The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-08-26

ID The fragile thing, while far on high
still scars the painted butterfly.
At length across the garden wall
.-tN 1t fits, and, beaten one and all.
Confined within the gardens space,
They turn bewildered from the chase
All mel then was II but dream
III truth butterfly did seem,
That let men chase It, each and all,
Then passed beyond their garden wall
A BOARDING-sCHooL IN 1901 in
vite you, boys and girls, to cross the wide
Atlantic, and find amusement in visiting
a boarding-schOol, or academy, of the
Olden time. "a
In the days of good Queen Bess, schools
were few and far between, as angels
visits are said to be, but in the town of
Norwich, England, there exis. ed cele-
brated training-school" for the youth
of both sexes. ~ ~
An old abbey furnished the requisite
room, and high-born maidens slept in the
cells where nuns had once repeated their
aye Morias, and were gathered by day in
a schOol-roOm which had formerly been
used as refectory or dining-hall. Sepa-
rated from this building by crumbling
stone wall of great height was the ancient
monastery, which was now transformed
into an academy for the boys of Albion.
Both buildings were well-nigh covered
with beautiful clambering ivy.
The children of that day, in dress and
appearance, were exact miniature copies
Of grown-up people.
s Queen Elizabeth numbered three
thousand robes in her wardrobe, and the
daughters of noblemen carried with them
to school from thirty to three hundred
dresses, according to the wealth and
station Of their parents.
Young misses of six and ten years of
age wore trains on important occasions,
and, at all times, appeared in long,
pointed waists, with deep rufles around
the neck. Silk robes were embroidered
with serpents, and birds, and ostriches,
in bright colors. Handkerchief were
trimmed with gold lace and sometimes
ornamented with a dozen solid gold or
silver buttons, which must have been
particularly nice for young noses.
Sleeves were worn separate from the
dresses, and often Of different material.
Ladies' and children's boots were made
with heels two inches high, which were
called pantofes, and both boots and
slippers were frequently trimmed with
artificial flowers.
Young lads, also, wore sleeves of large
size and gay colors. Wigs had not, in
1870, become fashionable for children,
but their hair was often dyed. Carriers
were worn conspicuously by men and
boys, and were test of rank and fashion.
1t is on record that these articles, for
state occasions, sometimes cost "four
score pound a pair" equal to some three
hundred and fifty dollars of our money.
The tops of boots were of embroidered
linen, and shirts were often embroidered
in gold thread. In such apparel as this,
the school-boys of that day played leap
frog and hunt the slipper, and other
ancient games.
The beds were the only comfortable
articles of furniture then known, and
were frequently of such size as to accom-
modate from twelve to twenty persons.
Thus, a teacher could sleep with all his
pupils around him.. How would you
like that, boys? One specimen of these
bedsteads, the great bed of Ware-of
which Shakespeare makes mentiOn-is
still preserved in England as curiosity,
and was, at one time, the property of the
late Charles Dickens.
flashes and stews formed the principal
food set before the school-children whose
mode of life we are depicting, and, as
forks were not brought from Italy till
1880, and did not come into general use
for fifty years, they ate their stews and
bashes with the aid of pewter spoons and
their fingers.
Table linen was unknown, but on feast
days narrow strip of Turkey carpeting
extended the length of the dining-table,
this being the only purpose for which
carpeting was used when first brought to
England. BUSHES were scattered upon
the floor, and the remains of each meal
were thrown down to the dogs upon these
rushes, which were renewed, as history
tells us, three or four times q year!
And now, perhaps, you will inquire
what were the studies pursued by the
pupils of Norwich Academy in the year
1910?
Education was esteemed of much less
Importance than dress and amusements,
and, therefore, we mention this topic last
of all, in our account of the "goOd old
times"
The boys were taught "Latin, Greek,
and figures" but we are told that the
young ladies could scarcely read. EN-
broidery and working tapestry was the
principal occupation of the fair sex, and
the schoolgirls were taught to prepare
physic and make pastry; to dry herbs
and bind up wounds; to make banners
and scarfs, and to be obedient to their
fathers, brothers, and lords"
Early marriages were frequent, and
many of these Norwich schoolgirls we're
welded wives, whose education must be
completed before they were taken home
to keep the keys and cut the bread, and
rule retinue of servants-duties which
would be required of them in the castles
of their husbands.
Knitting became customary about this
time, and on the occasion of the visit of
Queen Elizabeth to Norwich, 1870, eight
young girls walked in the procession that
welcomed her, knitting yarn hose, which
were then great curiosity.
| Having thus ransacked the annals OF
the past to bring before you this picture
Of the school-children of the olden times,
we humbly submit to your consideration,
young readers Of the Sc. Nicholas the
question, whether our republican boys
and girls are not more highly favored,
more sensibly dressed, and better edu-
Gated in every respect in our schools to-
day, than were the children of English
mobiles, with all their wealth, power, and
prestige, three hundred years ago ?-St.
Nicholas.
| [W EWTF UvNg UR
FABLE OF THE RAIN-DRoP.-There
was once farmer who had large field
of corn; he plowed it and planted the
corn, and narrowed and weeded it with
great care and on this field he depended
for the support ofhis family. But after
he had worked so hard, lie saw the corn
began to wither and droop for want OF
rain; he thought he should lose his
crop. He feltvery sad, and went every
| Jo,r ~ Lob M b;a corn and Gao IL fbsra