Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-12-27
The Night school.


you up without effort and drop you
into the snow" said one of the board.
II don't believe they will, though, =
/ said.
Another member of the board. with
a grave shake of the head, earnestly
advised me not to try to teach the
roughs. at least until | was several
years older
NV uncle added: "And many pounds
heavier. hey!'
Rut ! was resolute and my uncle
influential. and the place was given
me. l looked n little anXiously over
the motley group which greeted me
on entering my room in the Adams
School. What a gathering of nation
aIities it was! Norwegians, Swedcs,
Germans, French, Bohemians, Irish.
Italians, even q Russian / counted
among my pupils whose names and
ages ] entered in my registry-book.
/ realized fully how easily | might
not only be dropped into the snow
but buried completely there, for some
of the big, burly fellows We're almost
twice my weight Their ages varied
from fifteen to twenty-five years, the
majority being older than l was.
! think the greater number of them.
because of their age and size, looked
down upon ne with a sort OF amused
curiosity. evidently wondering what
might be expected of such little fell
low
1t was only on the first few evenings
that any restleSsness was observed.
] adopted at once the policy of weed
ing out rclentlessly all who were not
In the school for serious work. Those
who did not remain quiet and were
not wanted in the school, had sutti-
cient authority to expel.
/ think that my pupils very early
perceived that l was earnest In what
I had llnd ertaken; and it was touch
ing to see i'll what sober earnest many
of them came before me every night.
There were hard working Transfers,
Iaboring men, boys, newsboys,
sewing women and servant-girls. Some
of them were English-speaking. and
wished to learn something that might
help them out of their poor lives.
Some were unable to speak anything
but foreign tongue, and wished to
learn English.
Mature men and women knitted
their brows over the simplest words,
and held clulnsily in their toilhard-
cned hands the pen used in their
writing lessons. They came with
great regularity, often regretting that
Saturday was a holiday.
i grew. too, like many of them, and
was greatly interested in the work.
Their mistakes were often so conf
cally amusing that l had hard work
to maintain the gravity BETTING my
position.
AS the holidays approached. many
of the pupils were so interested in the
work that a petition signed by nearly
all of them, was sent to the school
board. asking that the sessions of the
night school might be continued eN-
cept on Christmas and New Years
days was little disappointed
when | learned that the petition had
been granted, for the work was really
wearisome, and had been hoping
for few evenings to spend in some
other way.
AS made my way out of the school
room OIL the last night of the old
year, was gently detained in tile
crowded hall.
''Meestcr,r asked one Of my biggest
pupils, ware does you leef?'
1T -ees y6tr street and nomebar|'
said another.
1t Instantly flashed upon me that
they were contemplating a call upon
me, aud the idea was not pleasant. for
was tired and such visitation
seemed irksome But of course the
question must be answered.
1880 Eighth street" | replied.