treat at our school. When I was a little girl we had a custom, handed
down from pioneer times, called ‘barring out.’ A few days before
Christmas the teacher would arrive to find the schoolhouse door securely
fastened. Before he was admitted he would have to sign a paper promising
to ‘treat’ his pupils.
“In those days we didn’t have much ‘store’ candy, and we looked forward
for weeks to the Christmas treat we got at school. You wouldn’t think
much of it today—six sticks of red and white striped candy apiece,
wintergreen and sassafras and clove and maybe one of horehound. My,
but it tasted good to us! We didn’t eat it all up at once, either. No,
indeed!
“But one year we didn’t know whether to look for a treat or not. The
teacher, a Mr. Hazen, was from Clayville, and he had been heard to say
that he did not believe in ‘barring out’ or in being forced to treat his
pupils. Nevertheless we all came early to school one morning and locked
him out.
“While we all cried ‘Treat! Treat!’ at the tops of our voices, William
Orbison opened the window a tiny bit and thrust out the paper they had
prepared for the teacher to sign, but he refused to touch it.
“This was not alarming, as most all of the teachers stayed out for an
hour or two just for fun. We played games and had a good time. But by
time for morning intermission the older pupils had begun to get anxious.
Could it be possible that the teacher really did not mean to treat? At
noon he was still out, walking up and down the playground, clapping his
hands together, stamping his feet, and rubbing his ears to keep warm.
We were anxious in earnest now. The wood box was empty and the fire was
getting low. There was no water in the water bucket, and some of the
younger children were coaxing for drinks.
“No teacher in our recollection had ever refused to treat. There was an
old rule that if the teacher persisted in refusing to treat he was to be
ducked in the nearest stream of water. We had heard of instances when
this had been done, but no one wanted to try it. The older pupils stood
around in frightened little groups, and some of the smaller children were
crying openly, when the teacher knocked loudly on the door and asked that
the paper be handed out to him.
“But the paper had disappeared! We searched all over the room, but it
was nowhere to be found. Again the teacher knocked and asked rather
impatiently for the paper.
“Then William Orbison sat down at his desk and hurriedly prepared another
paper and handed it out the window to the teacher. He looked at it in a
puzzled way for a little bit, smiled a queer smile, and without a word
signed the paper and handed it back to William. Then he was admitted and
took up books, but all afternoon he kept smiling to himself as if he knew
a joke on some one. We felt uneasy, though we didn’t know why.
“After school that evening my brother Truman asked William Orbison to
let him see the paper the teacher had signed. When he read it, he gave
a long whistle of astonishment. And what do you think William had done?
In the fuss and excitement of writing out the second paper he had omitted
the word ‘treat.’ The teacher had promised nothing! That explained his
smiles. We were a disappointed lot of children, I can tell you.
[Illustration: _The teacher looked at the paper in a puzzled way_]
“We shouldn’t have any Christmas treat, for after the way the teacher had
talked about treating, no one thought he would treat if he could help it,
and here was a way out for him. The next day we were perfectly sure he
did not intend to treat, for when William Orbison left out a word in his
reading lesson the teacher said, ‘Watch yourself, William. Leaving out
words is getting to be quite a habit with you.’
“Other years we could hardly wait till the day before Christmas. We wore
our best clothes, and right after dinner we would speak pieces, have
spelling and ciphering matches, sing songs, have our treat, and play
games the rest of the afternoon. Lots of the older brothers and sisters
would come to visit, and they would play with us and the teacher would
play, too, and we would have lots of fun.
“But this year I should rather have stayed at home and watched the
Christmas preparations at our house, for there wouldn’t be much fun at
school without any treat.
“It was a cold, windy morning, and Father took us to school in the sled.
We had lessons in the morning as usual, and in the afternoon recitations
and songs and a little play that the teacher had helped us get up. Truman
gave ‘Hamlet’s Soliloquy,’ and did it very well, too. And Charlie had a
piece, but he forgot all but the first verse. We were so interested that
we didn’t think about the treat, and you can imagine how surprised we
were when the teacher, instead of dismissing us, said that we would now
have an unexpected but very welcome visitor. The door opened, and in came
old Santa Claus with a white beard and a red coat and on his back the
biggest bag! You should have seen our eyes pop! Of course it wasn’t the
really, truly Santa Claus who comes in the night and fills the stockings.
Oh, no, this was just a pretend Santa.
“He put his bag down on the teacher’s platform, and after he had made a
little speech he opened it up.
“And what do you suppose was in that bag? Candy! Cream candy and
chocolate drops and clear candy, red and yellow, shaped like animals and
horns and baskets, such candy as we had never seen before. A sack for
each pupil.
“As we went up, one by one, the smallest first, to get our treat, Santa
asked each one of us to recite something for him. The smaller children
knew verses out of their readers, and some of us recited the pieces we
had said earlier in the afternoon. But how we all laughed when Longford
Henlen, who was the tallest boy in school, couldn’t think of anything to
say but,
“I had a little dog, his name was Jack,
Put him in the barn, he jumped through a crack.
