Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-07
GRANDFATHER TAUGHT THE
TEACHER.

A>~> ess
The Old Man cut off chew Of
tobacco and deposited 1t in his mouth.
Then he settled down in comfort and
began his story. He spoke slowly.
chewing between breaths, so as to got
the full enjoyment Of It.
81 You see, never had no education
to speak on. went to subscription
school for six months when 1 was
eight years old, and that was all
there was of 1t. might have went
longer. but didn't like the way teach.
er learned me things
The Old Man smiled and continueil:.
learned purity fast, too. Before
\ quituated was reading in McGuf.
s6y's second reader, which amt SO
bad in six months, and was figuring
in fractions. It was in the reading
Glass that i got my setback We was
reading that piece that begins, 4
would was a reindeer. 1 read that
verse. The next line begun, III was
Ia rabbit After Ishad read my verse
the teacher asst me what reindeer
was" III lgss
The Old Man stopped to chew.
Now, l had never seen no rein.
deer and 1 didn't know what 1t was.
But looked at the next verse,
which said, II was a rabbit and
II lowed 1t must be kind OF rab-
bit. ! Just siposed that the writer
was talking about a rabbit all the
time. It was the best reasoning l
could do, and 1t warn't SO bad for
an eight-yearold colt. II / do say It
myself. But the answer made the
teacher mad.
What do you mean by taking
like that?' the teacher asked, as he
grabbed me by my hickory shirt col
lar and twisted 1t until was nearly
choking. I'll teach you that REIN
deer is great big animal with
horns. and not rabbit. Do you un.
derstand ? And he shuck me power.
iul hard. That made me mad l
never went to school no more. Il
warnt no wayto treat q boy who was
doing the best ne knowed how, and
a thought he hadn't no call to act
SO. when my pap was paying him
for learning me what didn't know.
told my brother, five years older
than me, that when ] growed up I was
goin' to lick the teacher for the way
he edicated me-"
The Old Man Illuminated In silence.
The word has in these later days
assumed an intellectual meaning, but
ruminate means to chew, and in tho
old days 1t had a literal significance.
When was fifteen. the Old Man
resumed, II was quite a chunk of-a
boy, and decided I was big enough to
wallnp the teacher. One day the hull
5neighborhood turned out TO work the
roads. Teacher was there. and I
was there, and my brother Joe was
there. and a hull passed. besides. !
told Joe was going to lick the teach
er that day, and ] kept my eyes opan
for good chanct to pick fuss with
him. But, try as hard as could, l
couldn't make out no way to start
fight. We ct our dinners, and still
I hadn't done nothing. But along in
the afternoon they was building cor.
duroy road out Of sapplings. and we
had. to make culvert There was
two big logs to carry to act as the
sides and another to lay on top OF
them, as kiver. before we put the
dirt on; and as we was Juggling at
them the folks got to talking about
how people had managed to lift great
hefts before thay had derricks and
things. They talked about the pyra-
smids Of Egypt and the Tower OF
Babel and the Hanging Gardens, be-
cause they liked to hear teacher tell
about these things. Finally some
Teller asst how much the bell OF Mos
COW weighed. and knowed my
chanel had come - 81
The Old Man paused once more to
chew. Possibly he had an Interior
purpose as we'll. All good story tel.
lers know the value Of a pause be-
fore the climax comes. and these
plain old pioneers are, many Of them,
genuinely good story tellers. The
Old Man continued:
Il told Joe that now was the time
II was going to lick the teacher, and
for him to bee fair play edged up
clost. and waited to see what the
teacher would say, He thought
moment and said.