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"The Past Revisited"
(A play about Charlotte Smoots, a real-life former student at Cornell School, who revisits her old one-room schoolhouse and reminiscences with the current schoolmarm about her experiences at Cornell School.)
Loud knock at side door. (Schoolmarm says to class) "Who could that be?" (She answers the door and acts surprised.)
Charlotte: "Hello, could I come in?"
Schoolmarm: "Certainly. I am Miss ___________" (insert name)
Charlotte: "My name is Charlotte Smoots. I think I attended this school long ago. I have been down on Duncan Plains Road looking for my old school and finally I asked a neighbor. I thought the school had been torn down."
Schoolmarm: "The school was moved here by a group of people who wanted to save the building so these boys and girls could visit and learn about schools of the past. We have a ________ (insert grade level) class visiting us today. Maybe you can tell us what it was like when you were a student here."
Charlotte: "Oh, yes, I have plenty of memories from those days."
Schoolmarm: "When did you attend Cornell School as a student?"
Charlotte: "I attended this school in -- let's see -- 1906 to 1914. I understand that it closed in 1924."
Schoolmarm: "About how many students were here when you went to school?"
Charlotte: "Oh, about eight when I started to school, but, about 15 when I was in eighth grade."
Schoolmarm: "What did you study?"
Charlotte: "I learned to read and then later I helped the young ones. We learned to cipher and spell. Also, I learned to have a pretty hand."
Schoolmarm: "These boys and girls may not know what cipher means."
Charlotte: "It means to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Sometimes we used our slates."
Schoolmarm: "Was writing actually a class?"
Charlotte: "Why yes, we called it penmanship because we used fountain pens we dipped in ink. Why one day, Oscar put my braids down the inkwell. Boy, was I mad at him."
Schoolmarm: "What did the teacher do to Oscar?"
Charlotte: "She didn't know until his cousin told on him. She made him stay after school and sweep the floor."
Schoolmarm: "Poor Oscar. How far did you live from the school?"
Charlotte: "I lived across the street. I was lucky because some of my friends walked several miles. My dad and some of the older boys carried drinking water from my house. I can see that you still have the crock and dipper. I got many drinks from that dipper."
Schoolmarm: "Weren't you passing germs?"
Charlotte: " I suppose so, but I only remember whooping cough. I stood on the porch coughing, watching my friends come to school. I guess I did share it because a week later some of my friends came down with the same thing,"
Schoolmarm: "Who was the teacher?"
Charlotte: "Miss Oates taught us until she married and then we had a man from Newark. He boarded with Tom Poot's parents. They could not afford school and they had an extra room so that is how Tom came to school"
Schoolmarm: "Were you ever paddled?"
Charlotte: "No, because I knew that I would be paddled at home, too."
Schoolmarm: "What is your fondest memory of Cornell School?"
Charlotte: "The smell of a potato, brought from home, and roasting on the stove for lunch. In the winter we took our sleds and had a grand time at recess. I can still feel the cold wind on my face as I rode down the hill behind the school. In the fall and spring we brought our marbles. I can still hear Bill Parsons crying because I won his best shooter. On the last day of school we had a picnic. Everyone came with the best things to eat. Sometimes we had a little program for our parents. Those were really the good old days. Why it nearly makes me cry to think about it. I guess I'd better go. It's been so nice talking with you boys and girls."
Charlotte goes out the door and leaves Cornell School.
Charlotte: "Hello, could I come in?"
Schoolmarm: "Certainly. I am Miss ___________" (insert name)
Charlotte: "My name is Charlotte Smoots. I think I attended this school long ago. I have been down on Duncan Plains Road looking for my old school and finally I asked a neighbor. I thought the school had been torn down."
Schoolmarm: "The school was moved here by a group of people who wanted to save the building so these boys and girls could visit and learn about schools of the past. We have a ________ (insert grade level) class visiting us today. Maybe you can tell us what it was like when you were a student here."
Charlotte: "Oh, yes, I have plenty of memories from those days."
Schoolmarm: "When did you attend Cornell School as a student?"
Charlotte: "I attended this school in -- let's see -- 1906 to 1914. I understand that it closed in 1924."
Schoolmarm: "About how many students were here when you went to school?"
Charlotte: "Oh, about eight when I started to school, but, about 15 when I was in eighth grade."
Schoolmarm: "What did you study?"
Charlotte: "I learned to read and then later I helped the young ones. We learned to cipher and spell. Also, I learned to have a pretty hand."
Schoolmarm: "These boys and girls may not know what cipher means."
Charlotte: "It means to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Sometimes we used our slates."
Schoolmarm: "Was writing actually a class?"
Charlotte: "Why yes, we called it penmanship because we used fountain pens we dipped in ink. Why one day, Oscar put my braids down the inkwell. Boy, was I mad at him."
Schoolmarm: "What did the teacher do to Oscar?"
Charlotte: "She didn't know until his cousin told on him. She made him stay after school and sweep the floor."
Schoolmarm: "Poor Oscar. How far did you live from the school?"
Charlotte: "I lived across the street. I was lucky because some of my friends walked several miles. My dad and some of the older boys carried drinking water from my house. I can see that you still have the crock and dipper. I got many drinks from that dipper."
Schoolmarm: "Weren't you passing germs?"
Charlotte: " I suppose so, but I only remember whooping cough. I stood on the porch coughing, watching my friends come to school. I guess I did share it because a week later some of my friends came down with the same thing,"
Schoolmarm: "Who was the teacher?"
Charlotte: "Miss Oates taught us until she married and then we had a man from Newark. He boarded with Tom Poot's parents. They could not afford school and they had an extra room so that is how Tom came to school"
Schoolmarm: "Were you ever paddled?"
Charlotte: "No, because I knew that I would be paddled at home, too."
Schoolmarm: "What is your fondest memory of Cornell School?"
Charlotte: "The smell of a potato, brought from home, and roasting on the stove for lunch. In the winter we took our sleds and had a grand time at recess. I can still feel the cold wind on my face as I rode down the hill behind the school. In the fall and spring we brought our marbles. I can still hear Bill Parsons crying because I won his best shooter. On the last day of school we had a picnic. Everyone came with the best things to eat. Sometimes we had a little program for our parents. Those were really the good old days. Why it nearly makes me cry to think about it. I guess I'd better go. It's been so nice talking with you boys and girls."
Charlotte goes out the door and leaves Cornell School.