The daily gazette., 1876-06-19
Our School at Stokevi||e,
BY L.. 7.

Il
| Ephriam Mills took the boys O
| Stokeville in hand. l was ut my
post at nine O'Clock precisely
The "master' made his appearance
at halfpast nine. lie was short
potbelled little man, with n full
red face and Il head rs big and
as green rs pumkin. His little
round eyes started to the right anC
left, as wlids as an owls, as he wad
ded along in to take his throne
He wore white hat upon head
which was covered with Il proil.
sion of red hair; n bandanna hand
kerchief was about his neck; and
he sportcd a checked vest, and 4
pair of corduroy pantaloons
Mr.. Mills hung his hat upon 4
peg. He thea turned slowly
around, and calmly surveyed
the field before him. rhe school
sank at once into profound silance,
He walked across the floor and
back again, and after taking q
second survey addressed us as
follow.
Boys | have come here to
teach school. Meow, every one
on you has got To behave your
selves. | have taught school
'atorc now | tell you; and if you
behave yourselves, all will go well;
but if you don't there will be trou-
BILE! l whip terrible when I do
whip; but l am good master
when you behave. Now mind
what l tell you; you must all be-
have yourselves.
There was q subdued 'sni cker'
from one end Of the school-room
to the othcr, when Ephraim con
cluded.
'rhe next thing l shall do, con-
tinued Mills, lis to divide all on
you into classes. There is moth
ing like system in schools. And
first, L must have your names
Mr.. Mills then began at one end
Of the school room and asked the
name of every scholar in order:
in the course Of which duty a
laughable colloquy occurred.
whats your name?" said he,
to a lani Yankee boy.
"Aron."
"Spell it, if you please" said
Great A, little a, rom" an
swered the pupil, promptly.
'Ducth Ilonnes'as he was called,
q thick-headed urchin, came next.
We'll, what's your name?' inquir-
ed Mr.. Mills.
MY name, HOMES, he an
swcred.
well, how do you spell it? See
meow if you can do it as slick as
Aaron did
Great llonnes, little Homes,
ron
The laugh was decidedly against
the master.
Now said Mr.. Mills, when tn.
confusion had a little subsided. 'as
| said before, I'll divide all on you
into classes. All on YOU who
study the grammar, go together;
all on you who cypher, 90 TO-
gether; all on you who are Earn.
ing to read go;together.'
The school wheeled into divis.
sions as suddenly as a military com
pany; and the 'mastcr' seemed to
look upon US with as intense an air
of selt-superiority as Bonaparte
would have done upon an army of
new-recurited soldiers.
very WELL said Ephraim.
Now all on the grammar class
take nigh benches on the east; all
on the geography class, the high
DcncAeS Oh the west: and all O. the
reading scholars take low benches.
School 5 commenced
Schools ccmmenced!was uttered
by EpArnim with infinite authority,
accompanledby stamp Of the foot,
and whirling of the ruler, which
was absolutclyterritice. 1t had the
desired effect. Every boy was as
still and silent As though he had
suddenly been changed to stone
An hour passd, when the voice
OF Ephraim was again heard.
Third class, that sreading. class
come up to read. Bring youI
books; form a line; stand ur
straight, and speak plain.
The class struggled along up
some coughing, some blowing then
noses, some grinning, and some
leering.
Fine healthy-looking lot of
boys said Epraim, as he surveye,
them. Turn to your places
Every bOV ynt HIS thumb o,,1