News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-12-10
The Country School

As you. are riding along the country
roads, you may chance to pass low, one
room building nestled in grove of maple
trees, with a small brook singing merrily
near at hand. This building was at one
time painted red, but the rain of many
summers and the snow of many winters
have changed it to neutral hue that
blends nicely with the color of the trees
in the back ground. This is the "temple
acknowledge which the ambitious youths
and maidens from the country round
seek, when they can be spared from the
work at home.
If you will closely examine the front
entrance, you will see the names of sew
eral generations of illustrious students
carved upon the easement. Some YOU
will find in an unfinished tate, due, per-
haps to the untimely arrival of the
teacher.
At one corner of the yard is rickety
little building that serves as a woodshed.
IL is implanted and battered, and has
tendency always to lean, owing to its
great age.
Indoors is a long entry with rows of
nails, on which are hung sunbonnets,
caps, hats, and various other kinds of
head gear, each offering mute testimony
I to its owners disposition and rank in life.
There are the trim sailors of the good
little boys, the broadbrimmed straw hats
of the patient ploddng boys, the caps
that seem made to set far back on the
heads of the boisterous lads. There is
the old SLOUGH felt of the poor boy who
does chores for his board, and the blim-
less hat of the bully of the school.
Beyond the entry is the main room, oc-
cupied by eighteen box desks. The rear
seats having only the straight up walls
for a back, and the wind comes in rather
freshly at the cracks on cold day. These
seats are favored by the older pupils be-
cause of their distance from the teacher
and the view of the entire room.
In the open space in front of the desks
is box stove, which Sends out a long
! reach of rusty pipe. This stove though
fairly good looking one has it's faIirgs.
There are days when it ismokes, and at
times its actions not only puzzle the
teacher and pupils, but the village cal
| penter as well.
| There are also the teachers desk sRlth
the two chairs at this end of the room.
| On bench near the wood-box is the
w'ter pail, with the rusty dipper hang
lag near. 1t is surprising how many
times a scholar can drink that dipperfull
when he makes the attempt. The small
boy in the front seat drinks as much as
he can hold, then turns around and
watches the progress of the water pail,
to observe if any one can exceed him.
| The office of water carrier seems to be
quite desirable one and. MAY | pass
the water?, is a question asked the
teacher quite frequently.
But must not forget to mention the
clock which hangs over the teachers
desk and seems to be the only object in
the room that has the privilege of work
| ing when it pieases; it also has a start
ling way of giving an alarm just at time
when silence reigns supreme throughout
the room.
| There are about twenty-five pupils in
the room, ranging from four or five years
of age to sixteen or seventeen. The air
in the room is very impure, owing to the
poor means of ventilation. The small
children are saying their letters, and the
older ones are doing problems on the
black board.
| As the school is dismissed and the
children 60 out to their several homes,
we think of the great advantages that
the city boys and girls enjoy, or even the
village boys and girls, that are denied to
these children; comfortable school room,
heated and we'll ventilated, teaching &C
cording to the modern methods by eff
Gent teachers.
This description of county school APP
plies to the rural schools of many small
towns in Vermont. We hope the people
will soon be aroused to the need of con-
solidating their schools and hiring more
efficient teachers, thereby making the
school life of the children more interest
ing and profitable. EDNA 1. SYKES.
II suffered habitually from cOnsti-
patton, Doan's Regulets relieved and
strengthened the bowels so thai they have
been regular ever since."-E. Davis,