Evening star., 1942-09-13
Early Public School Days in Washington
BY John Clagett Proctor.


for their life's work, and though tn.
vast majority will do this eagerly, yet
even those who may not will some day.
wnen they have grown older retain fond
recollections OF the days when they
were receiving their early education.
But whether they like studying or not,
one thing is certain and that is, that in
the meridian or sunset OF their lives
nothing IN this world. will appeal to
Them more than the recollections of
their school days and the memory and
thoughts of their youthful companions
and the dear teachers who so patiently
slabored to fit them to be valued and
useful citizens.
Indeed, these will be the happiest
moments of their lives moments that
will often prompt them to repeat to
themselves, in substance at least, the
words of the poet and say:
when dream OF the friends OF my
youth.
And the hearts that were dear to
me then,
turn NTH a sigh, to the days gone
by,
Yet lore to recall them again.
when / dream OF the joys that were
mine,
OF the hearts that iDere gentle and
trHe,
Z MY heart still bends to my good old
2 friends,
. And sigh ,0hen I bid them udieu."
Avcf rrrin
always prove the dearest to you, and one
: that all your success and happiness and
: difficulties and troubles will not erase
! Upon one occasion, not so long ago
. the writer, in one Of his early school
stories, had this to say about his first
. teacher, a Miss Marion Malone, who
, taught the first grade in the old Grace
Church School at Ninth and S streets
northwest. hrst opened about 1873:
Externally Grace Church looks almost
the same today as it did in 1873, and, of
course, year or two later, when I was
entered there in the primary class, and
when met my first school teacher-Miss
Marion j. Malone. What real, genu-
tnely sympathetic woman she was All
the little tots loved her. Sweet, affec-
tionate, considerate, kind and thoughtful.
What more could add for her pinning
my little cape close up around my neck,
so that I would not catch cold on my
way home. And so she was to all the
boys under her charge, always unfailing
In her devotion to duty. know I voice
the sentiment of her entire class when
! say God bless her dear SOUL If she is
living may she be happy and grow old
gracefully, and If she is dead may the
blessings of Heaven rest upon her-sweet
Marion Malone"
Well what would you suppose2 Some
one in Washington who knew Miss Ma
lone's whereabouts in New York City
forwarded a copy of The Star containing
my story about her, and few days later
q letter was received from her. Sixty
years and more had elapsed and one can
imagine the writer's delight to hear from
this dear woman She told me she and
her sister had left Washington many
years ago to be with their brother, who
was practicing law in New York, that
her brother and sister had since died and
that she was living in that city alone.
Naturally this letter received a prompt
and sympathetic reply. But the cor
respondence was not to be continued, for
In about six weeks the writer received
letter from an attorney in New York
saying that Miss Malone had died, and
as my letter had been found among her
effects, inquiry was being made by him
as to her relations in WASHINGTON, OF
which no information could be given and
this cut short what promised to be a
lovely renewed friendship.
Great Changes.
There is great difference between the
schools Of today and the schools Of by
gone days. Old Grace Church School, for
instance, had two entrances on the sec
ond, or upper floor, one on the north
side and one on the south side. To these
entrances long flight OF crude wooden
stairs led. They were without any COW
ering and, of course, ran from the
ground to platform at the second story.
Here a door led into hallway running
north and south, separating the four
schoolrooms. In some respects the build
ing was typical Of the early country
school-no running water, no plumbing
and no heating apparatus, except the
large round stove used at that period,
and which would get redhot and burn
up most everything around it while the
boys in the far corner of the room would
be having difficulty keeping warm.
The rooms were large and airy with
nearly 12-foot ceilings, the floor dimen-
/. sions being % feet 3 inches by 81 feet
inches. There were accommodations for
so pupils, and it is needless to say there
was seldom a vacancy.
The first grade was taught in the
southeast room by Miss Malone, who was
temporarily succeeded in 1877 by Miss
Mary Celia Jones, Miss Harriet j. Drury,
subsequently taking the latter's place
Miss Susie E. Porter taught the second
grade in the northeast room. From the
beginning, Miss Kate T. Brown taught