Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-08-21

"This hurriedly written answer to
your invitation has grown by far too
long, and l must, therefore, desist
from commenting at greater length
on subject which is dear to me.
Thanking you most sincerely, and
through you the entire committee,
for the high honor Of the invitation,
and again expressing great regret be-
cause Of my inability to be present,
am, with best wishes for the entire
citizenship OF the Richland commu-
nifty, Very truly your friend,
"W B. Jaynes"
From w. Il. Dendy.
Monroe, Ga, Aug. II, 1914
Mrs. Fannie Mcdonald Foster, Rich
land, S. C.-Dear Friend: am in
receipt Of your kind invitation to be
present at the annual meeting Of the
former teachers and pupils Of old
Richland Academy on Wednesday of
the present week. l regret that I
cannot conveniently get away from
Monroe this present week, much as
I would enjoy being at old Richland.
How / would like to be there!
What food of memories come rush
ing to mind at the thought, the name
Of old Richland Academy! Many are
the happy hours, the happy days
spent in happy childhood there amid
kindred and friends! Treasured up
in memory's golden casket are num-
berless recollections-like old wine,
more precious because OF the inter,
vening years, Those we're GOOD old
| days. Just ROW good We knew not
TIL they wore PASSED!
No boy ever had a happier school
life than William Erskine Dendy. l
ought to know, for ! am that self
same boy. ] received but two liclts
all the time l was in school. Pet
Stribling delivered the goods in the
long ago. 1t all came about in this
way: 1t was just after big recess
and fellow got tired and went to
sleep. and his reading class was call
ed, classmates stalked forth to recite
and the sleeper slept on. The sleeper
awoke (believe me) to the tune Of q
hickory switch--two raps, and then
followed explanations. I told him I
had a headache; 1t was the best I
could do on such short and sudden
notice; the teacher apologized, ex-
cused me from recitation, and lay
down on the big wooden desk for
peaceful snooZe the entire remainder
Of the afternoon. All the while I
was mindful and constantly remind
ing those about me of the awful
headache that was making existence
miserable! This was not the least Of
my worries; the fact that had re-
ceived even two licks at school must
be kept from my father Probably |
could not have made satisfactory ex-
planaiton to him. Somehow 1t kept
for few days. Finally | saw my
father, a few days after the incident,
talking with my teacher. TO say
that ] was scared states the real sit
nation mildly. OF course | did not
broach the matter Of their conversa-
tion to my father-it really was not
any Of my business-and after a few
days had passed ! began to breathe
easier and reason about the matter
! finally reached the conclusion that
my father had heard incidentally
from n tf,n Of hn
ia amily-that ! had been the recipient
of two raps in the school-room, and
took the matter up with the teacher
The teacher explained the embarrass-
ing situation for him (and for me)
and saved me from sure-enough
trouncing. CAS- to whether ! really
had headache at the time, in my
calmer moments, after about thirty
years reflection, am afraid did
not. But that matteis little since
Truth is eternai.D
"Now my explanation for having
occasioned the use Of the switch in
school Is made. ! have always want
ed to explain Just how It was; have
always feared folks would not under
stand
"Give my sincere good wshes to all
the teachers and pupils Of old and
new Richland Academy Say to the
pupils that they can be what they
want to be. 1t Is simTly a question
Of five per cent ms ration and