The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-01
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD

Schools and, School Books In the Days
81 When The Uneasy Chair, Was In School
id and Before Some Quaint and Curious
ri Things Gathered Into a Book by Col
Hector Of School Books. Fl,
book OF quaint and curious things
about old-time schools is oId-Tlme
Schools and School Books, by Clifton
Johnson. The author is a collector Of
the school books Of other days and has
written his book from a love of the sub
ject. He has had, therefore, within reach
Of his hand much of the material that is
embodied in this book and has approached
the subject with sympathy which has
been of great assistance in the selection
Of that material. If, as the author says
with the lingering Of ancient school books
the scenes in the schoolroom rise in
the memory, one is young again. and has
IN gentle Illusion the same feelings and
the same juvenile companions as Of DID,"
. then, in reading his book and examining
Its many curious illustrations the same
scenes and the same feelings will rise
For example, the chapter on "Fly-leaf
Scribblings'' will remind you Of the days
when you used to write doggerel warnings
to future borrowers Of your books on the
flyleayes. One runs thus:
Steal not this book my honest friend
for fear the gallos will be your end
The gallos is high, the rope is strong,
To steal this book you know is wrong
That is not the way The Uneasy Chair
remembers warning it saw in certain
schoolboy's books in the days when 1t
was an uneasy school bench. We would
hardly suffer ourselves to quote it here,
were it not matter Of history and
therefore, proper thing to be recorded
So here is the record for future writers
of such books as Mr.. Johnson's:
| Steal not this book, my honest friend,
For fear the gallows will be thine end;
And God will say on judgment day:
Where is that book you stole away7''
| And If you try to tell lie +..
| Down to the devil you will fly.
Now, II we are not greatly mistaken
it was in. a preachers sons book tina
| we saw this. Perhaps that accounts fol
the theological turn toward the last, ant
| Tor the-Wells what teacher might have
called the wickedness Of it's tone.
was in one Of the same boys books. We
| remember, that we discovered this, prob
ably written on a hot day: s'.
Oh, breeze, breeze, gentle breeze,
| Blow so hard to make me sneeze.
Now, we are rambling far from Mr.
Johnson's book, but that very fact goe
when he said that old school books recall
schoolroom scenes and things; also wha
we said above, that Mr.. Johnson's bool
recalls like things.
The book contains an abundance of in
formation as well as amusing reading
for instance, by way Of information, this
which 1--WE had j forgotten if we eve
knew it:
Originally "primer'' was a book of privat
dp
how to read, were confined to the very few. Bu
type-printing reduced the cost of books 50 ma
rally that they were possible in the homes {
the people, and 1t at once became desirable thu
the rudlments of language should be put With
reach OF the many who wished to learn 1
read In consequence alphabet was ofte
included in the little devotional primers, ar
: this led presently to giving the name ..primer
to all elementary books for the use of childre]
So the book Mr.. johnson has given U
Is not only one Of entertainment, but {
instruction as we'll, and valuable as
historical record Of the schools of fast
retreating years. The Uneasy Chair
I r.." WAKING
Oh, the long dawn, the weary, endless daW
8 When sleeps oblivion is torn away
! From love that died with dying yesterday
. ,,, ;.,.s .,...-.:,. -,
Oh; the sick gray, the twitter in the trees,
1.-THE sense Of human waking DER the earth :
The quivering memories Of loves fair Dir
. Now strown as deathless flowers O er Its jdeceas
Oh, the regret, and oh, regretlessness,
Striving for sovranty within the soul.
oh, fear that life shall nevermore be whol
n And immortality but make it less.
= Gale Young Rice, in the June Century