Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-08-17

branch was taught until the pupil wa.
dubbed "Pedagogue, No. 2"
One day the teacher was sick. HI
sent his big, bright, silver watch and
class-boOk, with this request: s'Kee,
the boys straight, Mel, till can come.
The boys all toed the chalk-line thai
day. But that heavy hunting-case
watch brought a realizing sense of re-.
sponsibility as it weighed upon the sus
pender just over his heart. The master
returned and the school went on as be-
fore.
why can't you teach school and have
watch of your own?" the master in
quired. That was the thing. The di.
rectors of an adjoining district were
seen, but did not fancy the 'gawky gos
ling, as they termed him; another sci
were applied to, with like results; q
third and then fourth trial was made
but none seemed favorably inclined, un
til tired and discouraged as Garfield
said OF his first efforts to engage school
81 had made up my mind that seeking
positions was not in harmony with my
nature" he looked upon the whole bust
ness in disgust.
why not attend the Normal?"
"Where's the grub to stay this stom-
ach and keep these heavy shoulders
apart?s
go in on credit boy; and pay it VI
afterward"
In he went, and boarded himself at q
total outlay of 95 cents week. But the
privations of that winters siege were
better passed untold. When spring re-
turned he emerged from his Libby lean
as attenuated in muscle as the cadav-
erous Alex. Stephens, and with a tena.
city of purpose still more unhinching
He was employed, out of charity, per
haps, to teach a spring and summer
term. But commiseration soon gave
way to admiration. He had 72 pupils
and all became intensely interested. Ev'
erything moved off finely. 1t was d
grand success.
In those halcyon days the teacher
boarded round. l need not intimate
that our newly-fledged educator now
found more favorable opportunities to
tickle his palate than he could have en-
jOyed at DelmOnicO's board. He ever
assumed the airs of an epicure on i'm
pOrtant occasions. His chest inflated,
his shoulders broadened, and when he
sat down it was with far greater gravity
than ever before. So much in acknOwl-
edgement to the country boarders with
their rustic rites and deft cuisine.
But while he was towering in man
hoods stately proportions and lifting his
head more proudly erect, his ideas, like
his body, were broadening every way
In many ways he was fast growing in
the amenities of polished society. He
had no time to engage in belittling vices.
There was library at the tOwn-house,
and he was placed on duty. He here
found there were arts he had not ac-
quired-things he did not know.
To the Normal again, and then anOth-
er term of school. His old debts were
cancelled, and he could invest 1.-THE of
his wages in books. From that first un-
graded school he was elected to take
charge of the high school in little vii
lage seven miles away. Here he saw
more of the amazing responsibilities
that attached to the duties of his Office.
He went to work with a will. His soul
was wrought to frenzy to wake the
whole community up. Somehow, in
passing that village some years before,
he had formed an opinion that it would
be very nice to teach school in town /;
that in big brick building of two sto-
ries and big bell in the cupola on the
top of it, all the teacher would have to
do to set his scholars to work would be
to give that old bell-rope pull and
watch the children all focking in. But
like the Hibernian on hunt, who went
calling up his game, the louder he call
ed the less they came. The music of
that old bell possessed the magic power
of always making some pupils sick at 9
o'clock, but left them well enough at 10.
Thus the aids to education that he so
coveted as the greatest blessing, only
proved to be bane.
Day and night he toiled-tried every
his wits could devise. Offer
cd the same presents in school that first
tempted him to compete for prize. But
that would not work. Those town chill
dren were too good to be thus tempted
could not be corrupted with bribe,such
as the Vicar of Wakefield or Tennyson's
Poems.
But there were other ways to enlist
the good will Of the patrons. He had
their children declaim Daniel Webster
and Patrick Henry on Friday afternoons,
and wound up with dialogue, such as
'Our Country Cousins" and the school
of Scandal" He gave candy treats to
houses, and ran an excursion
picnic down the railroad at his own ex-
pense. He was lauded for his liberality
and given the school for another year.
This part of his success the people
could see, but of his grandest works few
were apprised.
A poor, thriftless cowboy that he
came in contact with down in his first
school, had been so delighted with the
study of algebra that he followed his
teacher to the village school in order to
ind class in Rays Part III. Here he
worked for his board, and paid his tut
ion by sweeping the school house and
making the fire.
Now this poor rustic made such pro-
yress in his studies that he was urged by
his friends to prepare at the village
school to enter college. But the teach
,r, our successful educator. had never
seen college; had not gone far
enough at the Normal to enter "fresny.
But more anxious than his pupil, he at
,nce set about the work of pushing on
MS Latin and bringing up his Greek.
With no aid from anyone they plOdded
IN together-the teacher and the taught
an almost even race.
At college one year and all his hoard
ID funds were gone; what he had gath
cred during the long vacation by travel
ing for hghtning-rod company, did not
carry him through the winter term.
His school money was soon exhausted.
and the second year his credit was de-
funct. He must 60 back to the village
school again, but no summer session
there; even the country schools were
closed for the heated vacation. But like
LIE Verrier who had the whole Coperni
can theory in his head so as to point to
any unseen planet needed to complete
that system, so our penniless pedagogue