The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-05-06


pear. To future generations and ag,
d they will undoubtedly be not even
memory. The old schoolhouse was 4
e Gated by the wisdom of the fathel
d as near the center Of the district I
II other minor considerations would a
a low, but yet ii was a long and wear
I walk, especially in the winter, for tn
smaller children. | recall the littl
n boy, dressed in his best roundabout
n and frock and with a new pair O
0 gaudy red-front top copper-t toed boot
I being made ready in the morning b
/. mother for the long tramp to school,
: into strange country and amonj
!, alien faces. The little girl was like
; wise secured and with her hair tied vi
in bright new ribbon and with thicl
| shoes and warm clothing the children
: wandered away, over the hill and ou
of regretful mothers anxious sight.
The schoolhouse was likely to be
rather primitive building, austere in
I its plain severity, furnished in strict
economy with a teachers desk and
chair, large box wood stove, broom
and series Of scratched and battered
desks. These were constructed on the
front-to-back plan, the desk of one
forming the back to the next in front,
and with large adaptability to the
proper purpose of dropping various
foreign substances down the back of
the urchin in front. Each form was
built for two, but-except in case of
punishment-the boys occupied one
side of the room and the girls the
other. The old stove occupied the
space between the teachers rostrum
and the front seats, and she--it was
usually a "she"-acted as fireman and
general custodian of the outfit Some
thing which passed for a blackboard
occupied space on the wall, and this
was its sole decoration.
The larger boys took turns in arriv-
ing a suitable time before the others
in the winter, to build the fire and
sweep out, each acting in turn as jam
itor-though he didn't know what the
word meant. At noon full hour was
given to dinner and recreation, and as
soon as the bell rang each scholar
reached under his seat for his battered
old dinner pail, from which he or she
extracted red apple, wedge Of
chilly pie, brace of doughnuts and
!. bread-and-butter sandwich or two.
This was the stereotyped banquet pro-
vided by mother, and after this was
hastily gorged away the flock went out
into the snow in the winter and filled
in the most of the hour with the most
,xhilerating and energetic rough-and-
,umble games. After her repast the
,eacher occupied her time in working
,ut a profound sum in decimal frac-
ions or chatting with the "big girls"
The outside of the building-even
when new-had no regard for the es-
hetic in architecture or finish, and it's J
AIDED and weather-beaten paint bore
he carved and pencilled names of the I
resent inhabitants and of all the gen.
rations gone before.
The short day was relieved by the
orenoon and afternoon "recess," as
,ell as by the longer noon hour, and
18th the recitations from the reading, c
pelling, arithmetic and geography
asses, the schoolday ended with the n
nkle of the bell at four o'clock. Then
,llowed the hasty overnight leave
lkings, and laggardly the children
ended their homeward way. On their
rival home they did their allotted
,hores" and after supper gave their U
irents the absorbing story Of their
'ogress and the thrilling history of
e day.
And so the days came and went.
owly but certainly and surely photo
'aphing on the plastic minds of the
ildren the basic rules and principles DC
hich underlie all education worth the pr
me. Little they realized that they vi
ere building for all time each day in tn
e old MISUNDERSTANDING charac- in
r and absorbing mental and moral nj
amina and strength for efficient SER
e in the great world which was all an
fore them. Later many of them co
re graduated from high and more de
Iborate institutions Of learning, in thi
tutions with faculty and every gil
lcational luxury, but the foundation
every future establishment was me
d back in the little old schoolhouse. ou
~ it yet be spared from the sacre- the
ious hands Of educational pro as
sss," may the bleak winds Of win as
be tempered to its humble worth, ma
may it always linger in the hearts foe
minds Of every graduate with rev. mol
nee and affection THE Advance.
| his
In attempt was made Saturday ma
- A. ,...o @ho Mn4hndict Gov