The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-08-29

"Wal, 60 long out, both on you, and
behave yourselves, and tell Jeernes
Wright tu come here; have bizness Of
importance tu du with him."
And away went the boys, and they
hadn't been out tew minutes afore they
was both mounted on hand-sled
streakin' it down hill like chain o.
rtnin'. There wasn't boy in school
that wasn't coastin' it in some way
or another. Some was on sleds, some
on logs, some in wooden trays; and
them that hadn't nothin' else to ride on
would set fiat down on the ice, and let
others drag 'em by two strings tied a.
round their ankles. But they all re.
membered what Doctor Phil Ant'ny
told 'em, and nobody didn't tech the
big hog-troth. There it stood, right on
the startn' pint, as crazy as hair-trigger
TO go cf.
rve seen a dozen fellers git into it,
all twisted together like bed of eels in
cold weather, and slide down like a
streak, and all tumble in a soft snow
bank together, to the bottom of the hill,
like young rats in meal tub. Well,
putty soon Doctor Phil Ant'ny come
out of the school-house t. look for Jim
Wright, but jim had just started in his
little tray-the swiftest craft on the
track 'cept the big hog-troth-and his
bushy red hair was beginnin' to stream
back like blaze Of fire.
"S,opl" cried Doctor Phil, "stop, you
little sarpint, or I'll be arter you, and
give you the worst likin' you ever got
in your life?'
81 can't" cried Jim ookin' back, ,''the
critters got started, and taint no use to
try to stop her now't she's got the bit
in her teeth"
SPY thunder and lit'nin'!'' hollered
Doctor Phil, and stomped down his foot,
and up flew both his heels, and down
he went backwards, korwoIlop,into the
hog-trpth, and away he went, with his
feet stickin' up, right in Jim's wake.--
Jim seed him cumin' and he put spurs
to his boss, that is to say, he stuck his
spikes into the ice, and pushed ahead,
as if he was escaping from a railroad.
On went Doctor Phil, like whirlwind,
and he was overtakin' Jim hand over
hand, or rather heels over head, and
was jest runnln' afoul of him, when the
troth teched lump of ice, and sheered
off at a tangent. The boys all stopped
and looked at the schoolmaster, some on
em enamost astonlshed out of their
breath, and others ready to bust laffin'.
Whiz went the troth down the steepest
part of the hill.
An old log halfburied in the ice, lay
right across Doctor PhiI's path. and the
boys all knew mighty well what was
comm, for some on 'em had been ship
wrecked on that log afore.
"Ile'll git histed now, sartin!" said
Harrington, jumpin' up and down, and
slappn' his thighs, "thcre he goes, by
hokeyw
And sure nuff, there he did go, for
the troth struck the log ana leaped six
foot into the air, throwin' Doctor Phil
ten feet down the hill, whirlin' over and
over like buzz, and never stopped till
he went splash into bilin' spring,where
the cattle went to drink, and had trod
it full Of soft mud.
"Where's the schoolmaster?" shouted
Jim Wright, cIawin' out of the snow
bank where he had landed, and shakin'
the snow out of his hair; "cracky! if |
didn't think he'd ketch me at one time"
The boys all run to the bilin' spring,
and there lay Doctor Phil Ant'ny, Xiv
cred with mud and snow, groanin' a.
loud, and tears ofanger and agony start
in out Of his eyes. His thigh and one
rib was broken. Phil was kind heart
ed man, and the boys all loved him.
He used to talk savage TO US sometimes,
but then didn't use to hurt US. The lit
tie boys stood round and cried, when
Phil told us that his leg was broke, and
the big ones looked sorry, and took holt
on hIm, keerfuI, and kerried him to the
school-house, and then pulled him over
to his fathers house on hand-sled.
Our beloved schoolmaster never got up
again.
Long fingered our poor friend
Upon that bed Of pain;
The doctor could hot mend
His shattered bone again.
He called his scholars all
Around his dying bed,
And whilst our tears did fall,
Thus solemnly he said:
"My pupils, fare the we'll!
NY race is almost run;
Sadly my heart doth swell,
AS you kiss me one by one.
When down the school-house hill,
Again you 90 to slide,