Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1858 — Perils of Teaching Grammar. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Perils of Teaching Grammar.

I have been sendi’n my darter Nancy to school to a school-master in this naborhood. Last Friday I went over to the school, just to see how Nancy was gittin’ along, and I see’s things I didn’t like by no means. The school-master was larnin her things entirely out of the line of eddicatbir. and, as I think, improper. I set awhile, in the school-house, and heerd one class say there lesson. She said it very spry. I was shockt! and determined she should leave that school. I have heerd that gramer was an oncommon fine study, but I don’t want any more gramer about my house. Ths lesson that Nancy said, was nothin’ but the foolishest kind uv t alk, the most ridiculus luv talk, you ever seed. She get uo, and the fust word sho said was, “I love!” I looked right at her hard for doing so improper a thing but she went right on and sed, “Thou lovest, he loves,” and I reckon you never heerd rich a riggermyrole in your life —love, love, love, and nothing but love. She said one time,“ltlid love.” Sez I, “Who did you love!” Then the scholars laffed, but I wasn’t to be put off, and I sed, “ Who do you love, Nancy! I want to know who did you love!” The schoolmaster, Mr. McQuillister, put in and said he would explain when Nancy finished the lesson? • This sorter pacytied me, and Nancy went on with awful lov a talk. It gol wus and wus, every word. She sed—“l might, could or would love.” I stopped her agin, and sed, I reckon I would see about that, und told her to walk out or the house. The school-master tried to interfere, but I wouldn’t let him say a’ word. He sa d I was a fool, and I hockt him down, and made him holier in snort order. 1 taukt the strate thing to him. I told him I’d show him how he iufns my'darter gramer. 1 got the nabers together, and we sent Mr. McQuillister off' in a hurry, and I reckon thuri be n>» mo e gramer teeehin’ in these parts soon. If you know any rather oldish man in your reegen that doant teech gramer, we wood be glad if you wood send hnn up. But in the footure we will be keerlul how we employ men. Yuhg school-masters won’t d ■, especially it they leechesgramer-.. It is a bud thing lon tnorils. Yours tilldeth, -~

THONAS JEFFERSON SOLE