Ihr liewe Leit:
Ya, ‘s nemmt net lang, do gehne die Kinner widder in die Schul.
Dann wache die Schulbusse der alt Professer widder uff. (Sin’s zwee Dutzend
odder drei Dutzend Busse ass marrigeds am Haus verbeikumme?)
Es waar nadierlich net immer so. Wie ihr elder Leser wisst, sin mer
immer in die Schul geloffe, un es waar do haus uffem Land fascht immer en
eeschtubbiches Schulhaus.
Der Henry Harbaugh hot awwer net zu weit laffe misse. In seim
Gedicht “Das Alt Schulhaus an der Krick” schreibt er:
Heit iss’s saecktli zwansich Yaahr
Dass ich bin owwenaus;
Nau bin ich widder lewich zrick
Un schteh am Schulhaus and der Krick,
Yuscht neegscht an Daadis Haus.
Der D. B. Shuey hot aa net weit laafe misse. In seim Gedicht “Des
Schulhaus an der Karrich” saagt er uns wu sei Schul gschtanne hot:
Gans neegscht wu ich mei Heemet hab,
Net weit vum neie Wagnerschapp,
Sehnscht du en Haus gans iwwerzwarrich –
Sell iss’s Schulhaus an der Karrich.
Un wu waar em M.P. Flick sei Schul? Do sin Linye aus seim Gedicht
“’S Alt Schulhaus am Weg”:
Des Schulhaus schteht datt an der Schtroos,
Graad newe an dem Weg.
Fer Yaahre land waar es gekennt
“’S Schulhaus an dem Weg.”:
Fer en langi Zeit hen die Kinner im Frederick J. F. Schantz seim
Schteddel zu weit laafe misse fer in die Schul geh. Awwer in seim Gedicht “’S
Schulhaus am Sandloch” schreibt er:
Langi Zeit iss’s so fattgange
Bis Leit annerscht hen aafange:
Gement hen deel sie sollde doch
En Schulhaus baue am Sandloch.
Gemeenerhand hen die
eechtubbiche Schulheiser vier Eck un vier Wend ghatt. Un wie mer sich denke
kann, hot die Schtubb Desks, Benk, Disch (fer der Schulmeeschder) un Offe
ghatt. Der Harbaugh schreibt:
Die lange desks rings and der Wand,
Die groose Schieler drum;
Uff eener Seit die groose Meed,
Un datt die Buwe net so bleed –
Guck wie sie piepe rum!
Inwennich um der Offe rum
Hocke die gleene Tschaeps.
Die lanne aartlich hatt, verschteh,
Un waer net weess sei A, B, C –
Sei Ohre griege Raeps.
Mer misse neegscht Woch weidermache.
Macht’s gut,
Der Alt Professer
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Dear people:
Yes, it won’t take long, the children will be going to school again. Then
the school busses will wake up the Old Professor again. (Are there two
dozen or three dozen busses that come by the house in the morning?)
Naturally, it wasn’t always so. As you older readers know, we always
walked to school, and it was out here in the country almost always a
one-room schoolhouse.
Henry Harbaugh, however, did not have to walk to far. In his poem
“The Old Schoolhouse at the Creek” he writes:
Today it is exactly twenty years
That I left home (went over and out):
Now I am back alive
And stand at the schoolhouse on the creek,
Just next to daddy’s house.
D.B. Shuey also did not have to walk far. In his poem “The
Schoolhouse at the Church” he tells us where his school stood:
Very close to where I have my home,
Not far from the wagon builder’s shop,
You see a house all twisted (in poor condition) –
That is the schoolhouse at the church.
And where was M.P. Flick’s school? Here are lines from his poem
“The Old Schoolhouse at the Road”:
The schoolhouse stands there at the street,
Just beside the road.
For years it was known as
“The schoolhouse at the road.”
For a long time the children in Frederick J. F. Schantz’s village
had to walk too far to go to school. But in his poem “The Schoolhouse at
the Sand Quarry” he writes:
For a long time it went on that way
Until people began to think otherwise;
Some thought they should really
Build a schoolhouse at the sand quarry.
Usually the one-room schoolhouses had four corners and four walls.
And as one can imagine, the room has desks, benches, table for the
teacher, and stoves. Harbaugh writes:
The long desks along the walls,
The big (older pupils at them;
On one side the big girls,
And over there the boys not so stupid –
Look how they’re peeping around!
Inside, around the stove,
Sit the little boys (chaps).
They learn very hard, understand,
And whoever doesn’t know his A, B, C –
His ears will get raps.
We’ll have to continue next week.
Take care,
The Old Professor
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