The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-10-20
BOARDING AROUND.
Exp eriences of the schooimuster In his
..ra Transitory Homes.

q
n Transitory Homes.
lFrom the Methodist
When il was customary for school
teachers to board among the employers,
was among the happy boarders.
The advantages of the system were 30
MANY and 30 apparent to THESE who
sometimes used in their large fire places
stone "back- logs" and iron fore-sticks,
that il was not the " thing of day." but
condition of things that lasted several
years, and passed away like some other
usages of the olden time.
There was no trouble in inquiring for
place to board the teacher; ne words
about price or pay for board; no fault to
find with any, but merely to ind where
the family lived that was ready to "board
the teacher" WAS AN that was necessary,
and that was done by going home with
the children after school. As We went
over the hills, or through the woods, the
children would relate what they thought
would please or surprise me, and did
tho same to them. Kattlesnakes and
other tribes of the serpent family lived
among the rocks, and large blue buckle
berries grew on the bushes. We picked
the berries and killed the snakes. Vari-
ETY. spiced this kind of itinerant life.
More than necessary preparation was
often made when families expected the
teacher TO board with them tor a week.
On reaching their homes the children
would first show II @ what interested
them-their water wheels or rabbit
traps; after entering the house, their
books, especially any that had pictures
ON, or were presents.
Pleasant evenings were passed In many
families in conversation and helping the
children along in their lessons for the
next day the room was made cheerful
bv tallow candles and blazing fire OF
pine knots.
With some families the grinding of
the coffee in the morning was the signal
bell to arouse and have us get ready for
breakfast. At one place, after going
down stairs AMI out of doors little
while, / motioned as though wanted
some water to wash, and asked the man
of the house where l could wash.
"Down to the brook" he said, pointing
in that direction and down to the brook
I went, where was plenty OF water,
washed and returned, seeing that was
the way they did. Sometimes trout from
the streams would be the fare, venison
from the forest, or silver cells from the
Delaware, Sullivan county. House
keepers knew how to prepare these for
the plate and the palate, and once they
gave me some of bruins beef, as l was
pleased to call it, which was procured at
some risk of life. A good sized black
bear left his tracks on the snow so plainly
as to arouse hunters valor, who with
his rifle pursued the bear to his retreat
in large hollow tree, in which he was
safe for the time there was 10 getting
mt him there. 70 start him out, the
hunters boy, who was one OF my scholars,
pounded the tree with an ak, until the
bear climbed to the top to survey the
coast, and see who was disturbing him
in this way. This was the hunters OPP.
portunity With good aim he sent up
the ball that gave poor bruin bleed ing
heart, after which it was safe and easy
to get him down and divide him up in
liberal portions among the neighbors !;
and that was how / came to taste the
qualities of bruins beef.
One of my best boarding places WAS at
a log house, not a cabin, but a good
house, where lived a sturdy Presby-
terrain deacon, with large, interesting
family. To reach the house his boys
would row me across the Delaware river,
where we jumped on the bank, and soon
found our way where 1 always liked to
go. The deacon always had hearty
way of shaking hands, with something
ready to say that was worth hearing.
He had his rules without their being in
writing or in scolding. In that family
there was order and kindness. The
children played and worked, or learned
at home If they pleased, till they were
several years old, strong and healthy,
before they went to school, as some of
them did to me, beginning at the alpha
bet and it was easy for them to begin,
and soon go by others who had been to
school almost from their infancy. 1t
seemed little strange TO noe to find that
this hardy old Presbyterian deacon was
In thelhabit of reading, by course, with
the Bible, Clark's Commentary. OF
course he read SCOTS and other books
with thepapers In his family the day
was begun with reading the Scriptures
and prayer, and closed with prayer.
One of his sons, after knew him, was
an able editor of paper, and Governor
of one of the Western States. This dea-
con wanted all the children to be edu
Gated, and the churches to thrive. He
gave me many an encouraging word.
A different man from him one day saw
me pass on my way up to the school
house, and to neighbor expressed his
regrets that so many persons of health,
with limbs ell sound and able to do hard
work, were employed to teach in the
schools so much loss to the country !
Schools we're well enough, he said, but
should be taught by those who were
crippled in some way-who could do
nothing else very well. This poor man
could work, but he could not read.
Still pleasant in my memory are some
others of my experiences IN :" boarding
around" The system win probably not
be revived during this incoming cen
fury, unless some new continent is dis
covered.