Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-05-05

ed unto me in this age Of the world,
which needeth Interpretation, Listen,
We supervisors, and | will rehearse it
unto you.
| dreamed, or fancied | was a little
child, five years Of age, and for the first
time, had started, with my spelling book
and dinner in small basket, for the
district school. The morning was fair
and the schoolhouse less than mile
from my home so, ON / trudged, elated
with the hope of soon being classed
among those who seek knowledge, from
books and wisdom, from common schools.
The distance was soon compassed. |
stood upon the doorsill and looked visit
fully into the school room. 1t was va
cant, where's the scholars and teacher,
| asked of the silent room ? And voice
said unto me, go home child, thou art
not old enough to leave thy mothers
teaching yet. Taxes are high, and land
is cheap. The wisdom of the hour saith,
but one school is needed in a town the
children must be ten years of age, and,
if possible, sir feet and nineteen inches
tall, corn-fed and healthy, and walk six
miles day, and then they may be adj
mitted to all the advantages which the
one graded school Shall provide for the
pupils thereof.
So home trudged again, and waited
five years; then, being ten years old,
though not of full statue, | set forth
again for the town graded school. How
short the distance seemed, only five
miles, up hill and down, and i stood
again on the threshold OF a school house.
Again looked in upon vacant seats
and silent walls, and again, as before,
called for teacher and scholars, and
the voice replied unto me as before,
Taxes are high, and land is cheap,
go home child, and wait another five
years, we have found that the farther
children have to go to school the better
scholars they become, so we have con-
solidated the towns, and now have only
one school in a county, which admits no
children under fifteen. Go home, learn
your lesson at home FIVE years longer
then come to the Court House, and thou
shalt surely find admission to the ranks
of those who seek knowledge from the
] schools.
Disappointed, but not discouraged,
l turned homeward and waited another
five years and then set out for the shir,
town Of the county. In almost no time
l walked the twenty miles from home t.
the promised goal of my youthful ambi
ton. reached the court house just a:
the town clock struck nine. / entered
but the place was silent as a chaIne
house. No living thing gave audience
there, save that solitary voice that haunt
ed every place wherein | had heretofor,
sought entrance as a scholar. And vel
again the voice bade me turn back ant
wait, for five more years must pass ere
could enter school, for taxes were higl
and land was cheap and, furthermore
| the counties had consolidated, and Their,
was but one school in the state, and thai
was kept in the State House. Why
Because the farther farm is from
school house the greater will be the val
ne of said farm, and the better able tn,
farm will be to produce strong, athletic
scholars at such range from school.
Thus answered, home / went in trie,
and waited and went again, for l had be
come famous WaLker by this time, ant
counted neither time nor space worth
minding. When l reached the capita
of the state and sought entrance to tht
State House, the same stereotyped greet
ing awaited me that | had met at eacl
place whittier had gone in search of /
school, "taxes are high and land i
cheap" therefore, to abate the one ant
enhance the volue of the other, tn
states have consolidated and hereafte
will hold but one school in the country
and that at Washington, d. c., so rul
home and wait until you are twenty an,
five years of age, then mayest thou go 1
Washington and learn all that thou de
} sirest. waited and went, but, as
neared the capitol, in which expecte,
j.. to find the long desired fount of know
+. edge flowing freely for all, behold, fac
looked out from the door upon me whic
: was very terrible to behold, and be
+ lowing, horrible to hear, greeted my ear
! Now the face of the creature was lik
unto the face of him that tolled the bel
because he could pull" when "Coc
q Robin died by the fatal arrow of tn
}. sparrow, and his bellowings were Xix
: the bellowings of such an one, awful t
!. hear. And when | asked what meanet
: this uproar and where is the school, tina
I. haunting voice replied, there is no school
I