The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-02-11
RHyaE OF THE DISTRICT SCHOOL

The small. square schosLbouse, with its slopin
/ shed,
9 ith clap-bpards covered, always painted red,
Stoal Ike Fanes teUple that did overlook
rhs Hin OF Knowledge in the spelling. book.
Twas Lesrning's cheap and ever free aboie,
and public for IL stood right in the road.
It's playground stretched, with many guide
board sign,
From Massachusetts, up 10 Derby Line.
within, the teachers throne stood at one end
Two rows Of desks on each site did ascend,
With seats in front for little victims, where
Their feet hung useless, dangling in the air.
mighty stove down In the middle Stood
And r0ared ALI day with heaps OF maple wood.
There may have been blackboard, and per
haps
There hang set Of Mitehelrs Outline Maps.
This was the school of forty years ago;
We don't re member il ourselves, you know.
For we are boys yet, and we 10 but seem
Gray headed patriarehs, walking in a dream.
our hair is false and where the bald spots rise
They only snow how hin is the disguise,
Oaee mere l see that troop OF little girls
Win shining hair, ali inHoeent OF curls.
imprisoned close In little silken nets,
Barciooted, and with calico paatalets,
All vending sshoOlward on the ssmmer's day
Now stopping pick berries by the way
Now Standing all Tow, with glances shy,
10 make their manners" to he passer-bYi
The school ma'am sits there as Of old see did
Her watch ticks loudly, in her bOsom hid,
AS to the little pupil at her knee
She points .he letters out from A TO Y,
With that sharp penknife which she Away had
10 Gu. OF ehiidsen's ears when they were bad.
@. murnurihg bees-the harvesi-bugs Ions
drone-
The hammers sound comes from the dis ant shop
The Swallows tittering in the chimney top.
And children read with many drowsy nod,
Tat mo man II ay put off the law Of God.n
what house coaId hol5 that crew Of boisterou
boys
Whose sex ana presence were made known b!
noise,
a Of q winter morning they rushed in,
Win caps OF ur and dInnerpails Of tin,
With tr0wser legs tied down with otis of twine,
wAh rosy cheeks that ovsrmore did shine
wi.h health's own luster; with the mcltiD:
tracks
ofsnowballs sticking stin upon their backs,
And stood in coats that their own mothers woye
70 th&w their aching fingers az the sioyee
There stands the yoangster, with qliFerlng lip
Who was the snapper when they snapped the
whip
And whose short length eni over end did go,
Ana suck head-ioremost 10 drli of snow.
Here stand the big boys, who for mornings play
Have tak,na Tua a good hali-mile away
And Slid down hili-there was no ''c0asting'
then
ANA drew their sleds with patience back again.
soon order came; each raked his liltle pate
Ger dire sUoir~et;ons on his tiny slate,
And learned that maxim, dear 10 many men,
: = hen you are short, You always bOrrOw ten
Some playful wight. perehance, was doomed TO sit
3etween two girls as r,tribuIion fit
For h.s great crimes; aud 50 he learned e'en then
The truth THAI comes in time TO ali young men
iis more than twice as hard for Adams son
To eli with i've girls as 10 cit with one
Behold that spelling class, with eager look
Nolsekinss si.isEr~s :. and looking back
leads uP, and every toe upon the crack
Ranged IN isng line hks soldiers as they starss,
Ready u bow ami ''carehy'' II eommaDl.
The Times have changed; b. y still can make a
bow,
iSui where's The girl can cake ''curchyn now
Nov here tonight, before our school is done,
Wen read once more the Fable Number One
' an Old man found u rude boy in his tree,
apples from which fact we FEC
Tue scene is laid not in yermont-no but
Down in New Hampshire, or Connection
The Old man desired him to come down, with
what he'd got
But the young sauce-box told him plainly he
would not
Now every boy tha, we knew In our school
Always came down with his pockets fal.
'''oh, won't your said the old man then viii
fetch you DOWN."
Who ever heard sach language in ver1roat
town?
'.so he pulled up some tuOs OF grans and threw
al him,
When made the youngster laugh, Up on tlnt
Limb.
Web, we'll said the old man, III kind words
and grass Won't ae'"--
just zee how wicked this old man grew -
I'm Justtry what vIrtae nov there is in
stones;'
Ind pelled him heariilyr-rnAy be broke his
bones-
Which soon made the yozns eAap hasten down
irUm the tree,
Ind beg the oli nAn's pardon, Now We see
his story's meant for children very small,
md Is n0thiBg bGi = fable a,Ler all.
lie moral OF this tale each schoolbOy obviously
f02nd:
"Alsays steal apples when the old man isa'r
round -