The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-10-05
THE BLUE BACK SPELLER.


head,
You slept upon my little bed?
For, Oft; when outdone by hard page,
I'd put you meath my head. old sage,
Then fall asleep and dream l ran
Too late to school, with you in hand.
So, when awake and when asleep,
Old Blue Back DER my thoughts would
creep,
Profound with knowledge that sought
Profoundness that old Blue Back taught
No fact q life had more import
Than when DER town I spread report
That from old Blue Back, and Its ma
ker,
I'd learned at last to spell old "baker."
No scholar, vain with his degree,
Conferred by sage-like faculty,
Fer felt such plaudts did await
TIE sound the praise of his estate.
Far back Ger time my eyes fix
On lesson number twenty-slx,
There, bless the Lord old baker
stands,
First, Ger first column, 1t commands.
And when the Judgment stars shall
Qulyer
To light tie world DER Jordan's river,
If backward school boys memories
bend,
Old Baker will lead tha, column then.
Yau taught me what neer forgot
That yacht spells yacht;
Till then l thought same sound could
be
Best reproduced with y.o-t.
If chemist I'm called on to write
The silent b Eye ceased to slight;
Despite analogies perverted,
With bow to Blue Back, It's inserted.
And there, on page twenty-iour,
We found aristocratic lore;
In middle column yet see
That big old word "bronch otomy."~
Ah, boys, we ne'er knew what it meant
Yet with that word we were content,
For when We great and wise would be
We'd simply say, bronchotomy.
But now my waggery's too alive
Waggery on page one twenty-five,
And Its two g's gave mo much trouble
Since Blue Back said the must
double.
And fables, too,-oEe less than eight,
Old Blue Back did to rs relate,
Each pointing moral to live ON
When Old school boys are dead and
S0no.
No other tale than fable four,
Wherein old bull an OK did gore,
Could So illustrate legal flaw
In selfish ministry of law.
Why, boys, yon know that fair milk
With cows, all meek, in backgrounds
shade,
Whom vanity did so confound
She split the milk upon the ground.
All, those whose apples come by steal
ing
Yet red, with sore, affrighted feeling,
Of boy, who barely saved his bones,
When the old man went to throwing
stones.
Hark boys tis bark of old dog Tray,
From old Blue Back, long put away.
Indeed, tits music to my soul
AS if 'twere struck from cords OF gold.
There, pictured On old Blue Back 3
page
Stern villagers, in hasty rage,
| Dog Tray with violence assault
For what we're told was Tigers fault.
This tale, indeed, would be unfair
| Did Blue Back point no moral there
To show the consequences wrought
When bad mpanionship is sought.
When boy, wept that Tray, misled,
Till from the villagers he fled,
Should, in old Tigers colnp'ny found,
Be so disgraced DER little town.
Yet, when disgraced from little town,
Old Tray, at last, kennel found.
He found that kenne! in my heart,
And from my dog III never part.
Hence, Blue Back, when the end !
| see
Confronted by eternity
Since In my love old Tray will stay,
He'll follow me to God some day.
I've washed old Blue Backs every
leaf
With tears that sprang from child
hoods grief,
While Ger each page I've flung some
light
When smothered giggles laughed out
| right.
Yet, since put Blue Back or shelf,
/, IN the struggle for worlds pelf,
! Just as before, each day and morrow.
Have laughing JOY and weeping sor
row.
Yet, boys, since then, the Silent Reap
| cr
Has made my sorrow sorer, deeper,
Aud, somehow, laughter seems to lack
The ring that rang DER old Blue Bacl
Since early poverty designed
That I'd ne'cr classic knowledge find,