The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-17
BETSY HAMILTON'S LETTER.
IsotSy Tells Of Hor School Days.
.iNuMfn Constitution.

|
round the fire roastin' sweet taters to es
longer simmon beer; and Pap he lowed
says he, NAV" "What," says abe
"Ef it takes the last bottom dollar" say
he, I'm gwine to gin Betsy little bool
larnin':" "Taint no USE" says che
You'd better lay out your money fo
vittles and clothes. Eddication is tn,
ruination of some folks. Let 'em git 6
little smatterin' of books, and they hahn,
fitten for nothin' else on the face of the
yeth. You've got that gal spilled to death
now" lie was sorter tight that night
and Nav she's alters mad when he's q
diinkin'. Jist then the dogs barked and
somebody hollered and axed to stay all
night, and it was the new teacher, Mr.
Westiicld, a huntin' up scholars. He
bargained longer Pap TO do some carpep.
,ers work for him, and agreed to wait IN
him for tother part Of his pay, and so on
Monday Pap he sont us all three to school
mo and buddy and sister FIurrdy Ten.
nysy. Pap he went around the settle.
ment and hope him make up his school.
Some wanted him and some didn't,
ion'd have to make a teacher and hand
him down from the skies to suit every.
body in this settlement and then some
would find fault of him. Some lowed he
was two highfalutin and mought put big
notions in the chilluns' heads. Pan told
'en' he'd better put big notions as none
| at all Tor some CT the youngsters wss L
CROWN up monstrous empty headed.
Old Miss Freshours lowed she nllera 20:
along mighty well without books herself.
and her chillun could do the same !: they
wasn't no better'n she was.
| Well, she was right, they wasn't bit
better and wasn't likely to be. Old man
Lotus lowed he'd send Jake aud git him
to larn him how to figger little, 80 as to
keep folks from cheatin' him but fur
as his gals was consarncd it would be jes
a THROWN money away for nothin'.
Gals didn't need no schoolin' nohow. He
lowed ne never had no schoulin' in his
raisin', and he didn't see but he got along
about AZ we'll as your high larnt geug ply
and grammarnary, grammarnicle sort !;
he had sense enough to count all the
money he could make, and that was as
fur rs he seed any use in. Old Forman
lowed he wanted Malindy to go tel she
got stiftilick to teach, 80 she could
make the money bnck. Old Wes,field
was big, fat, red-iaced, bald-headed,
old Irishman, good-hearted but turrible
high-tcmpercd. The scholars was
skeered of him az death. He'd jerk ycu
up in g minute, boys and gals too, and
wear hickry out Oh you.
1t was Friday e7enin' and we gals had
been on the branch and got us big
chaw Of swee'gum, and was jes chawin'
hard as our jaws could work, when he
| KIN Jcked on the door with his switch. for
"books," and we flew in the house. Julie
| Dickersen haint satisfied lesson she's got
sumpen in her mouth She cate chalk
and slate pencils, and drinks ink, and
her books alters looks like the rats had
had 'em whar she's nibbled off the cor.
ners. She retched over aud begged US
for our swee'gum. "Please gimme q
chaw," says she. "Mine's sticky" saws
I. wait tel | get the stretch berries In
mine, and I'll gin you half of it," says
Cindy Robertson; "Lond me yourn,
Ursuly Ann; I'll gin it right back to
you at recess" says she. II lent il C
Becky Jane; you csn ohaw it awhile
! when she gita done chawin' Gf H." says
she. And we'uns vas all whisperin'
and in powerful gigglement. / didn't
know nairy word of my big spellin' lesson.
The boys was hingin' paper balls at us
and lookin' tother way like shey
hadn't done nothin'. A mouse run across
the floor, and the whole school got to
gigglin'. Ole Weslfe!d stomped his foot
and told us to hush and git our lessons.
| ky Robertson he made doll ourn his
pocket han'kercher aud danced it on his
book and we gals snickered out loud :;
then he said the fust one laughed agin
he lowed to make 'em stand on one foot.
His heads as bald as the pan of your
hand, aud as slick as n peeled ingon, and
We gals named him "ipgon-head," but
he never would er knowed i. if it hadn't
a been for Julis Dickerson. l drawed
| his pictur on my slate and passed it
around. Things is heap funnier in
time o. books when you know you can't
laugh. We all had our heads together
whisperin' and most choked 10 laugh out.
Julie she helt in long as she could, and
then she snickered and snorted out. He
called her out in the middle of the floor
to stand on one foot tel she could tell
what she was laughin' at. She didn't
she couldn't keep t'other foot up no
longer, and then she up and lowed: "M..
Wesifeld3" "Well, what is it ?" Betsy
Hamilton said" and then she stopped
and looked at me and grinned, and let
her foot down. "Well, what did she say,
and what were you laughin' att Take
up your foot. You might as we'll tell,
for I'll make you stand there on one foot
all day till you do tell" says old West.
field. Julie talks through her nose and
whines her words out long. Betsy
Hamilton, She swell, what did
Betsy Hamilton do?" "Betsy Hamilton
she lowed" (still lookin' at me like
she was skeered to tell on me.) "Well,
out with it-what did Betsy Hamilton
say 2" The gals all begun to look skeered,
and lodged behind my spellin'-book
to hide my face from ky Robertson, for
was sure she was gwine to tell what
said about 1ky's years, sot out on his
head like he was flappin' Of 'em to fly /;
and knowed In reason he'd never want
to speak TO me no more If she told that.
"Out with it; out with it.. can't wait
any longer. What did Betsy Hamilton
sas 2" "Why, Betsy Hamilton flowed
as how-'!owed as how-:s how your
head looked like a-a-s ingon," and
down come her tother foot on the floor,
and she tucked her head and snickered,
and tothers all laughed too; and some
of the boys jes yelled. Ny face turned
red as billed beet. and my spellin'- book
was bottom up'ards. riz from behind
it and lowed: II didn't" Come here
to inc this minute" says he, land tell
me what you said. Come here, tell
you." kivered my face with my spellin'.
book, chawed my swee'gum fast, and
went up 70 him. "Now, tell me what
you said, or I'll wear you out. You keep
that corner in grin half youi time.
Taka that c,ur, n,,t Nf vnur n, nntk yybok