Visualcy

 The Bullitt County News  November 25, 1904 BN 

Old School Days 

Next to our own dear homes, is the sweet remembrance of our old school house, the school grounds and the dear boys and girls with whom we used to meet and mingle with there. And we love to go back in memory to those happy days, and live them over again. If there is anything in the past that is sweet for memory to dwell on, it is certainly school days. We meet our schoolmates there in the springtime of life, when the present was pleasant and the future hopeful. 

We remember our recitations and our classmates, and how it thrilled our hearts with emotion when we were promoted in class or passed to a higher grade. The memory of the boys and girls who contested the honors with us, and sometimes put us to the blush, is fresh and sweet now, their forms and features linger with us yet, and we would not forget our dear teacher who was stern and homely to us then but beautiful now and we love him the more for his pains taking and his prudent reproofs, and we would gladly smooth his silvery locks or guide his tottering steps. He is worthy of double honor, and we withhold it not. In fact, we would gladly make amends for our thoughtlessness in youth, but I know he is too prudent and too good to remember them against us now. (If he has not now gone home to Heaven). 

Leaving the serious, we would refer with pleasure to the playtimes we enjoyed so much. We see the big boys as they are cornered off for a game of ball. We toss the ball until the time comes for the fatal throw, when the exhilarating run and the game begins in earnest. We remember all that, with pleasure. Nor do we forget the girls as they form contesting rows to play steal goods or they play visiting and eat their mimic dinners together, and with modest decorum, as they show family traits by their womanly conversations. And if I should wish to make your old blood run warm again, I would mention sweethearts at school, but you blush at the mention. We do we remember where the biggest sweet apple and the best candy and the many little tributes of affection went. Sometimes a little blotted note, the best we could write them, was entrusted to a confident for safe delivery. Don’t deny it now. You know it is so. 

I hate to tell it now, but there was a little circumstance connected with my early courtship that was very trying of me indeed. After deporting myself as above, I would find myself gazing at a certain little lady, (I must have been about eight years old, and she about seven), watching the teacher to see that he was not observing. I bestowed a gracious smile upon my lady, when, Lo and Behold!, she pinked up her nose at me. I just thought that was too was too much for anyone to stand, and it broke up our courtship entirely, for I possessed too much of my mama’s hot blood to stand anything like that. But when I sheepishly looked around, I was greatly relieved to find that no one had observed it. Now this is the first time I ever told it, but as it happened fifty years ago, I suppose will make no difference now. I hope the reader had better luck. 

But we will leave the sweethearts and go to the spelling match, and to the last day of school, to the speeches and dialogues, and how well the scholars all looked in their Sunday clothes and Sunday manners and how we enjoyed the school dinner and the big treat and how the presence of our parents animated us. And how we remember the parting scene, and the timely advice of our teacher. All this is so sweet to dwell upon and it is all fresh in our memory yet- An old Subscriber (CWR)