The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-07-12
SCHOOL BOY. DAYS.
A BUSY SCHOOL ROOM.
Tho Paper Wad-Its Aim and End md
What was Sure 10 Follow.

There were two-handed, double and
twisted giants in the land in those days,
says Burdette, but when q boy got his
licking at school that was the end of it,
If he was of revengeful disposition, he
stole chalk from the school, house and
drew fearful and wondcl full pictures ofir;s
teacher on the ncighboring fences, to
the great wrath of the residents and
property-owners. And that there might
be no mistake, ho wrote tho teach
er's name under the photograph, or on
the nose of it, tho length of the nose
being proportioned to the pupils hate
and merciiess vengeance. And no mat
ter how young the teacher was, if he was
only boy from college, twenty-five
years old, the indignant pupil always
called him cold" so-and-so. But
all the same, the boy got licked
sometimes when he needed it, rarely
when he didn't and never when no
wanted it. And he rubbed his stripes
and showed his volts to his cheerful and
delighted fellows, for VIC were always
well pleased to see another boy
lickcd," and he grinned rather rue
fully over them himself but he didn't 90
whining into court with them. Great
Scotland, some Thursday afternoon in
June, when the day was warm, and the
room was close, and the flies buZzcd
against the dingy window pancs, and Il
storm was i'll the air. and spirit of mis-
chief pervaded the atmosphere, when
there was q boy doing penance behind
each blackboard and another one st.,nd.
ing on the chalk GOX, and another sat on
tho long front hcnch softly weeping
into dog cared Wcb3tcr's spelling.
book and dcIirat"ly rubbing the place of
the slate frame when the monOtonous
buz-z-z-Z of study was timed off on the
girls side Of the room as those angels in
pantnIets beat their breasts in rapid svi:-
copation, as they conned over The pages
of United States history or buzxcd down
the column of words of three syllnhlcs
ending in "ible " and cable" when old
Hinman sat watchful and suspicious
with the trusty slate frame i'll his hand,
worrying some drowsy, stupid urchin
with thrcc-fourths of twelve is what
part of scventy-two." Suddenly, some
idlc boy, supplied with work 10y the
usual contractor, would fire n paper wad
clear across the room "spot !" on the old
mans bald head Soul of tho tempest,
how the cloud woull burst Before the
boy that shot that wad had time to veil
Il never done it {! moro than once, he
would be collnrcd and yankcd over the
desks and benches, back on the floor,
! heels i'll the air and the slate frame fly
! ing like the sails Of n mill. and tho
| shrek Of " / never done it I" changes to
"IT never do it again. "Oh, you
you WON'T" says the old man, with say
ngc sarcasm, "it You didn't do it this
time how are you never going to do it
again? ?" And the slate frame whacks
away like n trip-hammer, the boy rolls
on the floor and pounds II vigorous tattoo
with his anguiSh-strickcn heels, the
choirs go over, the dust flies in clouds,
the boy on the chalk box gets upset in
the melco, the prisoners behind the
blaciboards come out to see the circus,
smiling away their own Disgrace, the
culprit on the bench forgrtS his own
wclts in his JOY at hchollimg new ones
located on another boy. the girls cry in
shrill tones of fright and pity, covering
their faces with their aprons or wrin2ing
their pleading hands, the boys on the
back seats, farthcat out of sight, i0y-
ouSly repeat, III eXtravagant pamtomimc,
the gyratious and contouionS of the boy
who is rchcnrsing his part in the grcnt
slate frame act; and as oft us old Himun
gets III an unusually good whack, there
is general suhducd "Ow-w r' all over
tEe boys side, expressive alik" of the
kecnrSt appreciation of the nratnrss OF
the " lick and the painful situation OF
the receiver, and all the time that old
slate frame keeps going like Il mad, wild
thing, until the curtain goes down in a
glare of red fire and the low muttcring
Of distant thunder in the mountains.
That was an old-time licking in old Him
mans day, and no court can stick its nib
into tho matter, either.