Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26

The Grammar School of berdeeu and how
it was Conducted.

| 1t was Conducted.
The school house was low, one stored
! building in the Schoolhill, N the form OF
the letter 81, the public schoo. in the cen
/ ire, and four class-roems in the four wings.
| The little quadrangle in front was the only
play ground, silent as the grave during tie
| hours Of teaching, but bursting with life
and resounding with the shouts and shrieks
| of some $50 boys during the intervals of
| play. The games were simple but varied,
| following a sort Of scholastic calendar
which regularly brought round marbles,
| buttons, hand-balls, peg tops, and what
not in due season. Beyond the precincts
of the school there was abundance of rae
ing, chasing, hunting and humping, for
police were yet unknown. and the streets
were not too crowded to be turned into a
general play ground. Everything was sing
ularly inexpensive. The fees in Byron s
time were but five shillings a quart,r; and
the sports of the school had to be betrayed
by the boys out of their pocket-money,
which seldom exceeds a penny week
Nothing could have shocked thrifty Aber-
deem burgess more than to be calle2 to pay
entry money or yearly contributions for
cricket or football; indeed, such games
were quite unknown. 1t must be remem
bered that hundred years ago Scotland
was really very poor country, and In a
provincial town like Aberdeen living was
very simple, and the people very thrifty.
In Byron time Latin was literally the
only branch of instruction in the gram
mar-school. 1t was Latin, "semper,
Unique, ct omnibus, Year in ard year out,
su INNER and winter, morning and evening:
only Latin, and that continually. And
the manner Of teaching was usually dull,
as the matter of it was monotonous. The
rector, DR.. James Dun, was very old man.
approaching ninety, but his duties were
performed by coadjutor. There was no
effort to make the work interesting, and
no resource for Weakening up the intellect
of boys VINO had 20 turn for languages and
the classics
Byron did not apply himself to the work
HIS name never appeared in the prize list.
Usually, in class of about thirty, his
place in the quarterly lists ranged from
fifteen to twenty. The highest ever record.
ed was fifth, and il is an interesting cir
cumstance to the present writer that in
that list the name Immediately above it
was James Blake To boys that applied
themselves earnestly to the work, the
course of study had at least the effect Of good
mental discipline, and to this extent it
was a useful preparation for after.life.
But to one who merely endured the thing,
it must have been alike WEAKNESS of the
flesh and dissi patton of the mind.
The school hours were very rigid, and
the vacations few and short. Eight to
nine o'clock to begin with, summer and
winter, and in Aberdeen dark winter
mornings seemed to have bitterness all
their own. From ten to twelve and from
three to five at the grammar school, and
for writing there was another school, from
twelve to one, and fol- arithmetic from one
to two. The vacations were just three
weeks at midsummer, week at Christmas,
and an occasional day or two at other
times. On Wednesdays lessons ended at
twelve, and on SATURDAY at eleven.
II the holidays were short, they were all
TIE more appreciated. The painting and
outstretching of soul for ''the play" at
midsummer rose to an enthusiasm I'M
known lor anything ese. Weeks before,
before the master appeared. and beat time
on the desks to a rhyme Of which they
never tired:
''Oh, for the play boys, Oh for the play!
Oh, for the bonnie, bonnie, bonnie summers
play?"
The last week there was busy coIlec-
ton of pence for "busking,' Or decorating
the school. and on the evening before the
vacation was given out, the boys sailed
forth in glorious exuberance of spirits,
making in groups for every available nur-
sery, garden, wood, or villa in the neigh
borhood, to beg, buy or borrow flowers
and branches for the work Of decoration.
By dint Of early rising, the decoration
was completed by eight o'clock in the
morning, and for once in the Year the dull
and dingy classroom looked like lovers
bowers. And when 1.-The play was given
out. and the school dispersed, the yells Of
delight that burst from every throat re-
sounded through all the neighboring
streets, and in fainter echoes reached the
furthest outskirts Of the town.-Harper s
Magazine.