My Valley
The following years saw Dan Piper studying for the ministry, Charles
Royce completing the Agricultural course at Cornell University, and Frank Kinne in the
mercantile business. My last teacher in the Red School was Rose Dillon, who had been to
the Albany Normal College, and so had more training than just "passing the
examination", as was then required of teachers. As I had passed the Uniform
Examination for schools early that year I felt quite competent to become a teacher as soon
as I left my "Alma Mater". So I did up my hair, let down my skirts and assumed
all the responsibilities of adult-hood by taking a little backwoods school some four miles
south of Monticello. Here I was so homesick I nearly died. I went home about every two
weeks and occasionally I spent a weekend with Aunt Julia who had a similar job in an
adjoining school district called Sacket Lake school. A different class of people lived
here and I always enjoyed these occasions. My age was sixteen. In this first venture into
school teaching, I had, of course, pupils of all ages. Four boys were 18 and one girl near
my own age. I soon saw they had the upper hand of me in some subjects while in others they
were woefully deficient. So I left them to their own devices in Arithmetic while I tried
to impress upon them the importance of History, Grammar and Physiology, then a somewhat
new subject for schools of this type.
The second year of my teaching found me mistress of a small school at Pleasant Pond a few miles north of Bethel Village. Here I found people much to my own liking-descendents of the Scotch Covenanters, Presbyterians and early Methodists and a set of pupils more responsive to my guidance. Here too, I met a number of young people of my own age whom I found very companionable; the parents as well proved friendly. I was able to keep up with my own studies and that year I passed the examination for a second grade certificate which took me into any Normal School in the state without further examination. This year then of 1890 saw my application into the new Paltz Normal School accepted, and here I was a student for the popular 2-year course allowing me when completed to teach in any grade school of the state. So, with diploma in hand, I started out but only for one year. In 1893 Charles and I were married one beautiful September day amid all the glowing autumnal foliage of the season by the Rev. William Ferrie at a simple home ceremony with relatives and a few friends in attendance.
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