Before Fads Came

Inside it was one unbroken room, writes Minot J. Savage in some interesting reminiscences in the XewPeterson. In the middle of the room was a raised brick platform, onwhiehstood two larg-e, old-fashioned box stoves, with the stove pipes running1 for a long distance overhead, so as to carry heat to distant parts of the room. On the side opposite the entry and in line with the stoves was a wooden platform by the wall, on whieh stood the master's desk. The seats ran back f rom the open space across the center, toward either end of the room. There were only two rows of benches, with aisles at the sides and one in the middle. The desks, therefore, were long, capable of seating a long row of pupils, instead of the short ones of modern days, with seats for one only, or two at most. So there was a chance for a good deal of disturbance when one of the middle boys wished to get in or out. The girls occupied seats at one end of the room and the boya at the other. On either side of the master's desk were blackboards on the wall. The boys brought in the big sticks of wood to keqp the fires going, and it was piled np on the floor beside the stoves. On cold days we had to take turns in being' permitted to leave our seats and go to the stoves to get warm. The one teacher taught everything, from the a-b-c to algebra, including writing and the making of quill pens. Any child might study anything, provided only that he wished it and the master knew it. The bright pupil was not kept back because some one else was lazy or stupid, but he was at liberty to go ahead as fast as his brains and industry could carry him. And ü the master happened to know the higher mathematics or the languages, some ambitious pupil would frequently pursue one or both of these outside jot ordinary school hours.