The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-11
The sohooImaster

Ha "sQUIu SCOTCH"
"Oh, pshawl don't believe it," ex-
claimed Aunt Prudy, tossing HdrDer's
Bdzdr upon the center-table.
Don't believe what ~ asked Uncle
Frank, closing his Manual of Mythol-
ogy, with the index finger to mark the
place.
"Why, just listen" Aunt Prudy
caught the rejected paper again, and
Tommy and l pushed back our states,
tired, any way, yet satisfied the hated
algebra was well learned and our Sallust
passable. Father and mother were out,
aud we bad teased in the early part OF
the evening for story, and gained the
promise of one when the lessons were
learned.
Aunt Prudy read: According 10 a
recent writer in the old time'-we wish,
for the credit of humanity, the olden
time was thousands of years ago-a
Saubian schoOlmaster taught school
hfty-one years During the time he
kept faithful record of the following
punishments which he inflicted: ell, 800
canings, l2l 900 fiOQgings, 209. 600 Gus
todies, 10, 200 ear-bOxes, -. 200 tasks, l36
tips with rule, 700 boys he had caused
10 stand on peas, 1000 to stand on sharp
edged wood, 5000 to wear fooPs-caps,
4 tDU 10 nOlu the EOl-LULalr l--1l .gel
cases Of punishment"
There, can you believe that ?n asked
Aunt Prudy, throwing the paper from
her again.
"Yes, 1 do, and can, most emphatic
ally. / tell you, Prudy, teaching school
1orty or fifty years ago was not what it
Is now nor going to school, either. I'm
an old bachelor, / know, might as well
own up; but I can distinctly remember
going to school that long ago, and il
just grinds whenever / think oft. Why,
there was Minerva Spriggs, aunt TO the
one you kDeW-she is dead aud gone
but ! hated her as long as she lived, and
shall hate her memory as long as live"
Uncle Frank had in turn tossed his
book TO the table, and was uneasily pac-
ing the floor. "Why, I've seen that
woman pin the boys to the wall by the
ear; make them stand with their toes
and finger-tips TO the floor, and if they
protested at all, down came a tremen-
dous ferule, three feet long, at least,
and three inches wide She would put
the snuffers on our noses-my, but that
was awful-I've worn them many an
hour not any of your light, dainty ones
of these days, but an old-fashiOned, brass
pair that would weigh two pounds GER
tainly; holding very heavy books at
arms length; standing on ones foot un-
I'll it went to sleep, and your whole body
paralyzed; standing on peas would be
pleasant change from this. 'Cauings@ y
indeed What were they 10 that ferule
when il came down? / remember the
worst feruling / ever got, and I was as
innocent as Katie this minute
7 had just given Tommy nudge, for
saw We were to have our story without
any teasing this time, all acted out, too,
good as a drama. Uncle saw something
Of my mind in my eyes, ! suppose, for
be went on:
"Yes, Tll tell you a story, "a certain
Tor true One,' as Tommy says. / cannot
tell you why il was 10 this day, but for
some reason Miss Spriggs seemed to
cherish a spite toward me; if ] did well,
got up head and all that, It seemed to
make her mad. / thought il was be-
cause she wanted her lazy lubber Of a
brother, Joshua, to excel; be never did
but once, then she lied about il, know.
Well, one morning, splendidly cold,
remember, the ice fine, / went skating
along Bear Creek, happy as a lark in
midsummer meadow. / had reason to
be happy, for I was rich in the poss s.
sion OF new tippet and pair of red
mlltens fresh from graudmOther's nee
dies. / laughed at the cold winds when
they attempted 10 bite, and caught al
the birch bOughs that overhung the ice
bound creek and made miniature snow
storms fall from their lodgings. | was
the f1rst at the schOol-house. There was
great fire in the huge fireplace; the
backlog had smouldered all night and
been renewed by one of the directors i'm
the morning, it being unusually cold
IL was the business of the first arrival
to replenish the fire; but, as / said, the
names were already dancing up the
wide chimney ana heaps Of live Goals
lay upon the broad hearth. The logs
sputtered and sang, as the bark peeled
and cracked from their brown sides Tn
few minutes there was noisy arrival
Of clique of older aud rOugher boys;
then Joshua Spriggs came in with his
sister, the terrible teacher. / had my
BACK toward the door, and confess
had not enough respect for her to bid
neF good-morning. a snicker ran
tuIough tue crowd Of boys, accompanied
o4 otninous nudgings and punches.
heard Miss Spriggs step brisklv and
nrmly 70 her desk; the click of the kew.
ana tnen such scream as fairly chilled
my olood. / turned quickly, the desk
cover came down with a bang. and Miss
Spriggs was staggering back with up-
lifted hands and wide-staring ewes TO
the wall.
The boys rushed up, crying, what's
the matter what's the matterg You
remember that Warren Bones aud sam
Weller, don't you, Prudy ?"
Aunt Prudy shook her head. uVbv
OF course you do not, I'm always forget
ting I'm so much older" Uncle Frank
was over twenty years older, but she
did love him so. He had been a kind
father to her all her life. She was only F.
baby when their mother died.
Miss Spriggs recovered herselfenough /
TO clap her hand on the desk, saying:
Back back every one Of YOU. I ]
know very well who did this, it was
you, Franklin Towns ="
81 was stupefed. I knew not what
she meant. She took her ruler from its /
nail and came quickly toward me.
"Tt was you, franklin Towns, she I.
repeated, as she dealt blow on blow with !