(Lyndon 12)
Lyndon never missed a class in school, but just got by. He never did any outside study at all. In high school one of his best subjects was art, all done in the classroom. He got to staying out nights with friends we didn't know.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
October 31, 2013
October 19, 2013
Explanation
(Lyndon 6)
So we grew up and went to country school. He was smart but not an excellent student. I was a sophomore in high school when my mother died. ... If she had lived, she would have been a good influence on Lyn and seen to it he had his lessons.
So we grew up and went to country school. He was smart but not an excellent student. I was a sophomore in high school when my mother died. ... If she had lived, she would have been a good influence on Lyn and seen to it he had his lessons.
May 29, 2013
Transition
(1930 June)
I had just wound up a year of school teaching, finishing local and state reports. Then Lorin came with the car and there was a great moving of all my possessions, clothes and books to my Fond du Lac home. After a week or so, I was invited to the Kay home [in Milwaukee] to go apartment hunting. I believe by the time I got there Vina [Lorin's step-mother] had already secured an apartment on the second floor of a two-story building on Oakland Avenue.
I had just wound up a year of school teaching, finishing local and state reports. Then Lorin came with the car and there was a great moving of all my possessions, clothes and books to my Fond du Lac home. After a week or so, I was invited to the Kay home [in Milwaukee] to go apartment hunting. I believe by the time I got there Vina [Lorin's step-mother] had already secured an apartment on the second floor of a two-story building on Oakland Avenue.
May 11, 2013
Leaving Ripon
(1980 memoirs)
I was a year ahead of Lorin but we both left Ripon together. He then went to Wisconsin studying law and taking extra work to finish out his degree at Ripon. [After doing graduate work in English at Madison for a year] I went up north to teach in a high school for two years, then got a job nearer Madison until school let out and we were married in June 1930.
I was a year ahead of Lorin but we both left Ripon together. He then went to Wisconsin studying law and taking extra work to finish out his degree at Ripon. [After doing graduate work in English at Madison for a year] I went up north to teach in a high school for two years, then got a job nearer Madison until school let out and we were married in June 1930.
April 30, 2013
Book burning
(1980 memoirs)
But I kept the Ripon Memory Book, and one fine day after I was married a while, I burned the whole she-bang in our coal furnace in the utility room [on Beaumont Avenue]. All the things in this book suddenly became very trivial and unimportant. More and more I felt how silly I'd feel if anyone read it, especially Lorin. I felt silly myself. Whatever prompted me to spend time on it?
But I kept the Ripon Memory Book, and one fine day after I was married a while, I burned the whole she-bang in our coal furnace in the utility room [on Beaumont Avenue]. All the things in this book suddenly became very trivial and unimportant. More and more I felt how silly I'd feel if anyone read it, especially Lorin. I felt silly myself. Whatever prompted me to spend time on it?
April 28, 2013
Memory book
(1980 memoirs)
Well -- now -- [when a freshman at Ripon College] one of the first things I bought for $5.00 and which I could not well afford was a large memory book with stiff red covers decorated with a big red R on the cover. Inside was ruled spaces for such things as teachers, friends, social functions, dates, and the like. I filled it in the first year or two and then lost interest.
Well -- now -- [when a freshman at Ripon College] one of the first things I bought for $5.00 and which I could not well afford was a large memory book with stiff red covers decorated with a big red R on the cover. Inside was ruled spaces for such things as teachers, friends, social functions, dates, and the like. I filled it in the first year or two and then lost interest.
April 15, 2013
The Frosh Party
(1980 memoirs)
At Ripon all was new and different. The Frosh Party was early in the fall. The idea was the Freshmen tried to steal a march on the Sophomores and sneak out of town and have a party. I think some of them took some food along, tho I am hazy on that. Anyway, whether the news leaked out or the Sophs suddenly noticed the Frosh had disappeared -- whatever -- they tried to stop the cars from leaving town, bust up the party, and probably take the girls home. We tried to have our party too, but news leaked out somehow, and suddenly we were attacked by crowds of kids.
