Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-16

stone through. NO stones Wero ever
thrown on purpose.
There was long entry where wood
was kept from the wet, and the big boys
took turns at saving and cbopping the
wood and building the fires in the morn
ines. The fire building was q process
worth looking OF, for tho fireplace ex-
tended the whole side OF the school
room and could take in half cord OF
wood at one meal. In the morning be-
fore the fire "got a-goiug" the tempera-
ture o. the school-room was arctic,
and can we'll remomber seeing
the whole school OF fifty or more
scholars standing in rows before
the fireplace-the smaller children next
the fire, and the larger ones ranged out
side, all studying away at their lessons
in audible whispers while the blue and
shivering "master" set copies with
goose-quil pen or worked out nathemati-
cal problems too abstruse for some strap
ping fellow who stood in cowhide shoes
and pantaloons out OF which he had
stretched in his race toward six feet of
young manhood and short jacket, be-
tween which aud the psntaloons afore-
said there was q breach OF connection
which could never be remedied.
Reading was taught then and spelling,
and the classes stood up on the floor IN
long rows aud shouted at the top OF their
voices, it being then considered that the
scholar who could make the most NOISE
in reading was tho "pertest. "
When a word was put out to be
spelled-a difficult word, we mean
there was great but subdued excitement
in the class. The best speller stood Mt
the head, and if by any chance n word
was missed it was passed on down the
line, and the one who spelled it event
CD TO the head. which in the school was
as great a distinction as N political cir
cles it is TO be Governor OF the State.
With what an air Of pride the conscious
good speller wreStled with and con
guered such words as "pbthisic,
phlebotomy," pneumatics. &c;
and how gliblv she-for 1t was generally
a she-started off on the giants Of s,1
and seven syllables, and finished them
with a sonorous twang Of triumph on the
last syllable
There was sweeping list, on which
appeared the names Of all the girls sup
posed to be Old enough to handle the
broom, and upon their ministrauons the
tidy condition Of the school-room de-
pended And there was as much rivalry
among these young ladies TO see who
should do her work the best, and so
merit the appreciation OF the teacher as
there is nowadays over the rendering of
French or the shading Of wster-color
drawing.
Corporal punishment was in force,
and the man who could not fight upon
occasion was not acceptable as teacher,
while the pedsgogue who could lick
oil the big boys" was looked up to and
respected.
Many lively scrimmage have we wit
messed in our youthful days between the
master and some unruly pupil, while
our lar stood up with fright, and the
big boys sat still, and the blggirls hoped
the teacher would conquer, and the
blackboard, and the tin dipper. and
water pail, and the very inkstands on
the desks ratified out OF sympathy with
the jar of the opposing Combatants.
Oh, how cold it used to be on windy
days And we sat with our shawls over
us. and our numbed and chilly fingers
irving to hold the grating slate-pencl,
while our concealed brains sought to
guido rs safely through the huie Of
Three and the extraction Of Cube Root.
What trials We used to have in store
for tho teacher we did not like. We tied
live mice to his overshoes. and put pep
per in the ire, and straddled the top Of
the chimney once with an old side
saddle. and nearly smoked the eyes ont
of half the school before the trouble was
discovered. We filled the bell with
water on cold mornings and fro4e it up !;
We trimmed the masters chair III mourn
ing we sent him anonymous loye-lettefs,
drew caricatures Of him on our States
An, well what is the use of going on ?
The old-fashioned school is no more (;
the master sleeps well in the shade Of
the pine trees in the quiet country Gene
tery, and the old fashioned scholars are
staid men and women now, and no
doubt most Of them tell their mischie
vous children and grandchildren that IN
their time young people were brought
up as they should be.