The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-10-07
A RHYME OF THE DISTRICT SCHOOL
Read at the Third Annual Banquet Of the
Sons of Vermont in Chicago. Jan. 1e, 1850 by
NORMAN C. PERKINS

haps
There hung set Of Mitchelps Outline Maps.
This was the school Of forty years ago;
For we are boys yet, and we do but seem
GraY-headed patrisrchs, walking in dream.
Our hair is false! and where the bald spots
rise tGs.
they only show how thin is the disguise
Once more see that troop of little girls
With shining hair, all innocent Of curls,
Imprisoned close in little siken nets,
Barefooted, and with calico pantalets,
All vending schoolWard on the summers
day
Now stopping to pick berries by the way
Now standing all arrow, with glAnces shy,
TO make their manners to the passer-by!
The school ma'am sits there as Of old she did,
Her watch ticks loudly, in her bosom hid,
as TO the little pupil at her knee,
S points the letters out from 4 70 4
With that sharp penknife which she always
To cut of childrens ears when they were bad.
Once more through open windows comes
the tone Il ...- -.-
OF murmuring bees-the harvest bugs long
The hammers sound comes from the distant
shop -
The swallows twitter from the chimney-top,
And noisy children read with many nod,
That mo man may put of the law Of God"
What house could hold that crew of bolster
Whose sex and presence were made known
As Of a winter morning they rushed in,
With caps OF fur and dinner pals of tin,
With trouser.legs tied down With bits OF
With rosy cheeks that evermore did shine
With health's own luster; with the melting
OF snowbalis sticking still upon their backs,
And stood, in coats that their own mothers
To thaw their aching fingers at the stove?
There stands the youngster, with quiyer-
Who VS. .ss the t1, snapper" when they snapped
And whose short length end over end did 70,
And stuck ad-foremost IN drift Of snow.
Here stand the big boys, who for mornings
play
Have taken run q good half-mle away.
And slid down hill-there was no "coasting"
then .u.,.. s.....' .....--... -
And drew their sleds with patience back again.
Soon order came: each racked his little pate
0'er dire substractions on his tiny slate,
AND learned that maxim, dear to many men,
When you are short you always borrow ten
.
Some playful wight rerchance was doomed
Between the girls, as retribution fit .
FOR his great crime; and 80 he learned cen
The truth that comes in time to all young
IT'S more than twice us hard for Adams son
10 cit with two girls as to sit with one!
Behold that spelling. class with eager, look
With hands beside them-fnger in the book
No looking sideways, and no looking back
Ranged Il long lin: Ike soldiers as they stand,
Ready TO bow and "curchy" at command! ~
The time has changed: boys still can make a
bow, 49,,
But where's the girl can make .curchy' now?
Now here tonight, before our school is done,
Wen read once more the Fable Number one:
An old man found rude boy IN his tree,
A.stealing apples;-from which fact We see
The scene is laid not in Vermont-no; but
The old man desired him to come down with
what he'd got;
But the young sauce-box told him plainly he
would not"
Nov sfM every boy that we knew IN our school
"Oh, won't you p said the old man; then
will fetch you downv
Who ever heard such language in Vermont
50 he e ;; i'd up some tufts Of grass and threw
Which made the youngster laugh, upon that
"Well, WELL" said the old man, '9t kind words
and grass won't don-
Just see how wicked this bad old man grew!
And pelted him heartily-may be broke his
bones
Which soon made the young chap hasten
down from the tree,
And beg the old mans pardon.-Now we see
his story's meant for children very small,
And is nothing but fable, after al,
The moral OF this tale eacn schoolboy opyi.
Gus found: .'-
always steel apples when the old man isn't
The teacher boarded round 81 see him vet
The matron in her gown Of bombazet, Ns
With two shell side combs looping Up her
hair, az - = = ~ 2 =
And extra eap: strings floating in the air,
just greeting hi m within her open door,
With homeay words OF welcome, DER and DER.
Twas, .Yes, sir; walk right in. sir; take e
chair: ssf :. --s - -
Stomp of the snow-it won't do any hurt;
We've been expectin' you, but declare
Fact is, we butchered only t'other day a4
We don't look quite so bad's this, many nights;
We're sort o'clustered mp, as you might say,
1t takes SO long to put the house to rights! J
But supper,s ready; come, sir, sit right down;
We don't stand much on ceremony here
Sest help yourself, my husbands gone To-
town,
But long bout nine o'clock guess he'll APP
pear.
Like baked pertaters! That's hard one,
though,
Come have another that is better done;
guess them biscuits are about all dough.
But some look browRish-take that corner
one!
Now try little sassage; we don't make
Pretensions-we're plain folks lust ss we
seem;
And is your tea agreeable? won't you take
More sugar, or another drop Of cream?
Wal, this is washin' day; in every room
The children they have scattered all their
buds .
I've had my hands full, with the oven.broom
AND chothes-p and most everything in