West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-06-04
A COUNTRY SCHOOL.
Correct pcn-aud- Ink sketch ota small
Connecticut Village.

N'alu'N oodlhN SNOW lut marks ol NJ
least century. 90
Alone, upon the summit of high
hill this unpretcndmg temple OF learn
ing has been the structure used for gen
crationS in climbing the hill of science.
The march of Improvement has been
carefully Kept back from its surround
ihgs, the only adonmcnt being bed,
of rock and piles OF stone, which are
only changed as the careful farmer o.
labor-Saylng road-maStcr finds il CON
vcnicnt place to add TO its already
oVcrburdcncd stock.
The Same old plapkton which our
grandfatherS so industriou>ly used
their jack-knivcs i to-day the writing
desk around the wall, save whore
place has been whitfield too much To
bc of further service a new picc, has
been inserted. giving the youth of the
present day enlarged facilities for dec
oraton In front are the same old
wooden benches over which the chill
drcn of to-day swing i'm and out after
the fashion of their grandmuthcrs i'm
day. of long ago. The presiding
genius of the place is even in keeping
with the surroundings; "a master i'm win
ter TO manage turbulent boys, and
while his farm demands his attention
during tn summer months, some
schoolmarm fills mp the interval and
aids ovcrburdcncd parents i'm the care
of children who are in the way at home.
As one old master is obliged TO laV
aside the duties of his office ON account
OF the inilrmitics of age OF TO 90 TO his
last rcSting-plaCe, a new one is found
SO nearly like the old that the change
is hardly pcrccptiblc. Even the very
fcrulc and hickory club are carried and
used as cilectually aS by the masters of
a century ago.
The children OF to-day spell out the
words i'm the Testament at the opening
of school with the same moderation as
did their ancestors i'm '76, and the same
old bluc-covercd spelling book is vet i'm
the hands of the pupils, keeping alive
the momentouS questions whether the
man who made spelling books and the
one who talked politics were one and
the some, and if so why should he live
so much longer than other folks. and
questioning the propricty of changing
the old catcChism SO as To read Noah
Webster and not Mcthusclah, was the
oldest man But at length the march
OF Improvement reaches our rugged
hills and invadcs our territory 4
young lady from the city. graduate
from a prominent high school, appears
at the door of our district committee as
candidate for the school. He stare, -
departure from our custom, but
will consult the people of the district
and let her know. Unanimously they
say: "Wcll try the city lady. She
enters upon the duties of her Office.
Leaves all the attractions of one of our
prominent Connecticut cities 10 enter
upon her life work as teacher Ayoung
lady full OF life, energy and deter
mination to make her first effort "A sue
cess.
The old scboOl-house is made 10 look
more cheerful by the addition of few
yards of white cotton cloth AT the win 81
dows, and the blackboard instead of
being used for drawing caricaturcs of
the tcacher, is kept filled with well-cN-
ccutcd school-work.
The very schOOl-rOUm seem. TO be
filled with different ain No instru-
ment Of torment is in view, and two
dozen pairs of prying eyes have tried in
vain to discover it, hiding place What!
aschool with no whip, The city j. filled
with horrible means Of torture and
some dreadful thing must be here in
visible One sharp pair of eyes dis
covers near the blackboard two Oblong
articles. II have found out" is the
first confidential talk with cOmpan-
ion. "She'll box IL side the head
with those things by the blackboard. -
and at the close of the session pupils
scatter hOmeward to make known
to parents the wonderful discovery.
Catch her using them things ON my
children, says one parent, and his
children return 10 school to tell what
pa says.
Another session and the quccr-lOok-
ing things are taken in hand Breath
less silence rcignS in the schOOl-room.
Who is the victim? The teacher quietly
uses them for cleaning the blackboard.
and the great mystery is still unsOlved.
Still wonders do not cease 4 spelling
class is called and pupil spells cow.
kc-Ow Teacher SAYS pronounce the
word COW, not kc-ow
Glass dismissed and atclos, Of school
teacher says "Childrcn. when YOU
meet q person ON The street say. How
do YOU dO' not Hello
Children look amazed and report 90
pow l''7' y Nf l'h'UfI lr ONtlHifDniUN ~
her duties, mcdding with outside mat
ters. and besides, IS casting reflection
ON the manners of thc people Mem
brrs of the board Of education are CON
suited a, 10 the Limits 0f g teacher ,
power The Sis member. Of the board
have all presided as teachers in the
town, and 10 is against the rules 10 crit
icisc any thing out Of -chOJl-hour-.
and surely DO shows great lack # fa-
mlIiHrIy between teacher and pupil.
not tO say "Ilnllo' Now here is our
chouc' We have always succeeded
do Keeping city teachers OF Of the
place. We have teachers enough of
our own and need tbr mouct our,cIros.
and $50 have quietly revoked city teach
cr- certificates on two occasion. and
they have bc~ Obliged to leave. I'D II
"c can only manage thi ON. -nccr.
IHlly, probably there win bn no af
tempt a' city teaching for some time fo
come We viii not have any new meth .
Ods introduced here.
The committee of Che district be- COM
suited, Nut says "Not "a complaint has
reached hi, ears from person whom
hc considers competent to Judge of fIir
merits of % school He has visited fho
school. considered the tcachiuy surcr-
ior discipline excellent. and .ycry
thing satisfactory
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