The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-07

hint" I'll choose him," and a doz-
en- children begin, at the same mo-
ment to choose the "old man." each
one saying, as he puts his or her
| finger on others:
"Ack-ee back-ee bo-ny crack-ee
| Ack-ee back-ee boo;
Ack-ee back-ee bo-ny crack-ee,
! Out goes you"
! OF course there can be no choice
while so many are saying, "ack-ee
back-ee. After ever SO long a time,
all will stop but one, and then the
/ choice is made, when the finger of
| the chooser falls on one, as he re-
peats the last word, you"
! Then such a scattering! Each one
looking for chip or some piece of
| wood to stand on, as the "old man.
can't catch one standing on wood.
The boys yell, the girls scream, while
the sold man" keeps things lively as
the children try to exchange places:
If he should catch one, while not on
piece of wood, the one so caught
becomes the "old man." until he
catches one; and so the game goes
on, until the school bell rings.
| That's a cheap way of having fun,
| but it's just as pure fun as children
when out of school, for a few mo-
ments. desire. 1t serves the double.
purpose of giving them exercise and
| Strengthening their lungs added to
which, it rests their minds and puts
| them in a better condition to study
their lessons.
'All work and no play makes Jack
a dull boy" | used to see verified
in the old time, when school hours
were from eight to twelve, and from
| one to five, with no recess. And
what made Jack duller boy than
he would ut l1a,ya boau H. 10 \
to set four hours on a bench that had
no back If he were a little fellow
his feet had to dangle under the
bench; if he were a big boy on
low seat, as was often the case, his
legs We're cramped and his back bent
like a bow-in both of which cases,
they were as uncomfortable as ii was
possible for them to be; but, as there
were no societies for the prevention
of cruelty to animals, in those days,
they had to grunt and endure it.
Children, as / can testify are
anxious to be grown-to be men and
women-but they are seeing their
happiest days now, if they but knew
it. When / see their sports and their
unfeigned happiness, l go back in
my thoughts to my childhood. when
children were just as full OF fun and
frolic, and had as good a time as
those of today. And / remember so
distinctly, who were my special fa-
vorites, among the boys, and which |
of the girls 1 loved the best; for, all |
we little fellows had sweet hearts; |
and how many races we ran down |
to the spring, after eating the noon |
lunch, to see which of us should get |
the gourd, that hung over the spring |
to hand drink of water to his girl |
first. oh, we We're gallant little fell |
lows, and thought our little sweet
hearts We're quite as sweet as we |
were gallant. But where are all the |
boys and girls? Most of them are
gone, and the old school houses have |
disappeared, and silence reigns where
there was once so much of childish
enjoyment. Among the many other |
past-times, of those never-to- be-for-
gotten days, was singing; and | used |
to think, when we were playing |
singing school," the girls and boys
all seated in semi-circle on the |
ground, under a shade tree, that our
singing was equal to that at Neddie
stevens singing schools, of which the
grOWn-up people were members. We |
nad, at our old field school two OF
more girls that could sing like night
engales, and some boys, not above ten
years of age, who sang base splendid
y
In after years, when Jenny Lind,
with her sweet voice, captured the
world, | thought of those singers of |
my childhood, and wondered what
they might have done if their voices
had been trained Jenny Lind. like |
The school girls of my childhoo /, SANG
we'll as child, and sang muGE. SHE
lad a pet cat to which she sang al
most constantly.
As l have mentioned her name,
nay as well tell the young people
Who may know but little OF Jenny
Lind that she was q Swedish girl |
BORN in Stockholm, Sweden October |
J, 1920. Her father history says, WAS
| good natured, but weak man, unable
o provide for his family; but, had
rood voice and loved to S'uG. HeI |
mother was a woman of grnIt energy |
md taught school FOR a living; but |
IS her school did not pay, she be |
anne n governess, t1king With her
laughter, by former hls u, while |
he grandmother and little Jenny went |
to the Widows uoc'e.' 1t was al
he Widows Home" she sang to heI
at. AS the people passed along the
treet and heard her sing to Tie ctl
which sat before her IN The window
sill, WITH a blue ribbon tied about
is neck, they We're charmed iiy tht |
sweetness of her voice x maid Of tho |
Royal opera House hearing Jenny
sing, as she YVES passing, atd beinS
. charmed DN neI VOICE, NCUl dIlC 1
old her mistress that she had neve
eard such beautiful singing us tina
title girl, at the WILLOWS Home |
sang to her cat
The child was discoS cred her tai
mt acknowledged ami apprt' lat II
The singing master Of the Roya |
Thea &c sent for and heard her sing |
He was novel to tears He carrie,
Ter at once to Count Puke, the heat
If the Royal Theatre, who, at frs
would not look at her, as she wa
)nly nine years old, and, under grnWl
Ut that. But, when he heard he |
sing, he too, was moved to tears: ano
from that moment she sE5 taken ant
Drought up at the Government eX
oense. That was in 1929. For TWEEN
y-one years the little ) dish gil
sang in all parts of Europe and ne
tame having reached America, Mr.. p
I. Barnum determined to bring he |
% America, if possible. His agen
went to Europe and made a contract
with her for one hundred and f:t
at one thousand dollars .
night with EXPENSES paid for herself |