The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-11-20

read and write. ! was not long, however, in
discovering, that was about as ignorant n
heathen ms ever came out ofthe bush. But,
nsend ofgoing to school as | might and
should have done,l felt ashamed TO let people
know my condition, and so let pride deprive
me ofn blessing which might have obtained
And SO IL continued with me, till i married
and settled down here on n new farm; when
ifthe pride spoke ofded away, its place
was soon supplied by business cares aud II
lot oflittle squallers, that took away all chance
or thought of learning to read. But though
not nble TO read myself can easily get 9th
ers TO do this for me. And late years, having
bought good many books ofdiherent kinds
for my wife or boys to read TO me, 1 have
got, in this way, aud by talking with book
men, both round ut home and abroud,a pretty
tolerabIy good run of all that hus been print
ed"
"Ihe dinner being now annouced rs in
readiness, Locke went out to call in his
brother, whom he at length osped in the yard
of Il grist, mill belonging TO Bunker, and sit
uated ut no great distance from his house.
Ben had here collected round him not only
the young Bunkers, but several other boys
who had come to mill from different parts Of
the district and Inc was apparently making
some communications to them, TO which they
were very evidently listening with consider
able interest aud surprise.
AS soon ms the brothers had finished the
repast which had been pepared for them, Ben
got up his team, and bidding his brother "to
remember and keep II stiff upper lip when he
went into his school, cracked his whip and
started off for home.
The next morning, after breakfast, rs
Locke was about 10 leave for the school house
for the commencement Of his tusk, Bunker
took him aside:---
81 should like to ask you one question,
mnster," he said; "and IL you answer it at all,
which you can do us you like about, | hope
you will do it caudidIy."
"Certainy will, Mr. Bunker" replied the
other, in some surprise.
SWELL overheard my boys saying last
night, that your brother, who came with you,
told them and some others down at the mill,
that you had such fiery and ungovcrnnblc
temper, that your family, ns well as the boys
in your neighborhood, always run from you,
when you get offended, las you often do at al
most nothng,) lest you should seize an axe
and split Il cir brains out; and lie begged of
them, with tears III his eyes not to cross you
in school, or break any OF your orders; for If
they did YOU would be almost certain TO
seize the shovel or cleft Of wood, and kill
ONO ofthem on the spot; and then lie
should have 10 see his brother hung
for doing only what was natural to him, and
what he couldn't help. Now, though have
said nothing, yet think see through the OBJ
jcct ofthis story; and want to ask you. not
whether it is true-for ! think il must he all
humbug-hut whether you put your brother
up TO this little plot, or whether it was one of
his own hatchings'
at was one solely of his own contriving,
and used without my knowledge or consent,
replied Locke, promptly.
II am glad of it, rejoined Bunker: "ior
/ though there would have been nothing very
criminal in such a course, yet, | confess, il
would have lowered you in my opinion. 1t
was we'll enough in such a chick as suspect
your brother TO be-, and have concluded to
have it go, for the present, jus, us lie left it;
for there is no knowing how much it may
help you in keeping the boys under. SO
advise you to keep your own counsel, go to
your school, he decided, but treat your schul-
ars like men and women, aud not like slaves
! or scnseless puppets, rs some OF our masters
have done, 10 their own sorrow. think. DO
this, aud presume you will have no trouble
in managing them. But whatever method
you may take to govern them,be sure that you
make them good thinkers"
On reaching the school-housc, where he
found most of the pupils assembled, Locke
soon saw indications, which convinced him,
that Ben's hugbenr representations, which
had been made with so much address and APP
parent honesty that the truth of them seems
not to have hecn doubted, We're already
X nDwn to every individual in school; and that,
in consequence, he had become, with the
younger portion Of them especially, the OBJ
Ject OF IL terror which he little thought ii
would ever be his lot to inspire. This, i'll
deed, was plainly discoveruble the first mo-
ment he entered the house; for coming among
them somewhat unexpectedly, while his
| funccd traits ofcharacter were under discus
sion, they scattered for their seats with near
y rs much haste and trcpidaton us they
would have shown had a dangerous wild
beast walked into the room. And, in two
minutes all was so still, that not sound, I'M
less it was the beating of the hearts of the
more timid, could be heard in the apartment.
Nor did the vivid impressions of their new
masters severity, which had thus oddly been
received hy the scholars, and which had fair
ly frightened them into such unwonted still
ness, prove ofso temporary character as he
expected. And often during the day. while
arranging his classes or attending to the Or
binary duties of the school, he scarcely knew
whether he felt most secret amusement or
pity at the evident sensations ofmany around
him, as he observed with what trembling
anxiety his movements were watched, aho
saw how many furtiyc and expressive glances
were cast AT MS Iace, Ill WHICH, us thelI eA0l'
ted imagiDa,ions then pictured him, they ap'
peared to read that which put all Thoughts
ofroguery or misbehavior to instant flight
All this, to be sure, had reference mainly &c
the younger portion ofthe pupils. The old
er part, it is true, though their delneanor was
marked by respectful quietncss, appeared
rather to be debating in their minds the expe
) dency of taking their former courses, thar
entertaining any particular alarms for them
; selves, while their behavior should be to Il de
cent degree, orderly. And during the inter