”communications” so highly extolled at the present as well as an en- joyable experience for the teacher.
I had about twenty-five pupils in this school. Some boys come only during the winter months. I did my best to encourage those lads who would be behind the others —— I could not forget the appeal made by Inspector Cain at 0 Teachers’ Convention one time, beseeching the teachers to do all
possible for those winter—pupils.
One day I spent a lot of time eXplaining the size of the sun, its distance from the earth, etc. When I was all done, young Wes MacMillan humbled me as he said firmly, pointing to the water pail, ”Please Miss, it’s no bigger
than that bucket.”
Our Inspector was a somber man, with little senSe of humor it seemed to me. I was sure of it after this experience. He was testing a class in ”tables” ~— I was very proud of this Second Class for all were of at least average ability ”Eleven times eleven” asked th lnspector. Some said 120, some 121; ”Prove it” said the lnspector. Guy Pierce turned over his exercise book (then having tables on the back cover) and shouted with assurance ”121”. But the Inspector was annoyed because he had not multiplied it out; I thought Guy should have been commended for
smartness.
The history of the school should include lists of trustees I suppose. I remember definitely Mr. William Clark was one. I was rather in awe of him and when he happened to meet me one morning near his gate he asked me to explain how legumes benefitted the soil; I do not know if my stumbling answer satisfied him or not.
My Brackley teaching days spanned two war years. As an ex- tracurricular job one fall I had to take pledge cards to every house in the district. These asked promises to use ”dark bread“ and cereals such as oatmeal, barley, bran, shorts, etc. A shortage of white flour seemed of great concern at this time. On August 4, 1914 word came of outbreak of war; wagon after wagon (express) went home on the Brackley Point Road that evening loaded with a barrel of flour. It was said there was not a barrel of flour left in the city that night. (Notice we bought flour then in barrels.) Red Cross Socials, Weighing parties and other community efforts promoted social living as well as creating funds for knitters and Overseas boxes. l remember the exact spot I had reached as I walked to school and
heard the noise of the Halifax Explosion.
The pupils once tried to organize a picnic visit to the Experimental Farm but it did not prove feasible. Automobiles did not run on Market Days, Tuesday and Friday, but these days were busy ones for some of our families; on the other week days ”autoes” were allowed on the roads but
certain horses could not be trusted to meet those monsters on the highway.
30.