Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-08-11
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) UNCLE TOMS LETTER.
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Well. my dear little sweethearts,
I've been thinking right smart about
you since your schools have begun and
wondered how you liked your teachers
and your schoolmates.
/ guess you could tell me whole lot
about your scnOol by this time, aud
alb liked to have said, how often
you've been mad. But of course, lit
tie ladies and gentlemen don't act so
silly as to get mad and pout around,
and so it is not necessary for me to in
quire how often you've been whipped,
for l don't guess you belong to the
class that has to be whipped. l take
you to be too much of ladies and gen.
tlemen for that There is no need for
me to make any particular inquiry
about how you treat, respect and hon
or your teachers, for l guess you all
think they are the incest, cleverest
teachers you ever had. Well, little
friends, if they are SO good and kind
to you, you ought to be mighty good
and kind to them. If you do anything
wrong, don't wait until someone tells
on you, but just go and tell the teach
er, and ask for their forgiveness and
they'll do it. Now, I've been a wee
bit of boy once upon time, and
liked the most of my teachers. One l
didn't like much because he was al
ways whipping somebody and it made
me afraid of him, and l actually did
MT learn bit. But the others didn't
whip very much and learned fast and
got to liking my teachers, and Mrs.
Anderson told me she liked me so well
that if l misbehaved 1t would hurt her
awful bad. l believed her and 1 tell
you l was careful about my conduct
Now, / expect, children, if you were
to act mean and misbehave it would
hurt your teachers awful. | knew one
teacher that did actually cry over the
conduct of some of her students. Those
students cried too, and never were
guilty of violating the rules any |
more. Most teachers do actually love |
their students. and you ought not to
do anything that would give them
pain or trouble.
Yes, / We been kid and remem
Der things that happened 60 years
ago. Your opportunities are much
better than mine were. l left school !
to go away to the war of the SOS.
When came back I never entered
school again. I've seen the wonderful
Improvement of the age and the pro-
gress along all the lines of human en-
deavor, and today you children have.
splendid opportunities and privileges,
and the old recognize you as ladies and
gentlemen and are anxious to treat
you as such. You've got a place in
almost every institution and society
known, and you, my dear children,
are factors today in the progress of the
world as never before. The teacher
considers You as his equal in nearly all
respects and he has to hustle to keep
ahead of you intellectually. When you
ire lying asleep, he is porting over his
books, getting ready for tomorrow
work. He is in strain all the time,
while you are fresh. and vigorous.
Quite difference. Your path is easy.
You seem to learn without hardly any ,
fort, while your teacher has to strug- ,
lie to refresh his mind You didn't .
now this, did your Well, it's fact
ow. Respect your teachers and be
God and help them all you can, and
Uncle Tom" will say whole lot Ct
God things about you.
UNCLE TOM.
Tracy City, Tenn.