The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-05-07
Old-Timc School Teaching
"REMINISCENCES or AN OLD PgDAdoGug.

liz
1t is always very pleasant thing to
let bad boy bring his punishment on
himself. noticed rs / stood Mt nm mn.
per window in large school house
where taught, that the boys came ont
the back door into the play ground as il
they had been fired from cannon.
They shot ont one after another, and
generally landed III convenient snow.
bank. On going TO the head of the
htairs ] saw the reason. The bows
jumped ns,ride Of the bnnister and went
sailing down the inclined plane jumping
clear oil the steps, aud landed, IN gen
ernl thing, on their feet. The end Of the
bhDi6tcr had no welpost, and the
open door was only few feet from the
BOLTON 81 the stairway. 10 was great
Iun, and the amusement wns increased
when big boy could rake in with his
projecting feet some III fortunate Young
stcr who wns going down the stairs in
tho ordinary way. told the bows when
school was called that this sort of rapid
trtnslt would have 10 stop. Boys llsl.
ally don't have much respect for tbo
commands Of new master until thew
find TINT he means what he says. Al
The next recess | went To the foot Of the
stairs to find ont whether they proposed
TO obey me or not. found, rs / cx-
pectod, that they didn't. When the
lads came sailing down the bnuistcr
grnspcd each ny he flew past 10y the col
lar and swung HIM around into the
lower passngcway aud stood them M
one 10y one somewhat dnzcd by the
whlrl they got II waa lively work, for
the supply OF the boys exceeded the de-
mnnd. They came from the upper re-
Ylons with be"lldcrIn9 rnpIdity and
hnd my hands full N every sense of the
word M ! gathered them in. At last the
tho news spread TINT the muster was Mt
The foot Of the stairway with II standing
invitation 10 all sliicrs, aud the down.
pour OF boys suddenly ceased. WIS
Just abont 10 turn my attention To tho
row OF captiycs when heard the follow.
ing conversation at the head of the |
stairs:
Don't. The masters down there"
81 don't care"
"Ilo'll collar you.'
I'D like 10 see him do il. I'll give !
him dig that'll double him M mighty
quick, you bet. Lake to SEQ him collar
me"
The latter speaker made no attcmpt to
conceal the fact that he didn't give n
hang for the new master.
stood at the foot Of tho stairs and
waited for him. llo threw his leg over
the bnhister, and, spreading out his feet,
launched himself down toward me. A
glance Showed me that would he rakcd
IN tho next moment, and would be tho
inughlngsto Of the school; 40 |
Kicked the door shut aud stood aside.
Tho big fellow, whose name did not
then Know, came down like u whirl-
WIND. The moment the door closed no
lied to fling himself OF; but ho was too
!ate. He snot against the door with n
lhnd that made every window rattle md
leii back III II heap ON the. noor.
helped him up on his feet, assisted
~ ono OF the boys, and he said, feebly,
nat he guessed he would sit down for
httle while, ! let the row of cuprits
20, and told them that M accident like
hat might happen ut any moment if
he door CHANGED to shut, and 80 after
mat we had no more sliding down old
Grimes cellar door.
IL Ia seldom that school master has
n hand to hand encounter with pupil;
yet IN the backwoods ] have knows
such thing to take place. once wan
ono OF party OF five who undertook to
thrash our school.master, who was n
terrible severe man. lie gave me the
worst thrashing ] ever received, and to
this day don't know what it was for.
However, thrashing never went amiss
With me at that time. ] ALWAYS de-
erved 1t, and this one l merely placed ,
account, knowing there was still o +,
rye balance coming to me. But rs i il
a. saying, five OF us agreed to climb 4
the teacher Mt n lonesome place fl
'out half mile from the school where p
couldn't cry for help. We climbed N
ut alas 1t was not the teacher who fr
ad to cry for help. He thrashed all IL
Te OF us. He had got 30 accustomed tl
thrashing boys that he seemed to do
quite from the force of habit. hs
The school-boy OF my day was born in
ghter. Every new boy had TO fight mis- in
ay to his place among the boys. I h,
ave fought, when l went to a new in
onooi as a pupil, with good-natured -
elbows who happened to be the cham. l..
mons, who had not the slightest ill.win LII
oward me, nor to them. But scboo, "
Etiquette demanded that we sbouli fiaht 90
md We did. don't suppose this ocsur, Or
D any extent in town schools, bnt mo h,
olbt, it does in the country, where a hi
pillow behind the school-house or n
zee OF woods down tho road offers a y
cure fighting ground. Little the n,
acher will know of these combats II v
ere is "A stream near by where the vic. l.
and vanquished can wash their
'ody noses. as an East Londoner h,
uld say. was always a coward, and "a
,er took kindly to those fellows 10
hose fist was ever ready for knock.
Tn blow" The boys Of that far off WI
had no idea Of tho rules OF the ring, rol