Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-10-02
BY A SCHOOL TEACHER.

sY A SCHOOL TEACHER.
1t is no uncommon thing foe one to write
ones experience in this, that and the
other. Agricultural papers are filled with
accounts of the different ways A, B and G
have of managing their farms; and our
thrifty housewives often write to the Tran
script about the pleasures and trials ol
housekeeping. Why shouldn't the school
teacher write her experienced
Perhaps mine might serve to correct the
mistaken idea some people, especially
parents, seem to have. that teaching their
little darlings the hill of knowledge" is
nothing but II pleasure,
Well, at the age of sixteen, having con-
ceived much the same idea, 1 hired out in
a country town. which, for convenience,
we will call Dunton, to teach for the fabu
ous sum of one dollar and fifty cents each
week, with the agreement to board
around"
On the morning of the twenty-ffth day
OF April, no matter what year, a very mys-
tilted looking young lady might have been
seen standing on the steps Of the small
building which the citizens of said district
called the "school olus," wondering where
her scholars were, for but six had mad,
their appearance. That person was myself,
Esther Hopeful.
After waiting some time inquired OF
The oldest girl why more had not come.
and was very much aslonished ut her i'm
swcr that they were all there
As soon rs recovered flom my surprise
| rang the bell, concluding that the proper
way TO commence a school.
My scholars seated themselves in one
corner of the schoolroom and | took my
$ sand before them, trying 10 look as 'gni-
tied us possible, and assigned their lessons
for the day, when l suddenly found myself
out of employmtnt, and was obliged to
wait for them to be learned
After waiting the longest half hour !
ever experienced, heard two recilatiuns,
then happening TO think | had but two
more TO hear during the forenoon. and
rea izing that it would not do to dismiss
srhool ut eleven O'Clock or even ut half
past eleven, as the people of Dunton were
very particular about the time The teacher
>prnt IN the srhOOlroum, | seated myself
and waited perhaps fifteen minutes Gl
seemed an hour to me thrn), then called
The next class. | made the recitation as
long rs | could, though not having ha,
much experience killing time it did not
take many minutes. Then | waited again
until ten minues before twelve, heard my
last class, AID dismissed school at twelve.
Telling my scholars to come again at
one, | started on foot for my boarding
pace, which was situated nearly mile
from the schoohouse. When | arrived
there WAS welcomed into the kitchen b,
Mrs. Green, the lady of the house, who in.
formed me before had fairly laid aside
my hat and shawl that | must take my
dinners with me hereafter, as Jacob, her
husband, must have his dinner exactly at
twelve O'Clock, and she could not keep the
table in the floor to wait for me- Being
of an ofliging disposition, for three weeks
during the whole time boarded there,
took my luncheon wrapped in piece OF
brown paper with me in the morning and
ate it ut the schoolhouse at noon.
returned to my school at one o'clock
spent the afternoon in much the same man.
ner as | had the forenoon, dismissed again
) at four o'clock, and returned to my board
ing place, feeling Il little discouraged and
, IL good deal homesick
Mrs. Green Informed me one morning
that She thought the people in the district
would be better satisfied if | would have
an intermissiou of only one half hour III
noon and dismiss my school earlier al
night. Wishing to please the people, il
possible, | did so. The second day afie
ward the agent came to me and complain
ed that was not giving the children hal
; time enough to rest, and said he wanted
me to give them an hour and a half. A.
his word was law, the time was changed
again much to the disgust of Mrs. Green
l learned valuable lesson from this
that it it impossible to please everybody
and ever afterwards, | have endeavored t.
please myself first, than am sure that one
at least is suited.
After had stopped two weeks and thre,
+ days in Mr. Green's family,) | will ex
j plain here that five days were considered
' week. for | was expected TO go hom,
every Friday night and not return unit
Monday morning), Mrs. Green told mi
u that they had boarded their part, lackin!
$ one meal, and that she would send m,
l. dinner to school, but ut night must go nj
o to Seth Browns and take nv supper, the'
l. having agreed to " board" next.
'' went accordingly, and was here mad
Is welcome by Mrs. Brown, very pleasan
r lady, who seemed to imagine that | wa
II us much interested in the doings of th
e neighborhood us she was, and every nigh
o | was obliged to listen to long recita
8 about the peruliarities of Mrs. Green
'l Smith or somebody else. Excepting thi
n | liked Mrs. Brown very much.
q When | had boarded there the exac
n l1np nF lnuc I l;,x,ny,l -,
Q other call from the agent" who inform
IS ed me that had not boarded long enoug
q with Mr.. Green, that must 90 back ther
Ii and take five meals. He said he had see
J. Samantha MRS. Green.) and she ha,
o agreed, after making considerable talk, t
e let me come back. | went very reluctant
! ly and found Mrs. Green in no very goo
Is humor. In the course of the evening sh
o remarked that she thought my scholar
q spent too much time in readin' and COG
IL raphy, and that she wanted her sons t
o drop these branches and attend more /
IL 'rithmetic.
d remembered the lesson had receive
l. the first of the term, and told her that
IL should manage my school to suit myself.
e This OF course aroused her rather III
e governable temper, so she kept Peter au
es Jimmy at home for the rest of the tern
d saying if they couldn't study 'rithmeti
II they should not study anything. will ST,
n here that Mrs. Green had never visited th
IS school and knew nothing of my manag,
n lnent, except what her boys told her; thi
was, of course, school as seen by chi
dren's eyes.
l. When found had lost two scholars
ID began to wonder if it would not be bettt
'e to pay more attention to parents wish'
I'd after all. After had retired to my rooI
and had n good cry over it felt better.