Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-04-25

| shape OF blts OF paper with the word
MERIT printed or written ON each. And
II you did, were you not pleased. and
proudly mentioned the fact to your
schoolmates and the folks at homer
| Did you ever go to the spring for water
over the path that led through the woods.
and do you remember how the bare roots
OF the trees interlaced and that you and
your schoolmates trod upon them and not
only wore OF the bark but wore them
smooth No doubt you remember the
fence OF cedar poles you were Obliged to
climb very near to the spring, and how
you took the cover from your tin dinner
pail and pushed aside the green moss that
chung 20 the stones OF the wall and fioated
out into the centre Of tho mouth Of the
spring, and how you dipped your cover
deep down and brought 10 your thirsty
lips the cooling draught7 Did you enjoy
it?
And. you boys, do you remember how
you swung in the tree tops of the saplings
/ back of the schoolhouse. and how some
times You broke one and came tumbling
down, and that you only saved yourselves
| from broken limbs, not always from
bruises, because the sapllng was kind
enough to yield gradually to the weight
you hung upon itf
| You "big boys and girls, go with me
into the schoolroom on day Of a winter
/ term. Don't you remember that there was
no janitor, that you ''big boys" took turns
building fires, and you "big girls" had the
same sort Of arrangement in sweeping the
roomT Don't you remember how the
seats and desks were arranged, four rows
four in q row, on each side OF an open
space that ran through the centre of the
room from entrance to the masters box OF
deskf Don't you remember that those
seats and desks were made of soft pine
soft to sit on, easy to carve, and that the
desks ON the boys side were more elsbo-
rately carved than those on the girls side?
You remember the recitation seats along
the front desks in the open space, and
that here, in the morning session, the
classes in figures were arranged to recite
and tell all about the fundamental rules of
arithmetic, and practice on them upon the
black board?
OF course you remember your mental
| arithmetic exercises, OF which this is one
| of the puzzles, viz: 'Good morning
neighbor, with your hundred sheep"
Said he: al have not hundred, but IL
had as many more and half as many more
and two and half / would have hun
dred. How many had he9" And another:
"a fish's head is nine inches long, and his
tail is as long as his head and one-h half OF
his body, and his body is as long as his
head and tail. How long is the fish?'
There were boys in that school who were
brainy. You know that. The master
found it out, too. Probably some of you
were among the boys who could solve
every puzzle in "Greenleaf's National
Higher. You have seen the master
scratch his head and finally refer to his
key because he hadn't time to work out
the question. Then the teachers went
around from scat to seat and assisted the
pupils. They don't do that now, you
know.
You will remember the exercises in adj
dition, and how that every boy and girl
that could add entered into the spirit OF
them, and how quick hands went up on
results What a racket was made with
states and pencilsl No such music in
schools now. You remember how pupils
who had talent in the art OF drawing
made pictures OF beautiful ships, houses
and many other things ON their states, and
that the master considered such doings
waste of time and golden opportunity,
and many pupil got sound whipping
| for doing 1t, don't your Perhaps there
are some ridges on some of your backs
now, left from the yellow birch crawling
over it. They don't whip pupils for i'm
| proving their minds nowaday, do they2
Perhaps some of you were among the
boys who killed a poreupine tween
schools, and then carefully laid II away in
masters desk. II you were, you are re-
| minded OF that row OF about fourteen
| boys who bad the dust taken out Of their
jackets during an afternoon session.
In the floor OF that schoolroom were
many very wide cracks and knot holes
which allowed plenty OF fresh air to play
around ones feet, especially when good
norther was sweeping the landscape and
throwing snow about.
There are some here tonight, or ought
to be, who, when the weather was mild
enough, improved considerable of their
time rigging out gear, using bent pins for
hooks and common Irvine for lines, and
then fished for mice that abounded, using
cheese for bait; and so the knot-holes and
cracks were utilized to good advantage.
You will remember that afternoon
sessions began with reading, including all
the classes, running backward; that is to
say, beginning with the fifth or sixth
reader, hearing and dismissing one class
after another, and ending whit primer.
There were many excellent readers, to the
joy and delight OF the whole school; and
there were few who read like a harrow
being drawn over stumps.
OF course, you have not forgotten our
lessons on love in the congregation OF
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