At Ripon all was new and different. The Frosh Party was early in the fall. The idea was the Freshmen tried to steal a march on the Sophomores and sneak out of town and have a party. I think some of them took some food along, tho I am hazy on that. Anyway, whether the news leaked out or the Sophs suddenly noticed the Frosh had disappeared -- whatever -- they tried to stop the cars from leaving town, bust up the party, and probably take the girls home. We tried to have our party too, but news leaked out somehow, and suddenly we were attacked by crowds of kids.
April 10, 2013
Best friends
(1980 memoirs)
I (the C in MICE) miss those girls and those days. I never have been with any friends who laughed more and had more fun, tho we had problems too. Well -- so I left them all and went to school.
I (the C in MICE) miss those girls and those days. I never have been with any friends who laughed more and had more fun, tho we had problems too. Well -- so I left them all and went to school.
April 4, 2013
Reading
(1980 memoirs)
We studied Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Hamlet.... One semester we each took a magazine -- the Literary Digest maybe. This [class] lasted three years and all were sorry to see the end.
We studied Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Hamlet.... One semester we each took a magazine -- the Literary Digest maybe. This [class] lasted three years and all were sorry to see the end.
April 3, 2013
Assignment book
(1980 memoirs)
[In Tess O'Brian's class] we each had an assignment book in which we were required to note the daily work assigned and copy questions to be answereed on the text. These were collected and graded. The object was to teach us good study habits and to be steady and neat.
[In Tess O'Brian's class] we each had an assignment book in which we were required to note the daily work assigned and copy questions to be answereed on the text. These were collected and graded. The object was to teach us good study habits and to be steady and neat.
April 1, 2013
Tess
(1980 memoirs)
Miss O'Brian taught us the fundamentals so that we knew why our mistakes were wrong, and taught us how to correct them. There was never any fooling around. She held our intent attention the full hour.
Miss O'Brian taught us the fundamentals so that we knew why our mistakes were wrong, and taught us how to correct them. There was never any fooling around. She held our intent attention the full hour.
March 28, 2013
Special English Class
(1980 memoirs)
Then someone in High School had a brilliant idea. This was to form a Special English Class made up of all the English A students from all the grade schools in town to be taught by Tess O'Brian, a splendid teacher and I went. Also some boys. One was later a senator -- what was his name? A judge. I wish I had a picture of this group.
Then someone in High School had a brilliant idea. This was to form a Special English Class made up of all the English A students from all the grade schools in town to be taught by Tess O'Brian, a splendid teacher and I went. Also some boys. One was later a senator -- what was his name? A judge. I wish I had a picture of this group.
March 21, 2013
Gawky
(1980 memoirs)
[At Fond du Lac's 8th grade] I was very gawky at first, being the only one who brot my lunch and all. I had the wrong shoes too, cloth tops that buttoned at the side. But after while I made some friends. There was Eleanor and her cousin Irma, and we often talked at recess.
[At Fond du Lac's 8th grade] I was very gawky at first, being the only one who brot my lunch and all. I had the wrong shoes too, cloth tops that buttoned at the side. But after while I made some friends. There was Eleanor and her cousin Irma, and we often talked at recess.
March 20, 2013
Another 8th grade
(1980 memoirs)
My parents could never have made a better decision [than sending me into town to repeat eighth grade]. The whole grade was new. Not a thing I ever learned in country school seemed to be repeated, tho it may have been. The teacher was about 40, slim, pretty, experienced, a good teacher.
My parents could never have made a better decision [than sending me into town to repeat eighth grade]. The whole grade was new. Not a thing I ever learned in country school seemed to be repeated, tho it may have been. The teacher was about 40, slim, pretty, experienced, a good teacher.
March 19, 2013
Repeat 8th grade
(1980 memoirs)
My parents could see I was poor in Arithmetic and probably never would pass and so arranged for me to go into town [Fond du Lac] and repeat Eighth Grade there. Of course city kids automatically went into high school.
My parents could see I was poor in Arithmetic and probably never would pass and so arranged for me to go into town [Fond du Lac] and repeat Eighth Grade there. Of course city kids automatically went into high school.
