Dear Sister:
This leaves me well but I get lonesome sometimes   So you have been asking me to write about my early school days and as I have time now I will do so.
In the year of 1846 or 47, a Mr. James B. Johnson of North Carolina came into the neighborhood and made up a school to be taught in an old house on Cripple Creek on the Ewing place. I was then 9 or 10 years old. Father subscribed for me to go to school. It was some 3 miles to the school house from where we lived and I was sort of a coward and did not like to go by myself so father made arangements for cousin Judith Seagle to board at our house and go with me to school Well, by and by, the day came on which the school was to commence and father went with us the first day to show us the way. He took a hatchet amd marked some trees through the woods a nearer way. When we got to the school house father stayed with us awhile but I being young and foolish, I took a crying spell when he left. Mr. Johnson petted me up and I soon became very much attached to him. After I became acquainted with the boys and my teacher I got along fine and learned fast. I liked them all. Sidney Painter and Robert Cleaves were the largest boys that went to school. Cousin Juda went with me awhile. She then went home and cousin Henry came to go with me. I reckon while life lasts I will remember him. We were great chums. It was almost impossible to make him cry. We used to play (blackman) at school and I have seen the large boys run over him, throw him down but he would never cry a bit but up he would go again. I went that session with cousin Henry and went several other sessions to the same teacher afterwards but by myself. In the winter of 1848 while I was going to school to Mr. Johnson, two men by the name of Odell and Marrel came into the neighborhood and made a great spread about a geography singing school and how fast their pupils could learn—they could make them perfect in 20 days. So they succeeded in getting a school for 10 days and father sent me. I went every day and paid the strictest attention and learned fast "but alas", the thing was as easy forgotten as learned. I think the Christmas before the geography school commenced, anyhow Johnson was teaching and some of the boys took a notion they would turn him out and make him give us a Christmas treat, some of the boys and myself would not agree to go into it. So when he went to dinner those that were in favor of it penned themselves up in the schoolhouse and fastened the door and the rest of us sat down in the yard and when the teacher came from his dinner he asked us what was the matter. We told him the circumstance. He stepped to the door and tried to get on but could not. He then went to the window and inquired what they were acting in that way for. When Frank Gullion (who seemed to be their mouthpiece—the rest of us were scared) told him they wanted a treat of a bushel of apples and a week's holiday and they would let him in. He finally agreed. So that evening after the close of school he took us all up to his house and gave us all the apples we could ear. The year after he was married to the widow Ewing. The next winter he got the school again and I went but his wife got sick and it was finally the cause of suspending the school. She lingered awhile and died and the school was never recommenced. So we bid each other farewell as teacher and pupil. The memory of my beloved old teacher leaves my heart tender and my eyes damp with a tear. I hope to meet him above.

Thomas W. Fisher
                                 
 
 

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