Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-04-03

enjoys fun as we'll to-day as he did
forty years ago, in . letter the The
San on some business of grave im.
portsnce TO the country, tells . short
story of one of his experiences in
.chool when boy, that caused school
70 be dismissed. aud then he asks,
George. what vas the funniest scene
you ever witnessed in school. when
you were boyT Whether the states.
man wanted the question answered
personally, by letter, or through The
San, he did not say, 30 here goes. The
funniest scene that ever occurred any
where, in school, occurred in this state
twenty-five years ago. There were
about sixty boys in the school, and
aesrly IS many girls. and the boys
Sere nearly all full of fun, though
they did study. and many Of them
have made high marks upon the black.
board of fame. The teacher was
pious, truly good man, whose sole in
ierest was the development of the
minds of his pupils. His greatest
sadness was when there was any levity
going on. The boys could be boys,
and wrestle, and perform any athletic
exercise, and yell like Indians, out
doors, and it was all right, but laugh
ter Was something that made the teach
er tired. He would pull a boys ears
for laughing quick as lightning, and
If half a dozen boys laughed at once
it seemed as though it would kill him.
tie was the best hearted man in the
world, but fun or anything laughabIe
seemed to him to be wrong, aud he
could not help it. Some Of the boys
felt hurt at his opposition TO laughter,
and they thought IT they could only
get him to laugh just once, so he would
know how it was, how it felt, aud that
it did not hurt him, it would do him
good, and not do the school any burt.
81 one FRIDAY afternoon when there
was going to he an "exhIbitiou, such
as speaking pieces, the boys put mp
f6b. There was to be ii house iull OF
visitors, fathers ard mothers of the
boy, aud girls, aud at noon one Of the
BOYS whose father kept grocery.
brought up about half Il pound oi
black snuff. The snuff wa parcel.
led out to all the boys, "piu,h' to
each. and Lt given signal all were TO
take the snuff, and watch for results.
The red headed boy was to - upon
the platform to speak "Bjngcu on the
Rhine" and when he got to the pro-.
per place he was to take his snuff, ani
sneeza, aud the rest were to follow suit
or trump. The school room was foil
of visitors, the teacher was in his eIe-
tnent, aud every boy looked a though
he would do or die. One of the b VI
gave big girl a pinch of snuff, he
tore the time came, and she took 1t
and began to sneeze, which created
some excitement, and all the boys
looked at her as though she wa try.
ing to beat them at their own game,
but the red-headed leader wiuked at
the boys, as much as to say, That is
a premature explosion :" so they wait.
ed. But the laugh that was created
among the visitors by the single sneeze
of the girl, showed that when there
vas sneezing enough to 90 around, it
would bring down the house. The
teacher told ;he visitors how the school
was progressing. and what improve
msnts the scholars were making, then
had them sing a song, and then all
was still, and the good man announced
that there would be q defamation by
one of the scholars, Of "Bingen on the
Rhine" and as the red headed boy
came out of the aisle with boots four
sizes too big. and pants two sizes too
small, with his fathers old fashioned
"stock" around his neck, and tumbled
up on the stage, as a by always tum
bles when he wants to do anything
nice, there WAS a litter on the part of
the visitors The teacher frowned
half at the awkward boy, aud half at
the visitors, and as the boy faced the
audience and made a bow that would
stop a clock, the teacher said, Let us
have the utmost quiet, and George,
AdhF NtWE HAHNH bNb VI NbuE HFhfl=
aud speak up loud" George removed
his great, big, awkward, red hands
from his pockets and spoke up loud.
That was what George was there for
Clearing his throat, which wss long
and narrow, aud freckled, and swal.
lowing the Adams apple that stuck
up like q bracket shelf in pantry,
he proceeded upon the mournlul story
Of the soldier of the Legion" who
clay dying in Algiers." lie went
through it nicely until he came to the
passage which says, His voice grew
faint and hoarser, his grasp was child.
ish weak, his eyes put on dying look
be sighed aud ceased to speak IA
George sighed, he put his thumb and
finger to his nose and inhaled enough
snuff to have exploded bank safe.
He began to catch, and act like a per.
son who is going 10 sneeze, and the
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