazing sight of
horse flesh might be saved and how them
lazy farm servants was wastn' my sub
stance in riotous livin', till l jest got riled
up and asked her if shed hev me. "Sar-
tin" says she, as cool as a cucumber, ''and
much obliged inter the bargain" Well,
as | was sayin' seein' how was in for it,
and was legally appointed one of the school
directors, concluded as to how I'd hev to
sarve. Things went purity smooth at first.
The last teacher had been gone some time,
and the school house shet up, and I'd jest
begun for to think twas no great shakes to
be school director, after all when up
walks Tim Bates one day and says he:
"We calkerate it's about time to open the
school house agin the directors are goin'
to meet at four o'clock this afternoon to
elect teacher; now, be up to time, Obed,
says he. / was tuck all aback, you'd bet
ter believe. My hair literally stood on
end. "Now, Tim, you're joking" says
1. Honor bright" says he. "But look
here, Tim," says l, "thereis plenty of you
without me. don't keer a'durn who you
get for the pesky school, SO jest go ahea
without me-" "No, sir'ee," says he
"every director has got to be there, and
Obed Smith among the rest," and off he
started whistling Yankee Doodle so loud
that you never did see. jest uDhitched
the hosses and started for hum. "Sally
Ann" says /, "it's come-the day of judg-
ment's come" and then jest bust out a
laughin'. "You're a fool" says she.
"You're another" says l, and was jest
ready for an all-fired row, when she said as
sweet as honey Now, Obed, jist finish
up the chores and come in to dinner, and
don't go to gettin' all tuckered out afore
you go. For my part, wonder what gals
| applied. don't know none 'thout it's Sal
Bates and Lib Wilkins, and reckon !
know as much as them critters" says she.
"It seems to me Belle Winthrop was say
ing some lady from the city wanted it
but law-a-massa, what she'd want to come
| from Bosting clean out to Batesville for, is
more'n / ken tell. To be sure, eighteen
dollars month is good pay-more'n we've
ever given afore or will agin, reckon
and then she fell to thinking, and / went a
tearing out Of the house in way that was
caution. Well, jest about four o'clock,
started for that old brick school house
Sally Ann, she'd been up in the garret and
brought down all the old books she could
lay hold on, and on top of all was Webster's
great humping dictionary. There she'd
been from eleven o'clock till four hunting
out questions for me to AK the school marin
No need of folks thinking you're a foo
if you are" says she, kinder snappish
"Now, jest ask her to spell phthisic-that
used to be the hardest word when went
to school, but I've been looking for some.
thing harder and I've got it TO. Here it's
metempsychosis," says she, that's pos
er, '-and then pronounced and pronoun
ced it till was in perfect sweat. "Now
I've written all the questions and answers
down, so you'll know if she answers right
or wrong" says she, "here's one of 'em.
How high is the tower Of Pisa" and ther
she gave me the paper. Well, as was
sayin', at four o'clock / started. The clocl
was too fast, Or walked fast, or somethin
for when got there, there want living
thing in sight, except little rosy checked
girl sitting on one of the benches as de.
mure as could be. She kinder bowed al
she seed me, and says l, "Little girl, die
you want anything particulars We're
going TO havea school meeting here thl