The Portland daily press., 1895-01-19

Such an order, even when the disposition
to do SO was present, and the latter was
not always there.
One forenoon when the teacher was
very much absorbed in extrlcatlnR
pupil (whose knowledge OF cancelIaglon
was of the fourth rate orderl who had
become stranded, as it were in the Wild
erness of complex fractions, STOUT
athletic member of the school, who had
wallowed a mile through the snow, the
mercury at zero, boots frozen and ABOUT
as pliable as boiler iron, entered the
schoolroon, and with long strides made
his way to his seat, apparently regard
less OF consequences. The teachef at
once ordered him to return to the ante
room and enter the schoolroom IN
more decorous and proper manner. which
order he refused to obey, whereupon the
teacher proceeded to enforce compliance
by using a little force. Between the
flash of lightning and the thunder there
is an interval of time. In this case IL
was the same and of about the same
duration; then a conflict opened which
with slight exceptions was a repetition
of that between Roderic Dhu and James
Fitz James. At one stage of affairs, the
success of law and order, hung as 1t
were by thread, but swift change Of
tactics on the part of the teacher, who
by dexterous move of his left hand
grasped the handkerchief which his OPP
ponent wore about his neck, and with
sudden twist formed a perfect garrore
completely shutting off the supply OF
oxygen TO the lungs, thereby rendering
his antagonist breathlessly and helplessly
demoralized and himself the victor.
This sudden and unexpected ending OF
the struggle cooled the ardor OF several
of the boys, who were just waiting, DuU
ready to assist their comrade should they
e;rx nf hi dafaat
victory seemed to exert wholesome IN
fl uence and rendered the task of preserv-
ing good order comparatively easy.
1t would be idle to say that the appar-
ell of the com batants was somewhat dis
arranged, as that would be misleading,
for buttons, cuffs, suspenders, vests,
etc., were scattered far and wide, the
teachers coat, to use a sea phrase, was
split fir ON clew to earring. while his OPP
ponets was completely riddled.
Before this little unpieaSantness oc-
CURED the scholars would barely admit
that they had a teacher, but from this
time on they not only admitted they
had teacher, hut commander in the
full sense of the term.
The father of the vanquished young
man was working for me at the time
and was at the dinner table when the ex-
citing news was launched upon us in all
it's narrowing details by a pupil just
home for his dinner.
The old gentleman was very devout
Christian, and not hasty in expressing
his views of the case, but after short
hesitation he made these remarks, :" IT
nv son deserved a whipping and got it
I am glad, but if he didn't deserve a
whipping and took it / am glad he got
it," He then proceeded with his dinner
with perfect composure.
This head flaw of which ] have written
occurred at about the beginning of the
term, and by the way was the only one
in the school for the winter. All were
upon friendly terms and an exceedingly
prosperous school was the result.
A Iyeeum was established, the meet
ings to be on the triangular plan, viz. !:
first at Pond Cove. second at Spurwink,
and the third at Bowery Beach. and SO
on. These meetings were attended by
old and young, many questions discussed
which was a great source of improve
ment nd highly enjoyable. The Nestor
of the community would occasionally
loose his temper and kick over the traces
of strict parliamentary rules, owing to
some pet theory or argument of his being
ventilated and dissecred by the Pond
Cove teacher, who would discover
many weak points, and by logical reas-
oning prove their fallacy.
In ali of these debates the Spurwink
and Bowery Beach teachers took great
interest and were always ready to ex-
press their opinions, whatever the topic
for discussion.
AS a whole the efforts of these students
from Bowdoin were crowned with sue
cess, and in Pond Cove in particular, the
influence is manifest to this late day.
Among all the pupils living ] know
of none but are what are termed in down
east parlance, Tom Reed men.