The Green Forest tribune., 1892-05-26
Written for the Carroll Co Teachers Institute
THE COUNTRY SCHOOL.
BY JAMES RICHIE

BYJAMEs RICHIE.
My muse OF poesy aid me now
To write ia verse and tell why and how
The country school in every state,
In every county is so great;
Why SO popular everywhere,
In every neighborhood, here and there,
Is it because it is the peoples pride,
More so than all other schools sbeside?
Universities of great renown,
And colleges in many town,
Are great Juminaries, very grand,
But the country school, in ev'rV land,
Is the boast of millions of children,
So they'll ever sing its praises, then
Let normals and institutes lead the way
Like guiding stars that ne'er 90 astray.
Whether at Eureka or Green Forest,
Let teachers not forget the school that's
best
For the state and for the nations veal,
And they will not if they rightly feel
Their responsibilities great weight
AS moulders of the i'll or happy fate,
Of little ones, and blooming youth,
Who should be taught to love God and
truth.
Then the teachers should be qualified
intellectually satisfied,
That they can teach all branches we'll,
EACH trying all the others to excel.
Nohe should despise the humble country
school,
Nor with meager talents, the people fool;
Let not incompetent teachers teach,
Nor ignorant preachers try to preach.
The log cabin school houses of long ago
Were not built for style, nor yet for
show,
But were as good as thekouses were,
That in wilderness, there and here,
Did appear as the homes of pioneers,
Who bravely led the way, without fears,
Marched in the van of ci vilzation,
AS founders of states and the nation.
Log cabin institutions still grace
AS free schools, many backwoods
place.
When a boy, our great Washington went
- 10 the country school, his school days
spent;
Happy days! to be remembered long,
Where learning cheered him like
sweet song.
Vet he was great, to his country true.
Horace Greedy, like Franklin, rose to
fame,
From among his books, immortal name!
lllustrious names adorn our sky,
Like our proud ensign of stars on high;
Names written on history's pages,
Our country's boast, heroic sages,
Who rose from the shades Of life obscure
AS lights on green Americas S shore.
Now our schools are established by law,
And as good as the people ever saw,
In which the millions are TAUGHT to
spell,
The thousands of useful words very well;
Then is not reading an easy task
10 all those who love their books, ask?
Spelling is the sure stone foundation,
On which to build ain education.
Then let us build the structure with care,
On the sub, stratum rock, let us rear
The towering editice sublime,
So beautiful in every cline.
A good education is a pearl
OF great price" that doth bright tho'ts
unfurl,
Like gems far down meath the oceans
waves,
Where millions sleep in watery graves.
Make the country school the scholars
delight,
Make 1T the nursery of thoughts SO
bright,
Where rural scenes invite, and pupils
try,
That it may with the city schools vie.
Where ger poor wandering child roams.
Care for the boys and girls, in sweet
homes,
Invite little children to come near,
And try rule them by love, not fear.
Oratory or defamation,
Should be taught, IS the pride of the
nation,
In every district Alright,
AS 1t is the glory and delight
VI students everywhere of use,
And to neglect it, there's no excuse.
Elocutloa! boon to each one,
In this free land, the land of Washing
NORMAL, Eureka Springs, May %, 1872.
(The above poem was recited by the
author at the Teachers Association at
this place. Mr.. Ritchie was the oldest
teacher present having taught forty two
terms.
Local HaDDaDippS