The herald., 1895-05-20

tiently for years l cherished the fond am
bition of licking that schoolmaster. I
thought of it when ho first struck me,
and every whack got was put down in
the account. When l found my mother
sympathized with me, was more imbit-
tered than ever. She did not tell father,
for she feared there would be 'trouble In
the sohoolhouse'' If he knew, and it might
be far better to bear the evil that had hap
pened than to commit the affair at once
to the god Of battles. 1 did not want IA
ther to whip the teacher, for that would
interfere with the choicest object of con-
tinued existence--my personal satisfac-
tion. The time came when felt fully
equipped for the infliction of the premcd-
itated retribution, but misfortune laid
heavy hands upon my grammar teacher,
and could not deal with him. 1t was o
disappointment. Mine enemy had been
stricken. Vengeance was not mine. I
had, however, drained bitter cup, the
first that was held to my lips, and gram
mar came to be perpetual sorrow, but
never again was the rod laid On my back.
That was understood to be the law at
home and abroad
The regular Ohio rural school district
consisted Of four sections or square miles,
and our schoolhouso was located in the
exact center. 1t was of logs hewn ON tho
sides and notched down at the corners so
that very little chinking was necessary.
The floors were puncheons-split trees
hewn smooth on ono side and that side up
permost. The roof was Of shingles nailed
down, not held in place as was tho old
fashion in cabins with riders, which were
slender logs pinned in place. There was
lila, ,tN To-. -
the house, and the pipe was perpendicular
to slender brick chimney that rested on
the heavy timbers supporting the floor of
the garret that formed a ceiling for the
schoolroom. Tho house was solid and
wholesome. On the east and west sides
of it, about four feet from the floor and
six from the ground level, ono of the logs
was cut out for 25 of the 35 feot of the
length of the schoolroom, and there were
the windows, three panes of glass high.
On the south side were two smaller win
dows. Fastened to the walls with sturdy
pins were the broad sloping planks of
walnut that were tho writing desks The
favorite places wero on the south side. On
the north wall were sturdy clothespins
driven into holes in the logs. There were
long legged oak benches undor tho edges
of tho writing desks, and the scholars
faced the windows or the auditorium at
their pleasure, according to occupation, If
the teacher was not Of capricious temper
or particular about the ways idlers spent
their time. The boys were on the east and
the girls ON the west side of the room, and
the disadvantage of facing the windows
was that while the young ladies and gen
tlemen were doing it they could not see
each other.
There was school keeping every winter,
but not always in the summer, for tho
pay of teachers was exorbitant, as much
as $40 for three months winter work.
But then the master had to pay his
own broad, which ran as high as 81
week, leaving s27 In good money to be
carried out of the district. When there
were summer sessions, the teachers were
usually young women who could hardly
have saved more than 81. 80 week, and it
is only fair to say they gave the best serv-
Ice They usually taught in summer that
they might 60 to school in the winter 1t
was the theory that they would not do for
winter schools, for the big boys. who got