“And now to bed, to bed, and go right to sleep. I’ve heard that if Santa
Claus comes and finds children awake he goes away and comes back later.
That is, he means to come back later, but he has been known to get so
busy he forgot to come back at all. So say your prayers and go to sleep.”
A VOCABULARY
(This vocabulary contains only words of unusual difficulty in spelling,
pronunciation, and meaning.)
Transcriber’s Note: To make the most of this pronunciation guide, you’ll
need a font that supports the characters used to indicate the different
sounds. U+1DF5 COMBINING UP TACK ABOVE (᷵) is probably the least commonly
supported character: if you can’t see this, find and install a font that
can display it, and you should be covered for everything else as well.
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION
ā _as in_ āle
a᷵ _as in_ senʹa᷵te
ă _as in_ ăm
ă _as in_ fiʹnăl
ȧ _as in_ ȧsk
ä _as in_ ärm
â _as in_ câre
ē _as in_ ēve
e᷵ _as in_ e᷵vent
ĕ _as in_ ĕnd
ẽ _as in_ hẽr
ī _as in_ īce
ĭ _as in_ ĭll
ō _as in_ ōld
o᷵ _as in_ o᷵bey
ô _as in_ ôrb
ŏ _as in_ ŏdd
ŏ _as in_ cŏn-nectʹ
o͞o _as in_ fo͞od
o͝o _as in_ fo͝ot
ū _as in_ ūse
ŭ _as in_ ŭp
u᷵ _as in_ u᷵nite
û _as in_ ûrn
_alpaca_ (ăl păkʹ_ȧ_). A kind of cloth made from the hair of the alpaca,
an animal of the sheep family.
_arbutus_ (ärʹbū tŭs). A plant having small, sweet-smelling pink and
white blossoms; known also as the Mayflower, and ground laurel.
_ascension_ (_ă_ sĕnʹsh_ŭ_n). Rising in the air, as a balloon.
_auction_ (ôkʹsh_ŭ_n). A public sale, where each article is sold to the
one offering the most money for it.
_barricaded_ (bărʹĭ kādʹĕd). Filled with materials making it difficult
for one to pass.
_beaux_ (bōz). Men paying special attention to certain young women.
_Bethlehem_ (bĕthʹle᷵ hĕm). The village where Christ was born.
_brooch_ (brōch). An ornamental clasp; a breastpin.
_calico_ (kălʹĭ kō). A kind of cotton cloth.
_cameo_ (kămʹe᷵ ō). A gem containing a carving, usually in the shape of a
head.
_Canterbury_ (kănʹtẽr bĕr ĭ) _bell_. A plant having lovely bell-shaped
blossoms.
_carcasses_ (kärʹk_ȧ_s ĕz). Dear bodies.
_cardinal_ (kārʹdĭ n_ă_l). A small red bird.
_cashmere_ (kăshʹmēr). A cloth made of fine woolen material.
_chiffonier_ (shĭfʹo᷵ nērʹ). A high chest of drawers, with mirror.
_ciphering_ (sīʹfẽr ĭng). Doing arithmetic examples.
_circuit_ (sûrʹkĭt). When a minister was pastor of several churches at
the same time, the circuit was his regular journeying around the whole
number.
_code_ (kōd). A system of rules governing one’s own conduct.
_colony_ (kŏlʹo᷵ nĭ). A company of people going to a new place to make
their home.
_conference_ (kŏnʹfẽr _ĕ_ns). A meeting for the purpose of deciding some
question.
_conspicuous_ (k_ŏ_n spĭkʹū _ŭ_s). In plain sight.
_Copenhagen_ (kōʹp_ĕ_n hāʹg_ĕ_n). A children’s game.
_cravat_ (kr_ȧ_ vătʹ). A man’s necktie.
_cretonne_ (kre᷵ tŏnʹ). A strong cotton cloth, prettily colored.
_crocheted_ (kro᷵ shādʹ). Made out of thread woven together by means of a
hook.
_dahlia_ (dälʹy_ȧ_). A plant with showy blossoms.
_delaine_ (de᷵ lānʹ). A kind of light woolen cloth.
_Delaware_ (dĕlʹ_ȧ_ wâr). Name of an early tribe of Indians; name of a
state of the United States.
_dolman_ (dŏlʹm_ă_n). A woman’s cloak with cape-like pieces instead of
sleeves.
_Dominique_ (dŏmʹĭ nēkʹ). A variety of fowl something like the Plymouth
Rock.
_Egypt_ (ēʹjĭpt). A country in Africa.
_election_ (e᷵ lĕkʹsh_ŭ_n). The choosing of one to hold some public
office.
_embarrassed_ (ĕm bărʹr_ă_st). Ashamed; mortified.
_epidemic_ (ĕpʹĭ dĕmʹĭk). Spreading to many people in a community, as a
disease.
_fluting_ (flo͞otʹĭng). Ruffles so made as to have a wavy appearance.
_furlough_ (fûrʹlō). A soldier’s vacation from the army.
_gnarled_ (närld). Twisted or rugged.
_gnawed_ (nôd). Bitten apart, little by little with effort.
