The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-30
sPEAKIN, PIRCEs.
Friday Afternoon in the Old-fashions
ed Country school

n
way. Some would cut mp all the devil
ment that was IL EN- fist 70 torment
old Wcst6eld, another way Of SHOWN
Of. and tothers would try TO see who
could study the loudest 70 play ike /
they was the smartest, and il sounded /
sorter this way: "B-a ba k-r ker. ba-
ker; shee-a-sha d-y. shady; "a Ia d-y /
DIV, lady; times IL rs. and times s /
is-lemne see. s times s is 1-2-2-3-4-5 /
ION the fngers1, 5 times 6 Is thirty. /
She-fed-the-old-h-e-n hen. she fed the /
old hen. Ann-can-spin-f-l-a-x fax. /
Ann can spin fax. Horse horse
back back, horseback. The world is /
round like a-Sleep. baby. sleeps |
our cottage vale is-H ever see on /
bush or tree; Mother. may sew to-
day. There WAR sound Of rev
like to see little dog, and Twin
kle, twinkle"
There wasn't but one thing to stop
all this Old ''Ingon Heads" hiek'ry
would come down heavy on his desk,
and he'd boiler out. ''silence."
Some Of these little fellows tried
hard 70 have Their ''pieces" and was
proud alters to git out in the floor and
sing en out-yes. sing EN-, and they
all ketch the same tune to everything
from ''the boy stood on the burning
deck" to mot n drum was heard, and
twinkle, twinkle, little star." and it's
curis, how them tunes has chung 10
them pieces ever sense. But some
chillun Is too don'tkeer and no account
and lazy to try to larn, and they druth-
er take the whippin' as to get the
speech. That Friday crowd gelher-
| cd In.
Ladies and gentlemen" said old
| Westfield, ~ hain't seen marry woru
none Of 'em has writ. and l never pick
ed out no speeches for none Of 'em.
Git out thar Thomas Jefferson Bona
parte Lofts; as you air the littlest and
has got the biggist name you can say
yourn fust"
'Ihain't got none" says Tom JEFF
Boney.
He had been n settin' thar plattin'
pine straws. 81 don't know no
speech"
Cit out and say one anyhow-say
something"
II CANT; don't know no speech. :"
Old 'Ingon Head" showed him the
hickry, and he riz and dragged his
bare feet after him.
"I-don't ow-no-spee-ee-eech," says
he, cryin' and rubin bis dirty fists in
his eyes. I-jist-declare-I-d on' t-know-
no-spee-ee-eech-oo-h but he knowed
what the hickry meant, so he tuck his
stand, shrugged his shoulders, and
snubbed out: 81 thess knows part Ell
one"
well, go on; say what you know
| (pointing the hickry at him). Then
lettin' his arms fall heavy at his side
he jerked out his words:
'The-lark-was-up to- meet = the sun
~
''Mr. westfield," hollered out Bud
Doolittle. a boy twioe't as big. ''that al
Is my speech. 1 got II fust; hits mine
and he knows it, dog-gone him, b,
knows it's my very speech, what un
been a gittin' ever sense last Chues
day. so Il Is. That's not fair, nuther
so it haint. and he knows it's not fair
so he does He learnt It from me
''And knows it as good as he does, )
says Tom JEFF, ''and faint none Of his I
more n it's mine, so it amt. (All trace
of tears gomez And he ratified it OF
without ketchin' of his breath. q
spirit of rivalry works wonders).
Then Ma Jane Virgins riz to reaC
her composition. Hold on" says tn,
teacher, them of you that think
! you've got the best composition ant
had orter have the prize stand up"
All riz but two or three.
"Set down. Read on, and Ma
jane" read:
ION BIRDS"
There are n great many kind o.
birds, SIGH as the blue bird, and the
cat bird, and the tom-tit, and the Jay
bird is my favor-ite, and the littl'
wren. Birds build their nestesses il
the trees"
Cabe Comings then riz and read ''oI
birds;' There air great many kindi
nv birds. SIGH es the red bird and the
thrasher, and the joe-ree, and birds i.
birds is-be-b-e bee beee-a-u bee-a
you"
stop. that'll do" says he. ''Hov
many more Of you have got 'em OF
birdsP Them that's got 'em on bird,
raise your hands.
A right smart chance of hands riz
Then Babe Comings snubbed out
You said-oo-hoo-write on bir-hirds. y
THAT shows how much attention
you pay TO what l say"
1t was Bunch Brabtree's time next, +,
big, fat, lazy gal, with her mouth full
Of swee'-gum. She chawed as she
read. end lisped out:
ION FLOWERS"
There air a great many kindths w
fowerths, thich aths-"
"Wait a minute" says he. "Why
did you write on fowersp"
You thed write on that thubiect-
on fowerths, and thuch as that" say:
she.
II said, did thar it is agin. Al
them that's writ on flowers raise you
hands,
Five or six hands riz, mostly girls.
Toad Lofts lowed: Mine amt OF
flowers, nor birds nuther"
Hop out thar Toad" says be, ''anC
read your n"
Then all the school laughed. ToaC
had way of tuckin' her head anC
putin on airs when she read. ''ReaC
on" says he.
''On Spring" (some of the bow
snickered, and she cleared her throa
and commenced again).
ION SPRING"
Spring is the most beautifulles
season of the year. In the spring tn,
flowers blooms, and the trees put.
forth Their buds, and the grass it grows
and the cows gives they milk in they
spring off the year, and the dogwooc
blooms and the blossoms is white, and
the roses is red and smells sweet
There are q great many kinds, of flow,
ers, SIGH as the Johny-jump-ups' and
the 'yaller john-quills. and the, butter
and eggs and the princess feather,
and the bachelors button and the
'pretty-by nights and the cr-r-i-s Girls.
s-a-n-sa, crissan-crissanthuI bui
Of all the flowers the rose and the
violet and tho tulip is my favor-ite, and
the larkspur. In the spring the little
birds lay they eggs-lay they eggs
they eggs-eggs-and the-thee-'
Go on"
II KANT spell 1t"
''Well. you can take your seat. Mex
time write it yourself. and it won't b
so hard to spell, says he. Il reckir
you thought / said write on spring, too,
didn't youe How many more has goi
'em on springPn But Il anybody had
one they was skeered to say so.
Toad lowed: Il thought you said tC
write on spring or SIGH as that"
Take your seat Come out. Malls
sy, and read your'n. ;" says he.
II amt got nair'n" says Malissy,
stretchin' her swee'gum about YARD
from her mouth. Il had one on birds
but loss it. loss it OUT my spellin
book yis-tiddy."
''Wen. git out thar. Dumplin Doc
little. aud read your'n."
Dump Doolittle was one of the lit.
TEST boys. but he could read and write
and cipher exile to some as was twice.
his size and age.
"whO helped you to write yOur'n. y
says he.
Nobody. / thinkcd it out myself, y
and he slept out monstrous proud and
satisfied, and read in n keen. loud
voice:
ION INDUSTRY.
(''Stop a minute; don't say on in.
/ dustrv Leave off the son Nov