The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-27
THE BLUE BACK
Could Spell Receiving
Without Making the "e"
and 81" Exactly alike.
Mr.. Hufham Writes Interestingly of
Early Teachers and of a Noble
Teacher at Wake Forest.

| feted the tide of an active life, 1t is
far cry to the days when the discord-
| ant jangle of a cracked bell summon
| ed him to daily tasks in the school
| room. Your request has stirred
memories that for a decade, have
slept undisturbed in the graveyard of
the past. In my childhood l was
| taught by instructors whom at this
| distance of time from the event l
| consider thoroughly capable, though
| they made no mountains of sand on
| the floor and never expected us to
sing geography. 1 learned spelling in
| the good old Blue Back" and no
/ matter what may be said to it's de-
| triment in these days of progressive
| education, when my little boy reads
| by making distressful sounds like
| some animal in sore distress, | seldom
| have to consult a dictionary and can
spell receive" and achieve without
/ making the and exactly alike and
placing the dot midway between them.
During my early school days my
| father was pastor of the Baptist
church in Scotland Neck. Among my
| teachers / remember that excellent
woman Miss Speed, now gone to her
| reward, Mrs. L. w. Bagley, Miss Lena
| Smith and DR.. r. T. Vann, the gift
| ted president of the Baptist Universe
| ty.
They were all thoroughly capable
| and / was very fond of each and eV-
every one of them. They had, besides
the intellectual qualifications of a
| teacher, the love for childhood with
out which even the most brilliant man
or woman is unfit to teach children.
The goal of my childish ambition
was reached when | entered Vine
Hill Male Academy, an ancient and
| emienntly respectable institution. /
remember that in the main recita-
| ton room, in the plastering overhead
was the print of shOe-heel. AS one
of the current traditions of the school
| | learned that while the famous Prof.
| LOvejOy swayed the birch of author
! ity there, he had once seized an in
| solent pupil, supposed to weigh a hunz
! dred and sixty pounds, and swung
him in the air until the recalcitranti
heel smote the wall above in his up
ward flight and left a lasting MEM
orial Of one teachers prowess. Prof.
LovejOy / remember as an old white
headed man, nearing the end of his
journey, whom l sometimes met upon
the streets of Raleigh when l was
disporting my first distinctively mas
culine garments. He quite won my
heart by his kind words and gracious
manner. But when | saw that i'm
print of a shoe-heel on the wall and
heard the true story connected with
1t, l regarded his trembling steps and
quavering voice as mere hypocritical
pretensions, his kind words as wicked
devices designed to lull my suspicious
to sleep until he found an opportunity
to wreak his vengeance against all
boyhood. l Shuddered to think of
my narrow escape, like one who has
walked unwittingly into lions den
or stepped near a slumbering SER
pent and. as by miracle, escaped
unscathed. In fancy l could picture
the old man inVeiglng me to some
secluded spot With soft, cat-like purr-
ing, and then with a frightful yell,
suddenly springing upon me to send
me spinning through the air in par
abolic curves into the top-mast
branches of some lofty tree.
Since tSen, grown familiar with
the story how a soft and gentle heart
| lay underneath that stern and mas
terly exterior, l have often smiled at
my boyish imaginings. Prof. l.. w.
Bagley and Prof w. III. Ragsdale
were my first instructors at the acad-
envy. They are still ranked among
the States best educators, and de-
servedly SO.
Being one Of the smaller boys, I
was overshadowed by my seniors. Ill
health pursued me. Hence / spent
more time at home in my fathers
library than in the school room. Still
contrived to pick up through their
excellent methods many useful things
They were succeeded by Mr.. e. e.
billiard and for short time, DIR.
c. w. Byrd, the latter is now one of
the foremost pulpit orators in the
south and pastor of large Metho-
dist church in Atlanta. At that time
he was beginning his career as Cir
cult rider, having charge of the strug-
Cling Methodist churches at Scotland
Neck and Palmya. He was the idol
of the boys and even then gave prom
Use of a great future. Mr.. Hilliard
was thorough scholar, possessed of
tireIess energy and genuinely anxious
to help his pupils. He recognized
the importance of the personal equd-
ton and studied the individuality of
his students. He wished them to feel
that he was their friend and that
they could trust him. In my case
his success, if slow, was in the end
complete. My last years with him
created impressions that were never
to leave me. Learning his methods
laid a foundation so broad and deep
that in my college course, a few days
OF study frequently sufficed for tasks
that would otherwise have required
months of arduous labor. l entered
college AT the age of sixteen. The
faculty at Wake Forest was brilliant
one, though of course, | knew little
Of the professors, except those under
whom | took work. DR.. William Roy
all occupied the chair of English. He
was the beau ideal of Southern
scholar and gentleman. representing
all that was noblest and best in the
south of slavery days. To be in his
class room was an unmiXed pleasure.
He was a preacher, too, of great pow
err, not rhetorical, enough, perhaps for
a school boys tastes but dealing in
deep thoughts, high ideals and fault
less logic. Yet. upon occasions, l
have known him to lay aside the bur
den of toll and age and with all the
vigor of youth, preach sermon that
fired the imagination and stirred the
heart profoundly. He has passed
from among us since then, and of his
life and character it may truly be
81 id