CHAPTER 2: SCHOOL - 1892
When I was six years old I went to public school with my first girlfriend. Her name was Anna and she was the neighbors' daughter, two grades ahead of me in school. She was my tutor and guardian, and my mother paid her ten cents a week to take me to school and help me with my homework. She was the youngest of five children, with two sisters and two brothers. Her father was the mayor for about 12 years. She was good to me and I liked her very much.
In my homeland most of the women work from very early in the morning to very late at night, sometimes later than midnight. In their spare time they were always sewing or making yarn and threads for dry goods. While my mother worked, Anna and I were doing our homework until we knew it all by heart. Our teacher was always glad that we knew our lessons so well. Because of Anna, I learned very quickly and was double-promoted twice. Even so I got very high marks, was a good boy, and obeyed the teacher.
In my homeland most of the women work from very early in the morning to very late at night, sometimes later than midnight. In their spare time they were always sewing or making yarn and threads for dry goods. While my mother worked, Anna and I were doing our homework until we knew it all by heart. Our teacher was always glad that we knew our lessons so well. Because of Anna, I learned very quickly and was double-promoted twice. Even so I got very high marks, was a good boy, and obeyed the teacher.
Agriculture Lessons
When we came to school at 7:00 in the morning, the first thing we did was to stand up. Then we would pray in unison and would recite the Lord's Prayer. When school was over we would pray again. This is all the more unusual by today's standards because we only had a one-room school house for the first eight grades. We had Jews, Gypsies, Russians, Hungarians, and other foreigners in the classroom, but we were all friends.
All public schools were taught in Hungarian six days a week. But on Wednesdays we studied Russian, German, Hebrew, Romanian, and the Gypsy language. We often did things other than book work during school hours and lunch recess, such as acting, gymnastics, games, and exercises. About twice a month we went to the forest and learned about the trees, bushes, flowers, plants, birds, animals, and nature in general. On a hill nearby, the school owned about five acres of orchard and garden land. All the students went there about once a week to work, plant, and learn about agriculture.
Silver Coin
Our teacher was a liberal-minded, middle-aged man named Michael Dobra. He was married and had a 16 year old daughter, Morishko, who helped him teach the younger grades. She was good to the children and we all liked her. Their house was directly behind the school, and this was the only grade school in town. It had about 40 pupils or less.
When Morishko was 17 years old, her mother made her a birthday party. After school, eight boys and eight girls were invited to the party at their house. I was the youngest one there. There were cookies and biscuits and several pitchers full of milk. While her mother was making the biscuits, her father secretly put a silver dollar in the smallest one.
When Morishko led us in, she told us to take one glass of milk, one biscuit, and two cookies. We all ran to the table. But when I got there, there was only one biscuit left. I bit into something hard and pulled out a silver dollar. I handed it to Morishko, but she told me to keep it and we would ask her father what to do with it later. After the feast we sang a happy birthday song to her. Then we prayed to God our Heavenly Father to bless her life and use it for His glory. Her mother then led us in the games and activities. All of us were very happy that day.
The next day in school the teacher asked me what I did with the silver dollar. I told him that I had it in my pocket because my mother and father told me to give it back to him. Then he said, “If that dollar were all yours, what would you do with it?” I replied that I would give it to his daughter for a birthday present. He smiled and said, “It is yours. Do with it as you please.” I was so happy. I went to the front of the classroom where she was sitting and said, “Morishko, this is a birthday present for you!” She took it with a surprised look and said, “Thank you very much.” I could tell that she was delighted.
When Morishko was 17 years old, her mother made her a birthday party. After school, eight boys and eight girls were invited to the party at their house. I was the youngest one there. There were cookies and biscuits and several pitchers full of milk. While her mother was making the biscuits, her father secretly put a silver dollar in the smallest one.
When Morishko led us in, she told us to take one glass of milk, one biscuit, and two cookies. We all ran to the table. But when I got there, there was only one biscuit left. I bit into something hard and pulled out a silver dollar. I handed it to Morishko, but she told me to keep it and we would ask her father what to do with it later. After the feast we sang a happy birthday song to her. Then we prayed to God our Heavenly Father to bless her life and use it for His glory. Her mother then led us in the games and activities. All of us were very happy that day.
The next day in school the teacher asked me what I did with the silver dollar. I told him that I had it in my pocket because my mother and father told me to give it back to him. Then he said, “If that dollar were all yours, what would you do with it?” I replied that I would give it to his daughter for a birthday present. He smiled and said, “It is yours. Do with it as you please.” I was so happy. I went to the front of the classroom where she was sitting and said, “Morishko, this is a birthday present for you!” She took it with a surprised look and said, “Thank you very much.” I could tell that she was delighted.
