The children were first given an idea of life in the early 1900's. One of my favorite stories of this day was of an 104 year old woman who was interviewed recently and was asked what her favorite invention was since she has lived through such an exciting era. Her reply was wire windows, also known as, screens. Life in Georgia before air conditioning had to be hot. However, thoughts of life before air conditioning with no screens on windows can only be imagined as "unbearable". Those pesky mosquitoes as night would be torturers of rest. Flies circling and landing on your food at all hours of the day would be an agonizing nuisance indeed!
Loved hearing the children recite the pledge, "America", and pray before the day began. The day went quickly as the children learned the history of the one room school house and were able to participate in a spelling bee, recitations of Bible or poetry that you have memorized, and practicing copy work with their quill pens.
Another highlight for our family was the picnic lunch in tin cans with tin cups, our homemade bread buttered and sugared wrapped in brown paper bag, and a fresh apple outside in 70's spring weather with the steady high pitched hum of cicadas in the background. Happy day!!
A Prayer in Spring
Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.
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