Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-06-02
The Starg Teller.
THE HARD SCHOOL.

In the autumn of 1862, received visit
from one of the Superintending School Com
mittee of the town of C., in the State of
New Hampshire He Introduced himself as
Mr.. Brown, and at once proceeded with his
business He wished to employ teacher
for one of the schools in his town. He ran
his eyes over my frame, and saw the re-
suit was satisfactory, for he Immediately ex-
pressed desire to secure my services.
asked him what sort of school it was.
"Wal," he said, with peculiar nasal
twang and pronunciation not set down by
any of our photographers, "it's pooty hard
school, now tell But you've got the
bone an muscle, an reckon as haow yeou
might dew it."
He again run his eyes over my large sim
ewy frame, and rubbed his hands with evil
dent 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 week. Ye see. Square, thar's
some all, fred 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 | was
privileged to offer ye forty dollars a month.
eff ye'd only come and keep it. That's
more'n twice as much as we ever paid afore. -
How large is the school p ] asked.
"Wal-thar's nigh unto sixty scholars, all
told. when they come-some boys an some
gals"
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 10 snow-bank by the larger boys ;
yet resolved to 60 and try it. OF person
al danger had no fear, for I happened to
possess large frame and a proportional
amount of nerve and muscle. had exer-
cised freely in our gymnasium, and there was
not another 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.
l told Mr. Brown would keep the school.
1t was to commence on the first day of De-
cember, and continue three months. But |
told him | must have my own way. That in
all things appertaiuing to the school | must
be master-that my will must be absolute,
even to the casting out of half of thescholars.
He said should have my own way and he
pledged hi, word that the Committee should
not interfere, in any way, nor under any cir
cumstances.
At the appointed time I packed up my
wardrobe and school. books, and started for
c.. When I reached the village, learn
ed that my school was in a distant part of
the town-in rugged region known as Raau.
bone Hollo,r. On the following morning Mr..
Brown took me "over" in his sleigh. l found
my school-house upon the edge of quite a
settlement, which was located in a wide val.
ley, with high, black mountains upon all sides
was taken at once to the place where | was
to board, and in this latter respect was for.
tunate.
My hosts name was Elias Bonnev. He
was wellto.do farmer about forty. FIVE years
of age, firm, intelligent man, and one of the
selectmen of the town. He had five children
that were to attend school-the oldest being
a girl of nineteen, named Lynda, and the
youngest boy of seven.
Mr.. Brown remained to dinner, and then
took his leave; and as soon as was alone
with Mr.. Bonney, began to enquire particu
larly about the school. My host shook hi:
head with dubious expression.
You know what boys are," he said, espe
cially if they've had their own way for s
long time. For six winters we've had nc
school here that could be called school
There are quite number of stout boys, and
they generally contrive to get the master ou
at the end of a week. But | think they'll
find it hard to put you out"
Il don't know l replied. "But really
shouldn't want them to try it, for I'm not ap
to be very considerate when acting on the de-
fensive against mere brute force"
Bonney said he should think 'twould be
dangerous for the scholars to make the at
tempt. But" he added, with another du
bious shake of the head, "the boys are moi
only stout and hearty, but you must relnem
her there's number of them. Once gel
'em started, and they don't fear anything
They've had some pretty stout masters te
deal with"
But how many are there in the school,
l asked, "who are really bad, who are ready
to go ahead in any evil pranks ?"
Bonney pondered few moments and thel
replied:
"Why there's ONLY two of them that ar