March 18, 2013
Arithmetic
(1980 memoirs)
I did pass some [parts of the entrance exam] but failed Arithmetic, probably because along the way one teacher, not wanting to bother with my being the only one in my class, shoved me ahead. So I was always very poor in that field and blamed it on this teacher.
I did pass some [parts of the entrance exam] but failed Arithmetic, probably because along the way one teacher, not wanting to bother with my being the only one in my class, shoved me ahead. So I was always very poor in that field and blamed it on this teacher.
March 17, 2013
Recite by heart
(1980 memoirs)
Our teacher was a leather-faced, seasoned old biddy who rode her bicycle to school every day until snow came, and she knew pretty well what the questions might be and primed us accordingly. All of us could recite by heart without taking a full breath the circulation of the blood beginning with "Starting at the left ventricle" -- or is it the right auricle? Does it matter? We also knew the causes of the Civil War, rules for spelling, the names of our senators, and a lot more.
Our teacher was a leather-faced, seasoned old biddy who rode her bicycle to school every day until snow came, and she knew pretty well what the questions might be and primed us accordingly. All of us could recite by heart without taking a full breath the circulation of the blood beginning with "Starting at the left ventricle" -- or is it the right auricle? Does it matter? We also knew the causes of the Civil War, rules for spelling, the names of our senators, and a lot more.
March 15, 2013
Ordeal
(1980 memoirs)
At that time graduates from Country School Eighth Grade had to write and pass an exam to enter High School. This was a terror. Imagine how frightened country kids can get who rarely go into town to go into a big strange building and write an entrance exam.
At that time graduates from Country School Eighth Grade had to write and pass an exam to enter High School. This was a terror. Imagine how frightened country kids can get who rarely go into town to go into a big strange building and write an entrance exam.
March 11, 2013
Bad boy
(1980 memoirs)
So we walked back and forth to school. Sometimes I caught up with Lillian, usually I was alone. Neither she nor I cared for many other girls. On this day in late fall, I had walked home from school past her house coming home, not noticing Harry behind me. Suddenly he ran as fast as he could, grabbed me and threw me into the ditch, kissed me violently on one cheek, scrambled out and ran for home as fast as possible. My sole reaction was amazement. Who can understand boys? I picked myself up, brushed myself off and came on home bewildered, wondering what brot that on. Nothing more was ever said, ever done, and I somehow knew it was better to keep it to myself than make a to-do over it.
So we walked back and forth to school. Sometimes I caught up with Lillian, usually I was alone. Neither she nor I cared for many other girls. On this day in late fall, I had walked home from school past her house coming home, not noticing Harry behind me. Suddenly he ran as fast as he could, grabbed me and threw me into the ditch, kissed me violently on one cheek, scrambled out and ran for home as fast as possible. My sole reaction was amazement. Who can understand boys? I picked myself up, brushed myself off and came on home bewildered, wondering what brot that on. Nothing more was ever said, ever done, and I somehow knew it was better to keep it to myself than make a to-do over it.
March 9, 2013
Hatchet
(1980 memoirs)
One February our teacher was talking about Lincoln and Washington and getting the first grade to color and cut out hatchets. When I looked over at Lillian, she was laughing silently, holding herself in, wiping her eyes, shaking all over. This went on for some time, and of course I was beside myself with curiosity. At length she whispered, "Listen. She's saying it again!" and stuffing her handkerchief over her mouth, she got red in the face and shook all over. Finally she passed me a note that said: "Listen when she says hot shit." Well, I did hear it, and even when it was pointed out to me, I couldn't laugh much. I just couldn't. Not funny.
One February our teacher was talking about Lincoln and Washington and getting the first grade to color and cut out hatchets. When I looked over at Lillian, she was laughing silently, holding herself in, wiping her eyes, shaking all over. This went on for some time, and of course I was beside myself with curiosity. At length she whispered, "Listen. She's saying it again!" and stuffing her handkerchief over her mouth, she got red in the face and shook all over. Finally she passed me a note that said: "Listen when she says hot shit." Well, I did hear it, and even when it was pointed out to me, I couldn't laugh much. I just couldn't. Not funny.
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