The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-01
A COUNTRY SCHOOL.
tIIartford GOurnnt.

turY.
 Alone, upon the summit of d high hill, this unprctcnding temple of learn ing has been the structure used for gen erations in climbing thr hills of science The march of improvement has been carefully kept back from it's surround ingS, the only adornments being beds of rock and piles of stone, which are only changed as the careful farmer or labor saving road-mastcr finds it convenient place to add to its already oyrrburdcncd stock
 The same old plank on which our grandiathcrs SO indu,triously used their Jack knives k to-day the writing desk around the wall say" where q place has been whittled too much to be of further service new piece has been inserted, giving the youth of the present day en- Iarged facilities for decoration. In front are the same old wooden benches oyer which the children of to-day swing in and out in the fashion of their grandmother4 in the days of long ago, The presiding genius of the place is even in keeping with the surroundings; a master in win ter to manage turbulent boys, and whil" his farm demands his attention during the summer months, some school marm fills up the interval and aids ovcrburdencd parents in the care of children who are in the way at home.
 As one old master k obliged to lay aside the duties of his office on account of the infirmities of age or to go to his last resting place, new one Is found SO nearly like the old that the change iS hardly pcrceptiblc Even the very ferule and hickory club are carried and used as etfcctrlally, as by the masters of century ago.
 The children of today spell out the words in the Testament at the opening of school with the same moderation as did their ancestors i'll 16, and the same old blue covered spelling-book is yet in the hands of the pupils keeping alive the momentous question whether the man who made spelling-books and the one who talked politics were one and the same and if so, why should he live SO much longer than other folks, and questioning the proprirty of changing the old catcchSm SO a. to read Noah Webster and not Methusclah was the oldest man But at length the march of improvement reaches our rug grd hills and inyades our territory. A young lady from the city, a graduate from prominent high school, appears at the door of our district committee as Il candidate for the school. He Starcs--a departure from custom, but will consult the people of the district and let her know unanimously they say, We'll try the city lady, She enters upon the duties of her office. Leaves all the attractions of one of our prominent Connecticut cities to enter upon her life work as teacher A young lady full of life, energy, and determination to make her first effort q success.
 The old school-ho,isc is made to look more cheerful by the addition of few wards of white cotton cloth at the win 1 dows. and the blackboard, instead of being kept for drawing caricatures of the teacher, is kept filled with we'll lIcXecuted school work
 The very schOol-room seems to be filled with q different air. No instru ment of torture is in view, and two l dozen pairs of prying eyes have tried in vain to discover it's hiding place i What! school with no whip! The city l is filed with horrible means of torture and some dreadful thing must be here invisible. One sharp pair of eyes dis covers near the blackboard two oblong articles. II have found out, is the first confidential talk with companion "Shcll box Us side the head with those things by the blackboard' and at the close of the session pupils scatter home ward to make known to parents the wonderful discovery. Catch her using them things on my children, says one parent, and his children return to school to tell what pa says.
 Another session and the queer look ing things are taken in hand Breath less silence reigns in the school-room. Who is the victim? The teacher quietly uses them for cleaning the blackboard, and the great mystery is cease A spelling class is called and pupil spells COW, ke-ow. Teacher says pronounce tn" word COW, not ke-ow
 Class dismissed and at close of school the teacher says. Children, when you meet a person on the street say How do you do?' not Hello,
 Children look amazed and report to parents. " The teacher k oNerstepplng her duties, meddling with outside mat terS, and besides, is casting reflection on the manners of the people. Mem bere of the board of education are con suited as to the limits of d teacher s power The six members of the board have all presided as teachers in the town, and it is against the rules to criti- else anything out of school hours, and surely it shows great lack of familiar ity between teacher and pupils not to say |" IIello!' Now, here is our chance
 We have always succeeded in keeping city teachers out of the place. We have teachers enough of our own and need the money ourselves, and we have quietly revoked city teachers certificates on two occasions, and they have been obliged to leave; so if we can only man age this one successfully, probably there , will be no attempt at city teaching fol | .:. l.