The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-16
THE HARD SCHOOL.

| i
In the autumn of 1862, received {
visit from one of the Experimenting
School Committee of the town of G.
in the State of New Hampshire. He in
troduced himself as Mr.. Brown, and 81
once proceeded to business. He wished
to employ teacher for one of the schools
in his town. He ran his eyes over my
frame, and I saw the result was satisfac'
tory, for he Immediately expressed de-
sire to secure my services. / asked him
what sort of q school it was.
"Wal," he said, with a peculiar nasal
twang and pronunciation not set down by
any Of our photographers, "it's pooty
hard school, now I tell ye: But you've
got the bone an muscle, an reckon as
6aow yeou might dew il"
| He again run his eyes over my large
sinewy frame, and rubbed his hands with
evident satisfaction.
"Have the scholars been in the habit
| of gaining control of the school% ]
| asked.
"Lord bless ye, yes. Why, no master
can stand it a week. Ye see, Square,
thar's some ALFRED stout boys in that ere
school-ye see they work in swamps, an
they're kind O. rough in their ways. We
hearn tell O. yeou, an was sent to see
ye. And I was privileged to offer ye forty
dollars month, eff ye'd only keep it.
That's more'n twice as much as ne ever
paid afore."
Chow large is the school7" I asked.
"Wal-thar's nigh unto sixty scholars,
all told, when they come-.some boys an
some gals"
I had heard of the school before, and
had been acquainted with an excellent
teacher who had been thrown out of the
school house and rolled in a snow-bank
by the larger boys; yet resolved to 90
and try it. Of personal danger had no
fear, for happened to possess a large
frame and q proportional amount of nerve
and muscle. I had exercised freely in
our gymnasium, and there was not anoth.
er man in the place who could at all
hold his strength by the side of mine.
Nature had been lavish in her favors,
and evil habits had not impaired the
faculties God had given me.
told Mr.. Brown I would keep the
school. It was to commence on the first
day of December, and continue three
months. But I told him must
have my own way. That in all things
appertaining to the school I must be
master-that my will must be absolute,
even to the casting out of half of the
scholars. He said 7 should have nv
own way; and he pledged his word that
the Committee should not interfere, in
any way, nor under any circumstances.
At the appointed time I packed up my
wardrobe and school.books, and started
for c.. When reached the village,
I learned that my school was in a dis
tant part of the town-in rugged region
known as Rawbone Hollow. On the fol-
lowing morning MIR. Brown took me
cover" in his sleigh. I found my school.
house upon the edge of quite settle
ment, which was located in wide val
ley, with high, black mountains upon
ali sides. I was taken at once to the
place where T was to board, and in this
latter respect was fortunate.
NV hosts name was Elias Bonney.
BE was well-to.do farmer about forty
FIVE years of age, a firm, intelligent man,
and one of the selectmen of the town.
he had FIVE children, that were to at.
tend school-the oldest being q girl
of nineteen, named Lynda, and the
youngest = boy Of seven, i,
Mr.. Brown remained to dinner, and
then took his leave; and as soon IS l was
alone with Mr.. Bonney, I began to en-
quire particularly about the school. My
host shook his head with dubious ex-
preston.
"You know what boys are," he said,
especially if they've had their own way
for long time. For six winters we've
had no school here that could be called 9
school. There are quito number of
stout boys, and they generally contrive
to get the master out at the end OF .
week. But think they'll find it hard
to put you out"
aI don't know" I replied. "But I
really shouldn't want them to try it, for
I'm not apt to be very considerate when
acting on the defensive against mere
brute force"
Bonney said he should think 'twould
be dangerous for the scholars to make
the attempt. "But," he added, with an
other dubious shake of the head, "the
boys are not only stout and hearty, but
YOU must remember theresa number OF
them. Once get 'em started, and they
don't fear anything. They've had some
pretty stout masters to deal with"
"But how many are there in the
school," asked, "who are really bad,
who are ready to go ahead in any evil
pranks 2"
Bonney pondered few moments and
then replied:
"Why, there's only two of them that
are really ugly; and even they amt bad
neighbors. They're kind and ready in
cases of need, but they seem determined
to resist the schoolmaster."
We kept up the conversation at inter.
walls until bed time, and when retired
for the night I had about made up my
mind rs to the nature of the work ! had
to do. I had learned enough to assure
me of several important facts. In the
first place, each succeeding teacher had
gone into the school, l-house with the firm
belief that he had got to hight his way
through. The very feeling had served
to excite his combativeness, so that his
first position to the scholars was an an
tagonistic one. The result had been in
evitable. At fighting the large scholars
were handy !; they had prepared tor il
and expected it, and consequently were
easily led to au exhibition of their pug
nacious qualities.
On the next morning l went to
the school house little earlier than the
usual hour for commencing. found the
building nearly new and looking clean
and neat. liked that. I went in and
arranged my books on the desk. Mr. Il:
Bopnsy had given me the key to his
desk, at the same time informing me
that he believed there were some imple'
ments there I might need. 1 found
heavy rock.maple ferule, some two feet
long by two inches wide, and three quar-