The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-14
A REMINISCENCE.
THE FOLLOWING ESSAY WAS READ BEFORE
THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, SATUR-
DAY, 2Sth OF FEBRUARY, 1874, BY


In certain locality, situated in what is
familiarly styled the Garden of the Key
stone State, stood an old stone school
house, about 2Ox24 feet, with low caves,
which not very tall man might touch with
his upstretched hand.
The old school house stood directly in
the rear of a stone church and was hid by
the church from the view of passers-by on
the turnpike. The old school house had a
low ceiling and Six small windows, which
on cloudy day scarcely admitted sufficient
light to enable the pupils to pursue their
studies. The school grounds comprised
about one fourth of an acre, and surround
ell both the church and school house, and
was devoted on the Sabbath to church 60
ers and during the week as play ground
for the pupils of the day school.
Adjoining the school yard, and forming
its southern boundary, was grave yard,
at the foot of which ran the pellucid Pc
quea creek, famous skating rink in Win
ter, though at the time of which l write,
skating Kinks were not known by that
name.
There was famous coasting ground near
that old school house in those days, and
right merrily did those boys and girls en-
Joy the pleasure. And high carnival was
held around the stone walls of the school
yard, and among the trees and shrubbery
of the graveyard, where the graves were
not; for those youths were taught not to
desecrate the graves of their friends and
neighbors l well remember many of the
teachers who ruled in that house, and tried
to guide the intellect of the youth commit
ted to their charge. Rude, brawny men,
some of them were, who exercised abso-
lutte sway in their little kingdom, only by the
application of brute force. Woe to the luck
less urchin who transgressed the bloody,
iron clad code of those tyrannical mas
tiers. Luckily, I was one of the fortunate
number who escaped their KIND attentions.
But the vindictve brutality of the punish
ments, and the modes of in1cting them
were oftentimes calculated to arouse anger
both in the recipient and in the spectator.
the smaller pupils, while the larger ones
were dismissed with simple reprimand.
There was one teacher, however, that
ruled absolutely for twenty five successive
years, in the old school house, by kindness
I was his pupil during the last few years
of his administration. The latter day doc
trine, that teachers exhausted their useful
ness, in the course of year or two, and
must remove to another locality, was not
then in vogue; nor would the people of
that day have put their faith in such
creed. Infractions of school law were not
frequent under the regime of this teacher.
and the scholars were seldom punished
corporally but when the occasion arose for
its use the rod was not withheld. A single
glance of his penetrating gray eye would
awe the rebellious offender into submission,
and the smaller pupils were treated with
more lenity than the large ones. Perhaps,
much of the success of this teacher was
due to the fact that parental instruction,
and home training co-operated with, and
supplemented the teachers labors. Pub
lie schools were not organized when this
teacher commenced his reign, but he ended
his labors in his profession in the public
schools, and his labors were for the benefit
of many of that community. Even dur
ing his life he could point with pride, to
many of his pupils occupying positions,
eminent among their fellows. But his
place is now filled by others and he has
gone to reap his reward.
There was one exception, however, to
the uniform success of this teacher in
governing and training his pupils. One
boy was rebellious and refused to succumb
to the reasonable demands of his preceptor.
Reproof and remonstrance were alike I'M
availing, and the dernier resort, corporal
punshment-proved Intellectual. Then in
a feeling address, expressive of the sorrow
which filled his kind he art, he reluctantly
expelled the rebel from the school, and he
dropped out of our world. That boy was
always lad.
Those old days are gone not to return,
and those old fashioned teachers and their
methods would not be in favor now. Then,
children were taught to obey; now, they
are too often allowed to rule. But one
old fashioned mode of governing is always
new, and always in vogue; that is, the in
fluence of kindness. Another old fashion
ed mode of governing is going sadly into
disuse, both in family and school; that
mode contained in the Proverbs of the
Wise Man. Prominent among which
stands this: "Train up a child in the way
he should go, and when he is old, he will
not depart from it, The modern practice
seems to be to avoid all training, save such
as may be accidentally picked up about the
streets, or elsewhere.
There was, perhaps, necessity to refine
many of the customs in vogue at that time,
but refinement is not, necessarily, license.
Children, generally, were kept by rigorous
discipline in a cramped condition, and, till
freed from those trammels, their minds
became non elastic. They simply received
impressions, as the graver carves lines
upon HIS DiOCk. lHty, tOo olIeu, "ciS
recipients, not originators: memorizers,
not thinkers There was necessity to
change all this, and provide an education
for the masses that they shall be able to
build upon throughout their lives. That
those of MS who are not able to pay for
collegiate instruction, shall become able to
think for ourselves. But refinements are
apt to be pushed to needless extremes and
when children are not obedient and re.
spectful to lawful authority at home, they
are likely to exhibit the result of such
training in school.
The old stone school house has given
place to superb brick structure, surround
ed by grounds ample for the sports of the
children, and the house is supplied with
all the modern appliances for instruction,
and comfort. No teacher now remains
twenty-five years in the new house, in
structing two generations of youth. No
one having a sufficient variety of program