The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-06
AN EVENING OF PLEASURE.
Hon. w. H. Hand Delights an Able.
Vile Audience with the Force OF
HIS Facts and the HumOr Of His

VILE Audience Win the FOrce OF
His Facts and the HumOr Of His
Speech.
Prof. VIII. Hand Of the South Carolina Uni
versity was In town last Thursday night He
had beed advertised to speak In the Court
Room on the subject Of schools, and the i'm
portance OF having better school houses and
better teachers. In our schools he saw little
to praise and much TO ridicule or to critioise
unfavorably. His object seemed to provoke
us to greater effort TO build finer school
houses which would add attractiveness TO the
nelghborhood, ana attractiveness to the
neighborhood would increase the market
value OF the LAND thereabout.
But he didn't tell us how the peo-
pie could keep their pretty teachers from
marrying. A majority OF teachers mar
~. He said their average term OF teaching
was four years. If We had been 80 inclined
we could have told him something about how
we used to love school teachers, and we could
have Informed him that some OF them were
very particular about whom they married.
In speaking Of school houses he remind
which this editor received his literary
training. That school house was built Of logs.
To let In light a log was cut out Of one OF the
walls. A long plank On the outside extended
the whole length Of the opening. 1t hung Cd
hinges and when the weather was too bad.
the prop was AIKEN out, and 1t came down
against the house, Il ,slng the opening against
cold and light. On the inside another plank
extended the whole length Of the opening
no or u feet).-That plank WAS used as o writ.
Ing desk.
We didn't have nice desks and seats
as they have now at the graded school
In Abbeville. We had two slabs from a saw
mill. Into each Of these slabs were bored four
auger holes. Pegs were driven Into them and
these pegs served as bench legs. The boys.
seven In number, sat on one bench-the two
girls sat on the other. The teacher had q split
bottom chair and sat near the fireplace. Each
scholar in turn stood before the teacher and
'said" his lesson. When we. had spells" the
whole school lined up and each scholar
spelled a word, or attempted TO spell q word
when his or her time came. Some were
"head" and some were loot" One day only
two scholars came, and one Of the boy.
claimed next day that he was next to head"
The fire place was wide enough for q bed
The chimney was built Of mud and sticks.
When the weather was old our benches
were moved close to the fire.
board from q rich patron OF the school, With
the understanding that he might admit poor
children. This editor was not q son OF the
man who hired the teacher.
The school was not a high school such as we
have Today. Websier's blue back spelling
book, any old book that the child had served
as a reader, and Smiley g aritb metic,as far as I
nov recollect, made up the text books Of that
institution, I worked a little in addition.
subtraction, multiplication and division, and
learned TO say the multiplication table.
Prof. w. H. Hand said that goats, for part OF
the time, occupied one OF the school, houses OF
which be was speaking. We had no goats In
our school. We had nothing worse thar
hogs. They didn't come into the, houses
either. They slept under the houEe.
The name of that teacher was Robert Pen
mel, and he was a good man to the children.
He had arrived at the age when people call
an unmarried man an "old bachelor He
had an old bull-eye watch, which he would
sometimes show us, that we Nigh admire 1t.
That school was closed more than fifty year.
ago, and the teacher went to other fields o.
usefulness. He has nc doubt long since gone
to his reward.
Since writing the above We learn that Mr..
Pennal is still living, his home being al
Nettleton In Mississippi. His niece, Miss
JAMIE Pennal, who is book-keeper and typ =
setter In the Press and Banner Office, has just
returned from Mississippi, whittier she went
on q visit TO Miss Maggie Pennal. She left
Abbeville many years ago, and has been
twice married. Miss Pennal In foyms Us that
her aunt Is in feeble health, and she also in
forms as that her uncle, Mr.. Robert Pennal,
is still living and In good health. We had
often enquired for him, but never heard q
word of him since the war, until this week.
When the war closed he went Into business
and afterward became q rich man, and IL
rich today. He has been married twice. h
is the father Of five living children, each OF
whom he set up 70 a farm on their marriage.
You no doubt thought that his salary war
small, but II was a priIcely estate compared
to the selary paid to B. p. Hughes OF this
county. He received only $50 and his board.
He saved $50 Of 1t, and, like Mr.. Pennal, he
afterwards became a rich man. Before the
war the estate of B T. Hughes was estimated
at $4,000.
AS a little boy, this editor loved Mr.. Pennai
and be has had during all these years a warm
place In bis heart for his old teacher. As far
as We now ~reco!lect be never mistreated his
little scholar but once. That %unkindness
occurred in the fact that he came to Abbeville
q good many years ago. and went. away With.
out speaking TO toe man who would have
been more delighted to see him b any
other man on top of the ground. In the
Bible We are admonished to forgive our enc
mics ever 30 many times q day. but II that
holy Book ever hinted at the necessity for
forgiving our friends, we have overlooked
the fact. Unless Mr.. Pennsl can show Us
that the good book instructs US to forgive our
friends, he will have to hunt us up on the
last great day for squaring accounts for deeds
done in the body.
While Prof. Hand was speaking we thought
we would be willing TO give him IS, If be
would maxi that speech before q good honss
OF our people, and, instead Of speaking on
school houses. would speak on better Courl
houses. The same speech would do, With
slight change Of verbiage.
The speaker Kept up the Interest OF his
hearers for more than an hour. He didn't
touch on the importance Of being born right.
He might have made an eloquent appeal to
children to select a good father and mother.
(The speaker didn't say parents but once, and
his pronunciation escaped our attention.)
If a boy or a girl Is born with a limited
amount OF brains. or With brains OF an
inferior quality. all the education that can be
stuffed into his head will not make Q
great man or a great woman You cam
make a silver pitcher out OF a pewter mug
You msy rub and you may scrub but a scrub
will still be q scrub.
Education developest the man, II he Ia good