New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-01
ANCIENT COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
WHERE THE GRANDFATHERS OF THIS GEN.
rpATIoN LEARNED TILE THREE RS.

cd man tie other night, 80" want some OF "' so"
oay rarn.n.soences Well. think can tell as many
stories o, IuD shmsnts AZ any one In this n goh'
my earliest memories 50 back 10 1872 Though they
,,e Mint | went 10 scnoOI few days In tie sum-
NOR =, .nat yenr with my sister. A woman always
kept the .rnner term Tor only girls ana smal Gull
dren attended, can remember that MISS gray WAS
kind and used to let three or four OF US youn !sterS-
my sis,er tells ne thistle down on tue peHcn ana
o., T., sia.p ard she would cover W wth shawl
I go, remember standing by her side ard repeating
N. letters after her Il, she pointed to them with her
kn;tnEg nsedis. ] must have been about four years
o,c never went 20 s0nOOl regularly till was about
zen and thence on unti was eighteen attended
evsry winter but two. have seen some things IN
scnU,. wrich have made me thoroughly angry anu
some over which laugh 10 this day. Dd you ever
gee AZ olc sh!cncd school In session. Just imagine
a sna ons.storv tyildng, standing close BESIDE the
road ~. outer door opens di city into the school
rom 70: space can he wusted on an entry! All
atoard TIE room, about as high as ones head. are
peys driven into the wall on which hang the
obidrcn's hats and cloaks. AT the cnd OF
the roor often occupying the whole spnce'
IL tho fireplace, wherein on a winters DAY hzHc'
ard spUtters q fire Of green wood. IN the summer
time this will be- filled with green bourhs Along
;as tive sides Of the room. and perhaps across tne
other end. q sOplng shelf before winch stahu'
long bench made OF a slnb By driving IN poes ior
.
rbdren This Is the desk and seat OF the larger
ena,cn--those who write. The occupants sit facing
tie val. and whenever occasion requires them 10
lose ,e teacher they draw their feet up nnoer tnem
ana swing round. The rest Of the room is Mica WITH
.,nobes having backs but no dcsks. There may De
.wo o. three rows Of them. on these sit the smaller
,n,ottcn SO small that their feet DO not touch tho
soor II ,hc district Is largo you may ma ninety
rupis here ranging IN age from six TO twenty-five
will c clli everywhere.
l,r there will be n crowd around the fireplace. con-
s,aciy turning round for the heat Is so strong that
6..e roasts on side and freezes on the other All
sic nos supplied With books but are looking over
y:tn others TIC teacher may be n man Of the
neisLhcraooa. or lie NAY be 4 stranger. but lie Is
Ws':1v; anc exact.
Dr., school had the reputation Of being pretty
qr!e. aud orr teachers generally were very good
a. we srew very little about the rough side OF He
En: :hr E.ntcr fifteen came change.
MASTER as we, called him, from somewhere In New
,e,soy was hired, and think the school IN
s,lnctiyev took a dislike to him. He was a mai
anoU. ffy year, old. tall. shaggy hair ana whisF
e,s and small. decpset. Keen. gray eyes. IL was
sn'd that be had taught good many years. he
osonlshcd us the first day by telling ono OF te
bows 20 SIT down thar he would put "A head on
nm following II IN n short time by the statement
thnt r we didn't want to he struck by thurteg
and lightning with little Glue monkeys thrown d.
We must ply attention 10 his rules dden
,imes a day 10 would tell us to be careful for he
ras n .igh rollin' tiger with brass claws am
do,ble .ow OF teeth ali round when he got started
aud that he would 'shiver orr topma,ts worse MAN
a West India hurricane Snch talk was oil new
70 IA and we IA Ger enjoyed II. We didn't kno"
what It meant, but It sounded we'll. We soon
found that he was the girls and Children
iaan OH us larger ones We came even 10 th'hN
mat lie didn't dare 10 whip rs. But, thru, nc
c,d-t whip much, anyway; his punshmshs "ere
nearcr The people OF home began TO se' down
o. him after awhile. which did not help HIM any,
mad ION the whole nelghborhood was gssipinC
about him. lie made one ,lc fellow aodit nine
,ears old hold up the table for half an honr'
ris was the name given TO standing with the feet
against the wall and the body bent at rat angie
tie hands resting the knees. l neur knew
what the boy did TO bring about this punishment hui
II was new 10 The child cried and Niaiiy icn
oyer OH the door. The teacher whipped him ana
roo1e Lin 60 back 10 the punishment. That night
ne was taken sick and for week II WINS feared he
would die This was duly talked over one GAY |
ohc Of the large girls had been whispering ana
several times Ind he told her Of his tiger proclNi
les: finally he called the school 10 oricr and told
he girl 10 come ont on the floor. Wien sic S'o'Y
here all alone he said tina, he would try new
punishment on her: all the boys that wished mish'
march past and kiss her. The girl looked deAan;
Instantly dozen boys ranged themselves In line |
but most OF the old ones felt that II was outrageous
Half a dozen boys had kissed her and she was cry
IN. when old Squire IS son. Harry. Who all 'F |
school aid was sweet on her. went up TO u'
teacher and told him he had better stop that wor''
WHO are you. exclaimed the teacher. That y'n
give me orders. You whlte-ey"d ana white-h'erd
ION OF a yellow monkey and at the same tine
struck him with his fcrulc. Harry Instantly seized /
him by the ilront and for a minute 1t WIS prStj
sharp battle: some severe blows given i'm.
a. both parties strug gled to their feet the teahef
lhrcaicnngly said. IN about this 10y nrd by
Everybody take your seat and go TO studying. hal
was the las, we ever heard Of that. riorgh he 81 60
To the squire with complaint about Harry.
The larger BOYS were now ready for anything the
shape of mischief. 10 they determined 10 turn the
teacher OF doors. We arranged TO lock hin out.
You know tina, lock out used TO 10 wa the
boys had OF getting holiday and litlc was thout OF
II II occurred only once or twice during winter.
Well planned this 10 get rid OF our teacher. one
morning all. that Is. about twenty OF us got 10
The ochoohousc before O'Clock ana instead otbuld-
INK the fire took that II should he imvsSlbc
% build We piled MP against the door III the
benches and stools could find, fastened tightly the
blind, ana waited the onset. We had put II the
teachers property on the stone steps out.dt Nv
half past 5 good mnny children had come ard were
whiting outside. lrety soon the teacher ca1c and
saw al n glance what were doing. lie der anded
admission WHICH, OF course. We rciused. ~ asked
why, and was answered that did not wan him as
teacher any longer II was dark within. ba pretty
soon We heard him trying to pry open the shutters.
Thi. he soon gave up and then began regular
bat,erng on the door with rail- We posed the
wrought ron latch and wrought-iron hinges Wnld hold
II safely but In about five minutes 1t yielded and came
over on the benches which, In spite Of eri came
tumlling down. Harry. before mentioned told the
ienclcr leave. and rs hc crossed the threilod hall
a dn,on bnvs sprnuc upOn him, and before he could
recover himself had borne him to the floor; hen, they
DRAGGED him over the benches ana rolled I'm ont of
the door. In a second he WAS back. stihine and
kicking right and left. but no sooner did 10 get Into
the room again than the boys were Inn like 80
many eats. II did little good 10 strike, oronc sprans
on his back and put his arms around his ech others
pulling his legs from under him. 'atil almost
before he knew II he WAS rolling on The nor. and We
dragging and pushing him again ont the door
NJ. lL..La and nLui llL lnnr ills Hmm Ilcn be