_gospel_ (gŏsʹp_ĕ_l). The story of the life of Christ.
_husking_ (hŭskʹĭng). Taking the husks from ears of corn.
_immersion_ (ĭ mûrʹsh_ŭ_n). Baptism by dipping the person into the water
all over.
_infare_ (ĭnʹfâr). A party given by the husband’s family as a welcome to
the new wife.
_institute_ (ĭnʹstĭ tūt). A meeting of school teachers.
_Israel_ (ĭzʹra᷵ ĕl). Ancient kingdom of Palestine, the scene of the
stories of the Bible.
_larvae_ (lärʹvē). The tiny worms hatched from insect eggs.
_leghorn_ (lĕgʹhôrn). A variety of fowl that gets its name from Leghorn,
a city in Italy.
_loam_ (lōm). Clayey earth or soil.
_lozenge_ (lŏzʹĕnj). A kind of candy.
_mahogany_ (m_ȧ_ hŏgʹ_ȧ_ nĭ). A tree having a reddish brown wood.
_mature_ (m_ȧ_ tūrʹ). To become ripe.
_mincemeat_ (mĭnsʹmētʹ). A mixture of meat, apples, raisins, etc., to be
used as a pie filling.
_mistletoe_ (mĭsʹ ʹl tō). A vine having waxy white berries.
_muskrat_ (mŭskʹrătʹ). A small fur-bearing animal living in holes in the
banks of streams or lakes.
_myriads_ (mĭrʹĭ _ă_dz). Large numbers.
_parsonage_ (pär ʹs’na᷵j). The house occupied by the minister of a church.
_persimmon_ (pẽr sĭmʹ_ŭ_n). A plum-like fruit.
_Pharaoh_ (fāʹrō). The name of the kings of Egypt in the long-ago time.
_pioneer_ (pīʹo᷵ nērʹ). One who goes first to make a home in an unsettled
country.
_pippin_ (pĭpʹĭn). A general name for apple. Here means “something extra
good.”
_pithy_ (pĭthʹĭ). Soft and spongy.
_plagues_ (plāgz). Great troubles.
_plaid_ (plăd). Woven in the form of squares.
_Plymouth_ (plĭmʹ_ŭ_th). The town settled by the Pilgrims.
_portico_ (pōrʹtĭ kō). A porch or piazza.
_preserve_ (pre᷵ zûrvʹ). To make to last.
_proclamation_ (prŏkʹl_ȧ_ māʹsh_ŭ_n). A public announcement.
_Psalm_ (säm). One of the verses from the Book of Psalms in the Bible.
_quilting_ (kwĭltʹĭng). A meeting of women for the purpose of making a
bedquilt.
_recollection_ (rĕkʹ_ŏ_ lĕkʹsh_ŭ_n). That which is called to mind; a
memory.
_recommendation_ (rĕkʹ_ŏ_ mĕn dāʹsh_ŭ_n). Expression in favor of
something.
_recruiting_ (re᷵ kro͞otʹĭng). Persuading new men to join the army or
navy.
_recruits_ (re᷵ kro͞otzʹ). Men who had recently joined the army or navy.
_reveille_ (re᷵ vālʹya᷵). The bugle call awakening the soldiers in the
morning.
_Reverend_ (rĕvʹẽr _ĕ_nd). A clergyman’s title; one who is to be honored.
_ruching_ (ro͞oshʹĭng). A plaited strip of lace or net.
_sassafras_ (săsʹ_ȧ_ frăs). A kind of tree, from the root bark of which a
flavoring extract is made.
_Savior_ (sāvʹyẽr). Christ.
_scarred_ (skārd). Having the marks of old cuts.
_serenade_ (sĕrʹe᷵ nādʹ). Singing or playing outside a house as a
greeting to one or more within the house.
_shirred_ (shûrd). Sewed in such a way as to make the material hang full
and loose.
_soliloquy_ (so᷵ lĭlʹo᷵ kwĭ). A talking to oneself.
_sorghum_ (sôrʹgŭm). A sirup made from a variety of corn plant.
_stealth_ (stĕlth). In secret.
_suet_ (sūʹĕt). A hard fat.
_superstitious_ (sūʹpẽr stĭsh_ŭ_s). Having fear of what is unknown;
believing in signs.
_symbol_ (sĭmʹb_ŏ_l). A sign.
_telescope_ (tĕlʹe᷵ skōp). A kind of traveling bag.
_Timotheus_ (tĭ mōʹthe᷵ ŭs). A man spoken of in the Bible.
_tithes_ (tīthz). Tenths. What one gives toward the support of a church.
_unsurveyed_ (ŭnʹs_ŭ_r vādʹ). Not measured.
_vouchers_ (vouchʹẽrz). Papers showing money is due one.
_wagered_ (wāʹjẽrd). Bet.
_waistcoat_ (wāstʹkōt). A man’s garment worn under the coat; a vest.
_whinny_ (hwĭnʹĭ). The sound made by a horse; a neighing.
_worsted_ (wo͝osʹtĕd). A cloth made of soft woolen yarn.
_wrenched_ (rĕncht). Twisted or pulled off by force.