School in Denton Texas

Denton Texas was like nothing I had ever seen.  The streets were paved, long, and lined with trees.  The trees were all deciduous, not a fir tree among them.  Even in midwinter they still had big flat leaves.
Mom held my hand as we walked down the street.  She had directions to the grade school from our land lady, who had shifted the can she spit in to her left hand and waved her right up the street before us.  "Straight up there,  honey, go a few blocks, you cant miss it."
So off we went.  After a few blocks I saw children walking down a cross street, headed for a large building, but we plowed straight on.
The houses got larger, and changed from wood to brick and stone construction.  A group of big buildings stood before us, sidewalks purposefully leading across vast green lawns.
We were both overwhelmed.
A young lady walked by and mom asked her if the grade school was nearby.  The young lady pointed to one of the large buildings and told us to go in there to register for the elementary school.
A man with grey hair and rimless glasses wearing a grey suit asked mom to fill out the proper forms and took me aside to ask me some questions.  He showed me a couple of books and I was able to read them with no problem.  I had been reading aloud from Horton Hatches the Egg to GD for months.
We did some addition and subtraction problems.  He smiled and told mom to take me to the first grade classroom.
The school in Wendling was small and simple.  The alphabet marched in order across the top of the wall and the students sat in desks attached to the floor in orderly rows and all recited in unison.
The classroom I entered in Denton was noisy.  Children stood or sat in small groups, and there were at least six young ladies helping the teacher in leading the separate groups in discussions or demonstrations.
Mom said, "They must do things different in Texas," and kissed me goodby.  I was led to one of the groups by a pretty young lady and after a few minutes I was eagerly engaged in the discussion.
At the end of the month mom got a bill, and we realized that she had enrolled me in the teaching lab of the North Texas State Teachers College.  She had to pay tuition, but she said that the education was worth it.
We were taught Spanish as well as English, typing, cursive writing; we discussed everything with the young ladies rather than listen to the teacher lecture.  Once a week we marched  hand in hand to attend college concerts and plays.  I shall never forget their production of "Showboat," and the young man in blackface singing "Old Man River."