The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-03-26
The Red school House.
Grandfather Ezekiel was shaking

"!ahuIather Ezekiel was shaking with
aughter. He bobbed his head against the
hack Of the chair and brought his hauds
own On his knees with resoundlug smacks.
de TOOK OIL his spcctacles and rubbed them
with his red handkerchief. he stopped
suddenly, screwed up his face, groaned
"Oh!" and put his hand to his back.
"What Is the .matter3" exclaimed the
children; Just look at Grandpapa; what
can be the matter with him2"
''lt's the rheumatism, said Grand father
Ezekiel, becoming calm; 81 laughed so
hard that fetched up the rascally witches:
but couldn't help lt-thcsc news papers do
carry on 80. Here's one that says this Is
tho coldcst weather since the Revolution.
why, this isn't circumstance to one win
ter day kwhcn tho Oak Township bows
held school in the Red School House with
out teacher. This is nothing"
Tvs pretty cold out, SAID Nellie, .'and,
grandpa, you've been here by the lire oil
the woek."
Grandfather Ezekiel, who had limped
over 10 the window to take look at the
snow, didn't notice Nellie's defense of
modern weather. Indeed, Grandfather
Ezekiel was deaf every now aud then.
Please tell US about the school with no
teacher" added Nellie.
The other children chimed in with the
same request, but Grandfather Ezekiel
didn't need much urging. lie already was
in his chair and as he put coal Of fire
into his pipe he began:
"Well, children, that was when 1 was
somewhere about twelve years old, and it
was fow days after New Year. That
morning my father took his three boys to
tho school house IN a sled drawn by oxen,
for the snow was tCo deep for horses. Wo
I'LL had extra coats, but it was terribly
cold, and when father left us at the school
house, which Was in the woods mile from
any dwelling. we were almost frozen. AL
most all the boys wcrc late that morning
and not single girl came. We'll, we
waited until nine O'Clock, and then until
ten, expecting the teacher every minute.
we Kept the stove red hot, chopping the
wood ourselves and piling it in without
stint. We had jolly time all tho morn
ing and at noon atc our dinners, which we
had brought with US in baskets with great
relish. None OF us could 20 homo until
the teams should come after u.s. and hay
ing given up expecting the teacher we cast
about for something 70 passa way tho after
noon. One of the boys, Jack Shelton, pro-
posed spelling contest, and We all agreed.
Jack said he would be ono of the captains,
anu Sam Nye, who was Jacks equal in
spelling, SAID he would be the other. So
they tossed up for the first choice. When
the sides had been chosen Jack had thlr-
teen and Sam thirteen, and Will Knight,
who, though nineteen years old, was the
poorest sprller in school, was Lett out. Win
didn't mind the slight for he was good
natured boy, and SAID he guessed he would
give the words out for us. l was
little shaver compared with
Boou ii Ui,S .i~...N-,- II, -..aa ,,rott,,
chosen sixth on Jacks list. The first word
given out was 'Odontology,' and Sam
spelled it without trouble. The next was
'ekeln, and Jack put the proper letters in
shape Ill twinkling. And 80 tho words
passed on down the line until ghost, was
given out to ono OF Sans spel.crs, and
Inc boy whose word it was spelled it
'gohst.' Then there was some excitement,
and when our next boy spelled 1t right wo
hurrahed and Sans boys hissed. Tho
boy who missed stepped out and wc were
one ahead. AS the spelling continued and
as the spoilers dropped out ono by one the
excitement increased. Finally the lines
were reduced to Sam and jack, tho best
spoilers, and they had it hot and heavy for
quarter OF AL hour. After while Win
S'sAAAS
IL ut jacks head. Jack hemmed and
hawcd and tugSed at his topknot, and
finally said it wasn't fair. Then Sans
hoys shouted that it was all right, and one
OF them, WHO had q speller in his hand
slipped over to Sam and whispered how to
spen the word. He thought we didn't see
him, but we did and most OF US jumped
up on our desks, shouting: "Vhoa.! 'Cheatl'
Cheat !" ! tell you what none of us were
cold then, though il was regular zero
weather out OF doors. Jack and I'm Henry
were as rcd III the face us tho 81 ies Of the
slovo and by-and-byo saw there was 60
ing to be a big fight. Before could get
down oil tho desk Tim threw his slate at
Sans head and it struck poor Will on tho
nose, making the nose bleed and breaking
the slate into iiLtlc bits. In a moment the
bigger Doys--some of them were eighteen
anu ninctccn--pltchcd into ono another.
The desks were smashed, the blackboard
was Knocked down, tho maps were torn
from the walls and meanwhile every boy
was shrleking and bowling at the top OF
his lungs.
"Thc struggle got hotter and hotter and
after while over went the stove, scattering
big red Goals everywhere. tried to shovel
SOeAot
top of me and was badly yburned-therc's
the scar on my neck now. Well, about
that umo things began to sober down, for
tho room was Oh fire in several places and
the boys turned to for the purpose of saw
ing the building. 1t wasn't any use,
though. The house was built of heart pine
and IL barnt like 30 much finder. We ran
out into the snow, barely saving our books
and ovcrcoats, and l tell you we didn't
feel good as we stood there and saw the
old red school house 60 up in smoke. Nor
did we feel good when we realized that we
must break our way through the snow
clear home. 1t was about three o'clock
when party Of us who were all going in
one direction started up tho road. Sam
was in our parry, and he looked terribly.
lie hung his head and said nothing all tho
way. never came 80 near freezing In
my life, and il we had not stopped at the
fret dwelling 10 wait for father with the
team lam sure all of us would have been
frozen 10 death. Did wo get scolding
when wo got home Well, should think
30. ard VOC got the hickory pad well laid