SCOTCH COUNTRY SCHOOLS FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 147, 18 March 1859, Page 4

SCOTCH COUNTRY SCHOOLS FIFTY YEARS AGO.

The following amusing sketch is extracted from the Glasgow Mail: — " After leaving old Nanny's, I went for a quarter to Mr. Strap, who practised the trade of a weaver, while he exercised the profession of a schoolmaster. The cost of my board was one-half boll of oatmeal, and, my school fees amounted to the sum of eighteen-pence. It was expected that my aunt, who had long resided in the city, would see to the improvement of my manners, while Mr. Strap superintended my education. She instructed me to be sure to take off my bonnet when I went in, and not to say/atf (Anglice, what) when I did not hear, but what's yer wull, and not to call the master Jamie Strap, but Maister Strap, The school-room was an old fashioned twostoreyed, house, in the gable of which was the school door. On approaching, I -could not help admiring it, and thinking to myself what a difference there was between this grand stone building, and old Nanny's turf hut. We entered without ceremony, ■and I was introduced as a new scholar from the country. In the further end of the room sat the master at his loom, and in front of him sat the scholars on forms arranged the one behind the other. In another corner was his: daughter, a stout, red-haired girl, hearing lessons and filling pirns at the same time. The master was a little wiry bod}', with a broad blue bonnet which he always wore. He did not wear a coat, but had a sleeved vest, long in the bod} r, and striped across. His knee breeks were of good corduroy, and beautiful rig, and fur blue stockings adorned his legs. At his right hand were two nails projecting from the wall, on which were hung too .whips, Vailed the lang whup and the short whup. When he wished to punish those that were on the nearest form, he used the short whup ; those on the other forms were corrected with the lang whup. On a shelf were a number of dried rhubarb stalks; these, were the school-prizes, and very proud was the boy who, for diligence or good conduct, got one of these to make a tootin horn. As soon as my aunt left me he called me up to the'side of the loom to let him hear what I could do. When I had read a few verses, he said, ' Vera weel, my mon, ye're no that ill a reader, but your pronounshiashun's no very quid;' I was then sent to my se.at to make room for another. All the lessons were given individually in the same manner. The fhar of the whups kept us busy in our seats. Correct pronunciation was what he most prided himself on. His leading principle was, that all words should be pronounced as they were spelled. The llev. Mr. W., of the Old Kirk, came one day to examine the school, and corrected one of the boys for mispronouncing the word through. ' The laddie's richt, sir,' said Mr. Strap, {through may do, but throch's the thing; it spell's that, at ony rate. He was quite disgusted with the new fangled mode of pronouncing Israel and Capernaum; * It's a great sin,' he said, 'tq chip the words o' Scripture; Issrale and Capirrnim dinna soond near so weel as Izzrawl and Capirnawm.' "