Year: 1876

| MS IEAhsilOEg uOHtss


When il was customary for school


teachers to board among the en-


plOysrs, l was among the happy
bOarders.


The advantages Of the system were
so many and so apparent to those who
sometimes used in their fireplaces
stone "backlOgs" and iron foresticks,


that 1t was not the "thing Of q day"
bat condition Of things that lasted
several years, and passed away like
SOME other ussges OF the olden time.
There was no trouble in inquiring
for place to OOard the teachers no


words about price or pay for board


no fault to find with any, but merely


to find where the family lived that


was ready to aboard the teachers


was all that was necessary, and this


was done by going home with the
children after school. As we went
over the hills, or through the woods,
the children would relate what they


thought would please or surprise me,
and / did the same to them. Rattle
snakes and other tribes Of the serpent
family lived among the rocks, and


large blue hHekleberries grew on the


bushes. We picked the berries and


killed the snakes. Variety spieed
this kind of itinerant life. More than
necessary preparation was often made


when families expt eted the teacher to
board with them for 3 week. On
reaching their homes the children


would first show me what interested


then-their water-Wheels or rabbit


traps after entering the house their


books, especially any that had pic


lures in or were presents.


Pleasant evenings were passed in
many families in conversation aud
helping the children along in their
lessons for the next day the room
was made cheerful by tallOw candles
snd q blazing fire OF pine knots.


With some families the grinding Of
the coffee in the morning was the
signal bell to arouse and have US get
ready for breakfast. At one place, az
ter going down stairs and out OF doors
little while, mOtiOnsd as though I
wanted some water to wash, and
asked the man OF the house where /
could wash. "DOWn to the broOk,n
he said, pointing in that direction
and down to the brook | went, where
was plenty of water, washed and re-
turned, seeing that was the way they
did. Sometimes trout from tie
streams would be the fare venisOn
from the forest, or silver eels from the
Delaware, Sullivan county. House
keepers knew how to prepare these
for the plate and the palate, aud once
they gave me some of bruins beef, as
was pleased to call it, which was
procured at some risk OF life. A good
sized black bear left his tracks on the
snow so plainly ss to arouse q hun
ter's valor, who, with his rifle, pursued
the bear to his retreat in 3 large hol-
low tree, in which lie was safe for the
time there was no getting at him
there. To start him out, the hunters
boy, who was one OF my scholars,
pounded the tree with an ak, until
the bear climbed to the top to survey
the coast, and see who WIS disturbing
him in this way. This WAS the hun
ter's opportunity. With good aim he
sent up the ball that gave poor bruin
bleeding heart, after which it was
safe aud easy to get him down and di-
vide him up in liberal portions among
the neighbOrs, and that was how |
came to taste the qualities OF bruins
beef.


One Of my best boarding places was
at log house, not cabin, but q good
house, where lived q sturdy Presby-
terisn deacon, with large, interest
Ing family. 10 reach the house his
boys would row me across the Della
ware River, where we jumped the
bank, and soon found our way where
I always liked to go. The deacon al
ways had hearty way Of shaking
hands, with something ready to say
that was worth hearing. He had his
rules without their being in writing
or in scOlding. In that family there |
was order and kindness. The chill
dren played and worked, or learned
at home II they pleased, till they were
several years old, strong and healthy,
before they went to school, as some of
them did to me, beginning at the al
phabet and it was easy for them to |
begin, and soon go by others who had |
been to school almost from their in
fancy. 1t seemed q little strange to |
me to find that this hardy old Presby-
terian deacon was in the habit Of |
reading, by course, with the Bible |
Ciark's Commentary. or course, he |
read SeOtt's and other books with the |
papers. In his family the day was
begun with reading the Scripture and |
prayer, and closed with prayer. One |
OF his sons, after knew him, was an |
able editor OF paper, and Governor
of one Of the Western States. This |
deacon wanted all the children to be |
educated, aud the churches to thrive. |
He gave me many an encouraging |
word.


A different man from him one day |
saw me pass on my way to the school
house, and to q neighbOr expressed his
regrets that so many persons OF /
health, with limbs ail sound, and able /
to do hard work, were employed to
teach in the schOOls-so much loss to
the country Schools were well
he said, but should be taught
by those who were crippled in some
could do nothing else very
well. This poor man could work, but
be could not read.


Still pleasant in my memory are
some Others OF my experiences In
boarding round" The system will
probably not be revived during this
incoming century unless some new
continent Is discovered.