The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-20

learned to spell, read, write and cipher;
and goes through the old goose nest
field where l used to pillow, and down
near the lake where l used to fish, and
through the low grounds in which l used
to hunt, and across Middle Greek in whose
waters we boys used to swim, and then
runs on down to Fuquay Springs near
which / had my first experience as a
school teacher, and in the direction Of
where / used to go to see my first sweet
heart. / say, although and notwithstand-
ing all these things l have never taken
a trip on the Mills road. l think l will
before long, for / very much wish to see
the places which were once so dear to
me, the bare recollection of which make,
the blood course through the veins
stronger and the pulse beat quicker, as
I am carried back to that May day of
life when all was tinged with hopes and
bright anticipations.
am sorry for the child that does not
have happy Misunderstanding to look
back upon with pleasure, when cares,
anxietles, disappointments and troubles
come, as they will to all, sooner or later
If / had but one suggestion to make to
parents, it would be, make home and
child life pleasant to your children; fo-
they will remember that pleasant home
life when the grass covers the dust of
father and mother, and find their sweetest
pleasure in recalling the incidents. and
looking with memory's eyes upon the
scenes OF that happy period.
AS I intimated, 1 taught my first
school not far from FuqIay Springs. in
the neighborhood of Piny Grove church,
and l have the little book in which is
recorded the names of all the scholars
and the time each one came. / had as
scholars SIX Ballentines, four Hollands,
six Jones, seven Smiths, tour Powells,'
three Masons, BAKER, Crawley, a
Driver, Fuquay, Cover, Johnson,
Kennedy, Lee, Matthews, an Oilver,
Spence, a SIaiIngs, an Uuiey ana
WOOD; iOrIy-Iour III all. Where are
they? Ii / were TO go out into the CID
nelgnDornood and ask Ior the pareIGs
Oh tnose cnIioren, l oouDI IL a single Que
would pe Iound. Ana We're l 70 go TO
the old scnoOI mousse or Wnere 1t useu
to stand, and cali the roll now many OF
the baIientlnes, or Hollands, or Jones,
Oh Masons, OF towens or SMITHS, thirty
all too, wouia answer! Ana now many
OF the IourIeen others would respond TO
the call?
A brother Smith hailed me on the
street the other Gay to ask me if I were
the writer or the "reminiscences in the
News and Observer, ana SAID he lived i'll
the FuQuay nelgnbornood, but he did
not remember me as a teacher there n
1S4S. 1t seems SO strange that people
can't remember, when IL all seems so
plain and real TO me. But it daWns on
me that 1S48 was 55 years ago, and many
OF these old gray-halred fathers ana
mothers, / see now, were not porn then.
and, OF course, l must excuse them to-
not knowing me, and remembering the
first school ii taught. For the lie OF me
/ cannot imagine how people get ahead
of me as they do, In growing old and
becoming bald or gray-headed. l meet
people who are stoop- shouldered and gray
headed, and bear marks, otherwise, OF OLD
age; yet, when I begin to talk to them
of the old times they don't seem to re-
member. They look older than 1 feel,
and they must be older than they think
they are, but they just can't remember
things.
When I 60 out to Fuquay, 1 nope to
see some of my old time friends, and
talk over things that are remembered by
us. James D. Ballentine, Esq, was one
Of the smaller boys in my school. John
was the eldest brother OF the five Bal
lentlne boys, but not my Oldest scholar.
David Crawiey was about 30 years old,
believe, while Chesley Driver and David
Fuquay were over II, as l now remem
Der. My school lasted 65 days, and
about half of the scholars attended every
day. Some went only days. The night
before my school would close the next
day I was informed by old Mrs. Crawley,
the grandmother of Mr.. James Ballen-
tine, that / was to be turned OUT tire
next morning; which meant, tn. scholars
were to go to the school house early
and barricade the door, and when came
! would not be admitted, but must sub
NIT to such terms as would be proposed
by them. In case I declined co submit
to their proposal, was to be taken to
the branch and ducked until I did sub
NIT. In the matter of turning out
teachers there was an unwritten law to
the effect that, if a teacher was In his
chair, he was in authority, and he could
not be molested. So, before day, the
next morning, was at the school house,
and when I heard the boys coming, just
as day was breaking, I went in and took
my seat. Here they came like whlrl-
wind, every one talking and laughing, and
all bent on, and expecting to have a
whole sight of fun, besides eating several
pounds of candy and fruits and other
good things, at my expense. IT was be-
coming light enough to see men and
races, when one of the boys threw open
the door and looking in beheld me. He
fell back as if he'd seen ghost, exclaim-
Ing: Boys I'll be drat if he amt in
there!" That announcement stIled the
tumult Tor awhile, the boys drawing off
AZ safe distance to consult I heard
one say, 'You can't do that; you dare
not touch him if he's in the chair, it
amt lawful to do that" From which |
/ inferred proposition had been made |
to bounce me any how. A plan was final
~ agreed upon. 1t was to get up an
exciting sham rabbit race, and make that |
race right up to the school house, and |
pretend that the rabbit had gone under
the house. Then they were to come in
and raise the floor planks, especially the |
one my chair was over, with the excuse |
they wanted to get at the rabbit, ami
when I rose to move my seat two of |
the bows were to seize me. and once ont |