Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-12-26
The Night school.

You UP without effort and drop you
Into the snow" said n of the board.
81 don't believe they will, though
said
Another member of the board, with
4 grave shake OF the head, earnestly
advised me net to try 10 each the
iK0ughs, at least until / was several
years older.
MY uncle added: "And many pounds
heavier, hey?"
But I was resolute and my uncle
Influential, and the place was given
INC. I looked a little a~nxiously over
the motley group which greeted me
On entering my room in the Adams
Echoo'. What a gathering of nation
= alifit 1t was. Norwegians, Swedes,
Germans, French, Bohemians, Irish,
l1E1gians. even a Russian / counted
among my pupils whose names and
lxeS / entered In my r~egistry-book.
realized fully how easily l might
not only be dropped into the snow
but buried completely there, for some
or the big, burly fellows were almost
twice my weight. Their ages varied
from fifteen to twenty-five years, the
majority being older than l was.
Y think the greater number OF them,
because of their < and size, looked
down upon me with a sort OF amused
curiosity, evidently wondering what
might be expected Of such a little fell
how.
1t was only on the first few evenings
tisat any restlessness was observed.
4 a. pted at once the policy OF weed
lng ~relentlessly all who were not
In Il, school for serious work. Those
who did not remain quiet and were
not wanted in the school, / had sutfi-
cient authority to expel.
/ think that my pupils very early
perceived that I was earnest In what
L had undertaken; and it was touch
Ing to see in what sober earnest many
of them came before me every night.
There were Woodworking Transfers,
tailoring men, office-boys. newsboys,
sewing women and servant-girls. Some
or them were English-speaking, and
wished TO learn something that might
help them Il OF their poor lives
Some were unable TO speak anything
hut a foreign tongue, and wished 70
learn English.
Mature men and women knitted
their brows over the simplest words
and held clumsily in their toll hard,
ened hands the pen used in their
writing-lessons. They anne Will
great regularity, often regretting thai
Saturday was n holiday.
1 grew, too, like many of them. and
was greatly Interested In the work
Their mistakes were often so conf
cally amusing that ! had hard worl
60 maintain the gravity betting my
position.
AS The holidays approached. many
or the pupils were so interested in the
work that a petition signed by nearl,
all OF them, was sent to the schoo
beard, asking that the sessions of thu
night school might be continued eS
cept on Christmas and New feaTt
days. | was a little disappointed
when I learned that the petition hat
been granted. for the work was reall,
wearisome. and | had been hopin;
for a few evenings TO spend In SONY
other way.
AS ! made my way nut of the school
rs-spl nu the list niEhs of The 81:
year, I was gently detained in III
crowded hall.
- "Meestcr." asked n of my biggcs
pupils. ''vare does you leef?'
Swat ees your street and nomebarT
Etd another.
IL Instantly flashed upon me tina
they were contemplating a call upoi
me. and the idea wsts not pleasant, 70
was tired and such a visitation
seemed irksorne. But of course tn
question must be answered.
.slssa3n Eighth street" I replied
"Sixdeen, Dirty-eignt street he sal
sn~.o~ ~-0
Irrcw thar 10 hrd rrrs" = mistake