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

|. In the autumn OF 1869, / received ,
. visit from one of the Superintandin:
. School Committee of the Gown OF O..
D IN the State ofNew Hampshire. BE In
, trodDced himself 90 Mr.. Bgown, and q
once proceeded to business. He wished
to employ teacher fox, one Of the school
In his town. he ran mis- eyes over ms
frame, and'I saw the result was satisfac
tory, for he Immediately expressed dc
sire TO secure my services. I asked hin
what sort of O school it was.
wal" he said, with peculiar nasa
twang and pronunciation not set down b,
any OF our photographers, 'Gt's pootS
hard school. row Sell ye. But you've
got She bone an muscle, au'I reckon d,
haow yeou might dow It."
He again run his eyes over my large
| sinswy frame, aud rubbed bis hands will
evident satisfaction.
"Havo tho scholars been ia the habi
Of gaining control of the school z"
'Lord bless ye, yes. Why, no inaste,
can stand It week. Ye see, Square
\ 4thsr's como al n-fEsd stout boys in that ere
echool--ye SEQ they work in awampa, an
They're kind o'rough in their ways. We
hearn tell o. yoou, an wos sent 10 see
ye. And was privileged to offer 70 forty
dollars month, ef ye'd only Keep it.
That's moron twice as much as we evei
paid afore."
"Hov largo Is the school2" I asked.
"Wal-thar's nigh unto sixty scholars,
ell told. when they come--some boys an
some gals.p
| I had heard Of the school before, and
had been acquainted with an excellent
teacher who had been thrown out OF ihe
school house and zolled in o snow.bank
by tho larger boys; get resolved to 20
and try it. OF personal danger I had no
fear, for happened to possess 3 large
frame and proportional amount Of nerve
and muscle. mad exercised freely in
our gymnasium, and there was not anoth-
er man in the place who could ct all
hold his strength by the eide Of mine.
and evil habits had not impaired the
faculties God had given me.
: told Dir. Brown I would keep the
school. It was to commence on the first
day of December, and continue three
months. But I told him I must
have 10Y own WY. That In ell things
| appertaining to the school I 1ust Be
master--that my will must be absolute,
even to tho casting out of half of the
scholars. He said / should have nv
own way; aud he pledged his word that
the Committee should not interfere, in
| any way, nor under any circumstances.
at the appointed time packed up my
wardrobe and echool.booSs, and started
for G.. When reached the villuge,
learned that my school was in dis
tant part of the town-in rugged region
known as Rawbone Hollow. On the fol-
lowing morning Dir. Brown took me
''over" in his eleigi. I found my school.
house upon the edge of quite q settle.
ment, which was located in O wide val.
Icy, with high, black mountains upon
all siGes. was tsken at once to the
place where was TO board, and in this
! latter respect was fortunate.
Ny hosts name was Elias Bonney.
He was weil-to.do farmer about forty
ave years Of sgo, g G:.s, intelligent men,
and one of the uelectmen of the town,
He had five children, that were TO at
tend sohool-the oldest being girl
or nineteen, named Lynda, and the
youngest boy Of seven.
MIR. Brown remained to dinner, and
then took his leave and "a soon as was
alone With Mr.. Bonney, I began to en-
l quire particularly about the school. NY
host shook his head with o duhious ex.
preston.
"You know what boys are,n he said,
especially ifthey'ye had their own way
for long time. For six winters we've
had no school here that could be called o
school. There are quito o number of
stout boys, and they generally contrive
to get the master out atothe end of O
week. But think they'll find it hard
to put you out"
II dor" know" replied. "But
really shouldn't want them to try it, for
I'm not apt 70 be very conside-ate when
acting on the defensive against mere
brute force"
Bonney said he should think 'twould
be dangerous for the schoiars to make
the attempt. "But," no added, with an
other dubious shake Of the head, ".he
boys are not only stout aud hearty, but
you must remember there's o number of
them. Once get 'em started, and they
-don't fear anything. They've had some
pretty stout masters to deal with"
"Bnt how many are there In the
school," I asked, "who are really bad,
who are ready to go ahead in any evil
pranks?" "'lN
Bonney pondered q few moments and
then replied:
why, tu6I0 . OulJ TWO OE tu6I1 tleS
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 schooimaster."
We kept up the conversation at inter
vals until bed time, and when retired
for the night had about made up my
mind as to The nature of the work I had
to do. had learned enough to assure
me Of several important facts. In the
firat place, each succeeding teacher had
gone into the sehooishousolwith the firm
belief that he had got. TO light his way
through. The very feeling had served
70 excite his cornbatiyeness, 80 thet his
first position to the scholars was au an.
tagonistic one. The result had been in
evitable. AT fighting the large scholars
were handy :, they had prepared for it
and expected it, and consequently were
easily led TO an exhibition Of their pug
nacious qualities.
4 On the next morning 1 went to
the school house little earlier than the
i usual hour for commencing. found the
building nearly new and looking clean
| and neas.g liked that. ] went In and
arranged my books on the desk. Nj
4 Bopney he'd given me the ley to his
desk, at the same timo informing me
that he believed there were somc imple.
ments there i might need. I found q
heavy Tock-maple feyuIe, some two feet
long by two inches wide, and three quaF,
A.. III - IL