Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-03-20
GRAN DMA'S STORY.
HOW She Went 80 school for tho Eirst
Time Sixty Years Ago.

HOW She Went so school for tho Fifst
Time Sixty Years Ago.
Every one aboaG the house knew that
schooR was to begin on Monday, and
Bess sas saying For the twentieth"
time:
I'm all ready, grandma, erery thing
just think. it's only tomorrow
How times have ,hanged since was
| a little girl and weTYS to school, said
grandma, with that far-away look in her
eyes that was always. there when She
was '''memberin'," iay fsess said.
30 grandma, l never thought that you
went to school. as old as you are
Il was just as young. as you are once,
my dear" said grandn1u-
Tell me bout wheYr you went &c
school," begged Bess. drawing closer &c
dear grandma.
Il was eight or nine Years old before
| started to school," grandma began.
I'VE lived in Ohio, and it was more
than sixty years ago. Every one had tt
! pay to go, and the school only lasted
three months in the winter. when it
was too cold to work. My little brother
| John went with me.
My mother wove a piesp of flannel on
| the big loom from the wool off our own
sheep. Then she colored it brown with
| walnut hulls. From this, she made mo
a brand-new flannel dress, very long,
with tucbs in it to let oue as grew.
Father went to the woods. and shot a
deer and skinned him and tanned the
hide. From this deersl1ir he made mo n
pair Of buckskin shoes. They were tied
together with leather strings, and were
stiff and heavy.
''Mother next sold SOME tallow, and
bought a square of real store flannel of a
bright red color. She cut this in two on
the bias, so as to make ore piece larger
than the other The smaller of these
three-cornered pieces was for me to wear
around my neck as handkerchief. The
larger one was to serve az shawl and
hat, for l wore it over my head.
with all my new things. on and a lit
tie tin bucket in one hand. with our
dinner in it, and the litthn primer nv
mother had bought me. Rugged to nv
breast. we started to school right after
breakfast, father, John andlI-
''Father carried his axe on his shout
der, going on before us sud blazing
the way. BY blazing nlnan he chop-
ped large chip out of the trees on each
side. and cut away the underbrush for a
path. The school-house WIS a mile and
quarter from our house, awer hills and
through hollows.
1.-The school-house was. built of biz
round logs. with clay stuffed in to fill
up the cracks. There was a wide Chin
ney where a log-tire burned.
THE seats were logs split with stout
legs stuck in them. We sat on the fiat
side. My feet never. touched the floor.
They used to get very. tired hanging
down, and ! would swing them back and
forth to rest them. There were no
backs to these seats, and no desks in
front of them.
Il did not know what a school was
like, and I felt very strange | was
afraid of the teacher. to0a he was such a
large fellow, and went around carrying
a big stick three or fourrfeet long under
his arm. He was called the master
Father told him ourrEuames, and then
went home, telling us. not to get lost.
but to come straight home by the path
he had made. l felt Like crying when
father left. every thing was so strange.
THAT day the teacher put all tho big
boys and girls in one cSlss, and all the
little ones in another.
when noon came. we all opened our
dinner buckets and ate our dinners. for
some of the children had come three
miles.
I'VE all then went cut doors. and the
big boys played balE very much as boys
do now. The girls and smaller BOYS
played blind mans buff drop the
handkerchief and black man just as
children do now. 1t was almost dark
before -ye reached home that night The
teacher went with as to stay 2. week at.
our hnase, as he did with all che other.
pupils That was the first day | ever.
spent at school.-Gouth's Con- anon.