The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-17
NOT WISHY-WASHY.
Clarence Gorse's Style Of Teach
ing a District School

ing a District School
In those merry old times in Merry
England, whose shadow, after centuries,
is still passing dark and upas-like. when
the only learning among the rich was
in hawks and hounds and the art of ar
resting a poacher, and. among the
poor, in clutching from sullen soil,
with hardly better tools than finger
nails, harvest sufficient to keep the
harvesters alive and their masters in
waste and idleness; when the only craft
OF the rich and great was in treason and
stratagem, and of the poor, in conceal
ment and humility or in treachery to
more faithful comrades; in those merry
timeS-lf merry is the blacklist word in
the language-when the cruelest of
laws were distorted by the cruelest of
men. or set aside if, haply, some genius
of barbarity might devise something
worse-in those times, then, there was
one law SO destitute of any show of
reason that generally. no king, lord. or
prelste desiring its suspension, it was
allowed to have something of the force
of settled rule. Under this law, a per-
son charged with any crime might de-
cline to plead, and ask, by right of the
realm, shield of faithful subjects, per-
mission to prove his innocence on the
body of his prosecutor. In the battle
then given, if the prisoner were victori-
Gus, his innocence became manifest; if
he were beaten, his guilt stood revealed
as if by the light of MONDAY. This was
one of the more prominent and even
liberal features of English jur:s-
prudence, and when it became obsolete
in the courts it still remained in force in
the society which those courts had
helped to mold.
Fifty years ago, in our own country,
the tribunal of force was the only tri-
bunal recognized in at least one of our
institutions-the public school. The
teacher was sort of plaintiff, charg-
ing the pupils with ignorance, and bid
ding them learn. from him. The pu-
pls. in defense, answered according to
the old rule, by giving battle. Such,
y
tale begins, was the rule in a remote
lake district of Ohio; and so firmly was
the rule adhered to, so brave and de-
termined were the pupils, that it be-
came impossible for the school trustees
TO find in the vicinity and among the
ranks of veteran pedagogues a person
bold enough to assume the position OF
instructor. In this terrible pass and
menace to education, the trustees
caused a notice of their wants to be
placed in the post-office of a neighbor-
ing college town.
There, to while away an idle moment,
Clarence Gorse, sophomore and richest
student of the college, read it Poorer
young men read it But the
reputation of District No. 6 was
known, and for a month there
were no applicants At the end Of
that time, however. Clarence Gorse
walked from his boarding-place to the
post-ofice to read the notice again. and
when he had the address of Mr.. II.
Clark, Ochreville, O.. he put himself in
communication with that gentleman
with no delay. The school was still
vacant, the answer came: and laconic
directions were added whereby MIR.
GGrse might find the house of Mr.. H
Clark, where the trustees would as.
semble to consider his candidacy.
-Gorse put the letter in his side pocket
as carefully as if it contained the clue
to another island of Monte Cristo, for q
turn of fortunes wheel had made him
as poor as he had been rich. At the time
set he penetrated Into the re-
bellious district and by dint of inquiry
arrived at his destination. MIR. Clark's''
was a rambling. white house, quite
the finest about; but perhaps it was toe
fine for, knocking at the front door,
Gorse was presently startled by a pretty
voice inside, which communicated the
intelligence that the door was 'fast
ened," and would be Ego round?''
Going around he was met at the side
door by the owner of the pretty voice.
who proved to be a remarkably pretty
girl She colored when he regarded
her intently, and on receiving his
name, conducted him to the parlor.
Here she cast a deprecatory glance
about, murmured in the pretty voice
that she would tell father" and dis.
appeared. Gorse thought the room
rather plain, nor did he notice how
much had been done to make it cosy
and agreeable. In some things, truly, il
was rustic to conventionality. For in.
stance, the picture of battle in which
the leading Rebel, about to saber the
leading Federal, was covered by the re
yolver of second Federal about to b.
bayoneted by second Rebel who was in
imminent danger of death from third
Federal attacked by third Rebel crap