Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-30
PUPILS OF LONG.
AGO GIVE DINNER
TO TEACHER, 81
Miss Rebecca Cowles
Paid Tribute = Old
School Reincarnated

Miss Rebecca Cowles was honor
guest last evening at the lea Room
at beautiful birthday dinner given
by the members of classes she taught
many years ago. Many former pu-
pills gathered to pay their tribute OF
love and respect to their beloved
teacher of long ago-many of them,
too, now well advanced in years.
The decorations throughout the
long dining room were suggestive OF
Christmas tide, green foliage and
crimson blossoms being intermingied
in happy completeness
The center piece at the long ta-
BILE at which Miss Cowles and her
guests were seated held for its CEN
trail decoration mammoth birthday
cake from which cleaned eighty-sev-
en- crimson candles, each held in
the heart of a rosebud. Surround
ing the cake were larger unshaded
red candles in white roses, while at
intervals along the length of the ta-
BILE were placed similar decorations
which furnished light.
The Old Bell There.
A familiar sentiment connected
WIFI lIlt was lIlC pAdSllio Vi
the old school bell which was used
in the class room during Miss Re-
becca's teaching course. and this bell
was used by Mrs. Annie P. Walker,
one of the old-time pupils, for call.
ing the school to order. The roll
call was read, each pupil answering
with some reminiscence of those de-
parted school days. Following the
roll call, the school joined in sing
ing "School Days"
The reading exercises then took
place, the selections being taken
from McGuffey's Fourth Reader.
Miss Yonah Buchanan was called up
on to begin the reading, her Sc
lection being 'Meddlesome Matte"
read according to the manner pre-
scribed years ago in the old school
room. The book was passed to each
guest, who read a selection, prize
being offered for the one rendered
nearest the pronunciation of other
years. BEG, Frisk, Beg was the
reading selected, and each read a
paragraph, Mrs. George w. Riley I
capturing the slice of cake for the
best intonation, the most emphatic
pronunciation and the proper tonal
punctuation. Screams of merriment |
followed the readings.
Speaking Day."
The next amusing feature staged
was Friday Afternoon From Yes !
teryears." During this period
speeches" were given, beginning
with "The Old Oaken Bucket"
Others were (Which Shall 1t Be?"
81 Remember, | Remember" "Rainy |
Day." MARY Had a Little Lamb
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
Many others taken from those years
were said and encored.
A beautiful sentiment connected
with the dinner and one which Miss
Rebecca thoroughly enjoyed was the
reading of letters from absent pu-
pills. These came from DR.. Alien |
Fort, of Nashville, one of her for
mer boys, who now is a celebrity in |
the ministry. Another was from Dr..
j. A. Thomas, of Columbus, writing
for Mrs. Thomas, who was Miss Nell
Morgan. Another from far away
California bore the signature of Mrs. |
Ansley Thompson, formerly Miss
Belle Coker, now residing in Los An
geles. These were read by Mrs. An
ME POOle walker. Il
Old Teacher Talks.
Miss Rebecca, sitting at the head
of the table, her beaming old face
wreathed in smiles at the going over
again of those days when she was
the potter molding the clay into fu-
ture perfection of human sculpture,
was the central figure of the enter
tainment. At the conclusion of the
dinner, when Miss Rebecca was call
ed upon to make a talk, she rose,
and in gentle voice, quivering with
age, said with merry twinkle of
her bright eyes
when | was young / could not
express myself satisfactorily because
of timidity and the words would not
come freely. Now cannot talk be-
cause l forget and the words do not
flow easily. But there is one thing
that / can say plainly and sincerely
and clearly enouoh, and that is the
great JOY I feel in being again in
the school room with my dear boys
and girls whom I so loved in the yes
teryears, and for whom / wish as
many happy birthdays as l have had.
not one any happier than this to-
night. Happy, because the probabil-
ity of its being the last one for me
is apparent.
zone request want to make;
when any of YOU meet me on the
street, speak first and tell me who
you are, for with my failing sight,
and the shadows of your hats. do
not easily recognize, and it is keen
disappointment to me to feel that
| have passed one of my girls or
boys bv without cherry salutation"
Amid tear-dimmed eyes, "0ld
lang Syne" was softly sung, and
Miss Rebecca left the dining room
e. ks... :. - Il 4