They confronted the riddle for a moment.
“Ed’cation want to change every thin’—rellroad—’migrash’n.”
“Change every thing? Yes!—making every thing better! Sirs, where is that country that the people are sorry that the railroad and the schoolhouse have come?” Again the riddle went unanswered; but Catou sat as if in meditation, looking to one side, and presently said:
“I t’ink dass all humbug, dat titchin’ English. What want titch English faw?”
“Sir,” cried Bonaventure, “in America you mus’ be American! Three Acadians have been governor of Louisiana! What made them thus to become?” He leaned forward and smote his hands together. “What was it? ’Twas English education!”
The men were silent again. Catou pushed his feet out, and looked at his shoes, put on for the occasion. Presently—
“Yass,” he said, in an unconvinced tone; “yass, dass all right: but how we know you titch English? Nobody can’t tell you titchin’ him right or no.”
“And yet—I do! And the time approach when you shall know! Sirs, I make to you a p’oposition. Time is passing. It must be soon the State Sup’inten’ent Public Education visit this school. The school is any time ready. Since long time are we waiting. He shall come—he shall examine! The chil’run shall be ignorant this arrangement! Only these shall know—Claude, Sidonie, Crébiche; they will not disclose! And the total chil’run shall exhibit all their previous learning! And welcome the day, when the adversaries of education shall see those dear chil’run stan’ up befo’ the assem’led Gran’ Point’ spelling co’ectly words of one to eight syllable’ and reading from their readers! And if one miss—if one—one! miss, then let the school be shut and the schoolmaster banish-ed!”
It was so agreed. The debate did not cease at once, but it languished. Catou thought he had made one strong point when he objected to education as conducive to idle habits; but when the schoolmaster hurled back the fact that communities the world over are industrious just in proportion as they are educated, he was done. He did not know, but when he confronted the assertion it looked so true that he could not doubt it. He only said:
“Well, anyhow, I t’ink ’tain’t no use Crébiche go school no mo’.” But when Bonaventure pleaded for the lad’s continuance, that too was agreed upon. The men departed.