Golden Watch
Our teacher told us an interesting story about Jesus one day. He said that God sent Jesus to this Earth to give us all everlasting life for free, if only we would accept Him. To give us an example of this, he took out his golden watch and laid it on his desk. “This is my watch,” he said. “It cost me $125. But I will give it free to anyone of you if you will come up, take it from the desk and accept it.” I got up, being young, bold, and not understanding the meaning of it, put it in my pocket, and went back to my seat. He didn't say a word, and I didn't even thank him, either.
When classes were over and everyone was leaving, he came to me and asked for his watch. I said, “No, it's mine. You told one of us to take it and nobody else wanted it, so I took it.” “Alright,” he said, “then I will come over to your house later and talk to your father about it.” He came about an hour later and explained to my father what had happened. I was commanded to return the watch to him, which I did with no hesitation.
When classes were over and everyone was leaving, he came to me and asked for his watch. I said, “No, it's mine. You told one of us to take it and nobody else wanted it, so I took it.” “Alright,” he said, “then I will come over to your house later and talk to your father about it.” He came about an hour later and explained to my father what had happened. I was commanded to return the watch to him, which I did with no hesitation.
Service Book
When I was nine years old I was singing solos in the church. We had two choirs: one for children and the other for adults. I was also reading the Apostolic Creed and saying The Lord's Prayer every Sunday morning in the Liturgia. I was pretty good at doing this and enjoyed it very much.
Our Orthodox priest had one son and one daughter. His son was killed by his horse when he was 16 years old. His daughter was engaged to a young Orthodox priest who had just finished his studies. The old priest's name was Zekan Ferency. He was pretty rich and died around 1907. The young priest's name was Orest Haluskai.
One night the young priest had a dream of a revelation. He heard a voice tell him that he should go to the old priest's church and ask his permission to let him conduct Liturgia services in the early morning for the next 120 days before his wedding. Only then should he marry her. If he did not obey this command he would die in six months.
He told the priest about this. The old priest said that it would be all right. The young priest then took a Service Book and went to our school. There he asked the teacher which boy would be the best to serve during Liturgia with him in the church for the next 120 days. The teacher called me to the front and told him, “This is the best one in our school.” He asked me if I could come to church every morning for one hour from 6:00 to 7:00 am, then go directly to school from the church. I said that I could. Then he handed me the Service Book and told me to read a few lines to him. He wanted to know if I could read the odd print. I read about three verses. Then he said, “Very good. You read it even faster than I do. Now take it home with you and read it over. Bring it with you to church tomorrow morning at six.”
I was with him every morning for 120 days, just the two of us conducting services. Every day we had the Lord's Supper: communion, bread and wine. After we had completed the four months, he got married. I was 12 years old at the time.
Our Orthodox priest had one son and one daughter. His son was killed by his horse when he was 16 years old. His daughter was engaged to a young Orthodox priest who had just finished his studies. The old priest's name was Zekan Ferency. He was pretty rich and died around 1907. The young priest's name was Orest Haluskai.
One night the young priest had a dream of a revelation. He heard a voice tell him that he should go to the old priest's church and ask his permission to let him conduct Liturgia services in the early morning for the next 120 days before his wedding. Only then should he marry her. If he did not obey this command he would die in six months.
He told the priest about this. The old priest said that it would be all right. The young priest then took a Service Book and went to our school. There he asked the teacher which boy would be the best to serve during Liturgia with him in the church for the next 120 days. The teacher called me to the front and told him, “This is the best one in our school.” He asked me if I could come to church every morning for one hour from 6:00 to 7:00 am, then go directly to school from the church. I said that I could. Then he handed me the Service Book and told me to read a few lines to him. He wanted to know if I could read the odd print. I read about three verses. Then he said, “Very good. You read it even faster than I do. Now take it home with you and read it over. Bring it with you to church tomorrow morning at six.”
I was with him every morning for 120 days, just the two of us conducting services. Every day we had the Lord's Supper: communion, bread and wine. After we had completed the four months, he got married. I was 12 years old at the time.
First Seat
In our school there were three special seats for the best pupils. Those assigned to them had to help the teacher with the small children. When the day of tests came, the Bishop, Priest, and the Church Committee also came. I was in the seventh grade. The Bishop asked me what I remembered from the third grade. I told him. He said, “Excellent. Now, would anyone else like to tell us what they remember?” Only two other boys volunteered to recite.
Next the Bishop went to the blackboard and wrote several groups of numbers on it to be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided. He asked me to go to the board and finish them. This I did very quickly. He was impressed and asked my name. When I told him he said, “Michael, sit here in the first seat. You deserve it.” I proudly kept that seat for the rest of the year.
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Next the Bishop went to the blackboard and wrote several groups of numbers on it to be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided. He asked me to go to the board and finish them. This I did very quickly. He was impressed and asked my name. When I told him he said, “Michael, sit here in the first seat. You deserve it.” I proudly kept that seat for the rest of the year.
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