The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-03-06
HELASTDAYOFSCHOOL
"REMINISCENCES OF A CECIL
COUNTY TEACHER.
A School Exhibition of the Olden Time
"Oh, Come, Come Away" ga
Sailors Dream" "The
Def nee of Cataline."


Sailors Dream" a "The
Def nee of Cataline."
The times have changed anj all the pro-
fessiOnal characters have more or less been
affected. The writer in looking over the
local paper notices lengthy reports of pro-
grrssive steps being taken by the scholars of
the different schools throughout the county,
These reports like the various ones we read
in our church papers Il few weeks before the
meeting OF the annual conference, may decide
the future home of a few itinerant preachers.
and the average of the scholars. serve as an
impetus to the boy or girl, but they give the
parents wrong idea of the knowledge and
advancement of their children. But it is the
last day of school term which occurred in the
40s that weighs heavy upon the writer The
First Election district seems to be the loca
ton where this very interesting little episode
might have occurred and doubtless many of
the older ones may call to mind the circum-
stances. In those days the school houses
were not so numerous. Cecilton school,
Bayard school, Turkeytown, Cherry Hill,
Port Deposit, Pilot Town, Bethel school. etc,
but now the average boy and girl need not
complain of distances.
No day was so great as the last day of
school. Three months of school seemed
eternally long. Looked forward to from the
beginning of the term it seemed simply an
imposing distance. No pupils conception
could leap across these interminable days.
weeks, months and ages and distinguish the
end of the term. Children grew skepti 9al,
and felt sure there was nothing but the pre-
sent ever had been, or could be. Last days
of school in those times were dreams and
ictions, or like the morals in the reading
lessons. And as the days OF embittering
work went by, how firm a hatred of the
teacher grew up in each chid's heart. 1t was
a certain thing: he showed Il partiality. He
couldn't work all the examples in the arth-
metic for John W. Pennington. "slated him.
on one in partial payment" He made IL mis-
take in grammar and said Annapolis. was on
the Susquchanna river. He made little
Jenny Drake sit with the boys, when her
mother forbade his ever doing such a thing,
and he logged John Thompson numerically.
But just wait until Jimmys big brother comes
home. There are good days and bdd-mostly
the latter. Lessons are broken off in some
thing like rations, and each days stint has to
be done, for the class has started to get
through the book and there is no time to halt
by the waysde Pupils who cannot keep up
! must pretend they are keeping up. The class
cannot be held back for them. The gait of
the fastest is the gait Of the school. There
was no grading as there is now, and there
was no semblance of an examination. The
teacher achieved a post Of liberation. OF
course he was wrong and to be spoken ill of
at all ;imes. That being fixed, pupils might,
safely treat him with cordiality now and then
and yet not imperil their standing in school.
1t might even be admitted of him. indeed,
that he was in some respects not much worse
than the last winters incumbent One thing
in his favor was his ability as a ball player.
Never was there a teacher in the school house
who could throw ball as straight as this
man, and none could catch as well. And he
did write IA good hand. to be sure, and could
explain some things.
Besides, he did not act very nicely about
the treat at Christmas. For it has taken
! somewhat more than a half term to work
this grudging transformation. There is no
retreating, understand, from the settled posi-
ton that this teacher is simply bearable--no
more. He is yet much the worse from all
points of view that ever hung up his hat in
the school house. He is yet the common
enemy. And Just here comes talk of the
last day of school. The girls begin it with
their plans for IAN exhibition" The talk
grows-it consumes part of the time of study
and Il good many hours at home. The nearer
approaches the end Of the term the more fully
is study sacrificed to preparation Tor the last
day of school. Clearly it cannot be sub
ordinated, the teacher is solicited to aid. and
fitting as refusal would have been to his
established character, his acquiescence is
received with applause.
The weather gets warmer as 'the last day
approaches Indeed, one or two of the
larger boys have had to quit school and 20
to work on the farm. 1t is almost time to
begin spring plowng. The big girls come to
school with something relieving the monot-
ony Of their winter frocks. The little boys.
whom no authority that can not see AMI lay
hands upon them, 20 barefoot at recess, and
have the audacity to live. Some little girl
finds a wood violet and brings it to the
/ teacher. aud he accepts it gratefully. but
calmly. 1t occurs to the opinion-makcrs that
since the last day Of school is so near, there
is no need correcting the little girl for her
error. And then comes the last week, and it
melts away day at II time. and tomorrow
! the last day of school, Tomorrow comes,
fair and full OF yernal neat. The school
house was never so clean. Big boys scrubbed
it last night. and big girls hung evergreen
aud iogwood blooms and red buds all about
+he windows. And the teachers desk is a
bower Of beauty, Every pupil is there very
early on the last day Of school. dressed in
his best and bringing the little children
those too young to pay the regular price for
the joys of "last day Several guests
come from other schools, escorted by pupils