The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-08-10
TOTTY,S SCHOOL.

Totty was seven years old After
school was out for the long summer
vaaction Totty, who was very stu
dious little girl. decided she must
have something besides play to keep
her busy. She loved play, but she
felt that she must not give up all her
time to it. She must have some sort
OF work to do each day.
ooh, know what I'll do,'' she
said, talking to herself one morning.
eth open school. I'll have for pu-
pills Rover, Minnie, Angelica, Bertha
and Tom. They'll make nice class
and will enjoy the school very much,
I'm sure"
But before E~go any further with
this story must tell you who these
anticipated pupils were. Rover was
Totty's pet doggie; Minnie was her
pet kitten; Angelica, Bertha and
Tom were her thre dolls Totty was
very fond of them all, and they in
turn loved Totty very much indeed.
But you will find out how little they
liked school.
Well, on the same day that the
idea Of school came into her head
Totty gathered together her pupils,
She decided it best to hold the school
in the open, on the big back porch.
She got chairs and placed them in a
row. Rover she put at the head OF
the class, for, as she declared, he
was the wisest pupil she had, for he
could jump through a hoop and do
many other clever tricks. Next to
him she put Minnie, then Angelica,
Tom and Bertha. But almost imme-
diately she had to take Minnie away
from the side of Rover, for they got
to quarreling terribly.
ooh, why will you two children
act so naughty" cried Totty, car
rying Minnie to seat at the foot Of
the class. Nov, you are all in a
row, and well begin our lesson" she
went on, taking hook and sitting
on a chair in front of the class
Now, Rover, 1 shall spell the word
dog and If do not spell it correct
ly l want you to bark. Then, if on
second trial, do not spell 1t correct
ly, / want you to bark harder and
fiercer Then, If on third trial
spell 1t correctly, want you to was
your tail and put out your tongue,
Do you understand" And as Rover
looked as though he understood
Totty began to spell: "C-o-w. Is
that right, Rover?" But Rover only
sat looking at her. Again the
teacher put the question; but this
time Rover was busy scratching Q
flea bite and paid no attention to the
question. Tapping him gently on the
head. Totty again spelled the word
"cow," again asking: did spell
the word dog all right, Rover?'
But Rover was getting tired of listen
ing to such nonsense as spelling, and.
seeing strange dog trotting along
in the back alley, he leaped from his
seat in the schoolroom and ran for
the alley, barking very menacingly
at the stranger. In vain did the
teacher call to him to return; he kept
right on, ending by jumping over the
low fence at the back Of the yard and
going up to introduce himself to the
strange dog.
Totty ran down the garden path
after him, calling him to "come right
back to school, and that he'd soon
have recess, at which time he could
play" But Rover looked at her,
shifted at the strange dog, seemed to
like him and went off down the alley,
barking and playing with him.
ooh, you can go and play with that
old cur said Totty, impatiently.
'I'll go back to my other pupils.
And when you do come home shall
keep you in after school and make
you write hundred words before
allowing you to have your SUPPER
But when Totty reached her school
room she found that Minnie had run
away and climbed one of the big
trees in the yard, and Angelica had
fallen over and her eyes had gone
tight shut in sleep. Tom sat looking
tired and Bertha was all bent over,
as if suffering stomach ache. ooh,
what very naughty lot OF pupils !
have" said Totty. Well. I'll put
Angelica to bed, put Tom in his chair
in the playroom, give Bertha dose
Of medicine; then I'll so and play
with Flossie and Bobby Turner the
rest of the afternoon. Play school
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