Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-01-07
My Royalton Experience.

committee stating that if / wanted tn,
school at Royalton Academy should max,
my application in person at once. So,giv.
: ing up my plan of week in Maine i start
ed off at once to make my first trip of any
great distance alone. Since then having
travelled nearly across the continent,
journey of two hundred miles does moi
/, seem such long one, but at that time il
did. A few hours ride brought me to Port
land, where | found that / could reach
Royalton late on Saturday, and that then
, | must stay there over Sunday. Not fan
cying such long stay in strange place,
and that including Sunday, l determine
ed to spend the Sabbath with an uncle in
Haverhill, and go to Vermont Monday.
Having carried out this plan, found my
self Monday afternoon at the depot in
Royalton, and the first one met was the
keeper of the Cascadnac House, Mr.. ID. z.
Stearns. ! was soon in the presence of
Mr.. Allen; had made myself and my err
rand known, and before supper had been
introduced TO Mr.. Parker, another of the
prudential committee. Next morning we
three were in conference for short time,
and the place was offered me and accepted,
and having some time to wait for the train
home, began to make inquiries as to a
place to board. AT the first place that i
called, met a small lady, who showed me
a room that | could have, and | at once en-
gagged it, Since then have often wonder
this place first, for it was the place where
/ should have been sent had l called any
| where else. Nothing now was left TO do
but telegraph the news home.
In order to have everything ready for
theibeginning Of school, had arrived on
the scene of action a week in advance. BY
some unaccountable means had missed
connections at White River Junction, and
was obliged to take the express and get off
at South Royalton. Fortunately, Mr..
Stearns was there, and | rode up through
the village. l have been glad that things
occurred as they did, for saw South Roy
alton as Ii was; next morning 1t was an
nounced that the business part of the viii
lage had been burned.
By Monday, the third of September,
| 1886, the new Principal was settled IN his
new home ready for work. The events of
| that week, with no school to take the at
| tention may well be passed over. Do not
for once think that his eyes turned long
ingly toward his Massachusetts, home or
that he wondered how the school would
get along. For this was to be his first ex-
perience. Suffice it to say that the morn
ing for the school to begin came, and a
company of twenty girls and boys were
there to greet the one who was to be their
teacher for the next twelve weeks. The
motto that appeared on my calendar Tor
that morning was so appropriate that l
put it in my journal, and here it is:
"God and Nature are the true Helper and
Comforter for all OF us. Do not tie your
self with books, creeds and speculations;
let them wait, and believe that simply
wishing and trying to be good is piety,
for faith and endeavor are the wings that
carry souls to Heaven" Moody.
Old and young were there, two from
point OF years, / might have looked up to
guidance. But better class OF pupils 1t
would be hard to find. That first morn
10 L. tyh at WI Glasses
were made up, lessons assigned, and an or
der for books made out; for the village
store did not carry in stock all the books
we wanted to use. Then there was week
of waiting for the textbooks to come, dur |
ing which time we had to have double les |
sons in the books we had. The classes |
were small, but the number OF classes was
large. There were, some OF the time, at
least fifteen different Rotations to be
heard in a day, but everything moved
along quietly. During the Tunbridge Fair |
there were some absences, and one day |
was given the pupils for the purpose of at |
tending. As the end of the term drew |
near, it was decided that there should be
an entertainment at the close. The plan |
was eagerly taken up by the school, and |
program made out. Considerable time was
taken in rehearsing and the entertainment
was well attended. wish had program
at hand to draw from, but remember that |
there were several Rotations, and music,
with a dialogue at the end. Not the least
entertaining was a male quartet, not with l
the parts as usually, but each boy sang a
a different tune, and did it well too. About
twenty books were added to the library |
from the proceeds of the evening. Among
them a set OF fifteen volumes of Aldens
Universal Literature.
The interest of the townspeople in the
welfare OF the schoolwas manifested dur
ing the winter by the generous response
to the subscription that was raised for
set of Cyclopedias. Forty dollars was soon
made up, and the set of fifteen volumes OF
the International Cyclopedia is now in the
school-room. 1t was the last resort for
answers to the many questions that will
arise, and it was in constant use by all.
Considerable interest was taken in
Reading Club that was formed at the be-
ginning of the Winter term. Monday ev-
ening was set aside for this purpose, and
dozen or more met with the teacher to
read and discuss 1t is an index OF the
pleasure that the pupils took in this exer-
else that some of them should come two
or three miles on those cold, frosty even
ings, for often the thermometer would be
below the zero mark, and the class was
voluntary one.
Friday afternoons were occupied with
general exercises. For time the teacher
read from the biography of Queen Victo-
ria, and then the scholars would write
what they could remember OF the MARIA
tive Several afternoons were spent with
the American writers, when sketch OF
the authors life would be given, and reci-
tations and readings from his works.
But school life was not all serious. An
occasional blunder was too good to keep
the face straight One hoy thought that
day and night were caused by the revolu-
tion OF the earth around the moon,
asleiebts of art' was read"sheighs of art, =
and Ito pamper luxury""to paper luxury.
One reader, instead of referring to "a slen-
der girl preferred ga splendid girl" For
recreation baseball was popular, but when
the winter came on and it was too cold to
play that, a set of horizontal bars, found
in the attic, was placed in one of the small
rooms, and here all sorts of teats were
done, and it is said that sometimes even
the girls would essay to try their strength