The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-08

perched up amidst its branches watching the
swallows that built their nests in the belfry OF
the Episcopal church across the way or mockinp
the bob-o' -linknms in the meadows of the river
Moreover, from the foot of the trunk sprane
divers singularly smooth, straight shoots, which
sometimes found their way into certain corner
Of the school-room, as incentives 10 learning by
the inverse method.
Then, that length Of fence under the apple.
tree--never were rails 80 smooth or SO capitslly
arranged for climbing; blessings on the hand
that laid thent why, our sleds made nothing OF
it, but came darting like arrows from the hill
above, and paused not until we landed on the op-
.-..-s4- = a. - - D. -----eA s. =
sound of the ferule on the window easement
the inyariAble signal which recalled US from oui
sports.
To my young readers, would say, do not fancy
that our school-room was anything like yours
with your convenient desks your shaded win
dows your globes, cabinets, and outline maps
Ours was large, square room, lighted by six Of
eight windows, through which, during the lone
summer hours, came food Of light and heat s.
intense as to dazzle the eyes and bewilder ths
brain of the strongest. Around three sides of ths
room ran rude desks to which were attached
rough, narrow plapks for benches, and inside Of
err scholars. These were without any support for
the back, and all of them so high that not more
than one pair of feet out of dozen could by any
means oontrive to touch the floor. The last side
with the exception of the space taken up for the
door, was occupied by the great fireplace, which
yawned from the door post to the opposite wall
In these utilitarian days, when
"Men scarcely know how beautiful fire isn
such fires as we used 10 have are rarity No
wonder that the great wooden beam which served
for a mantel-piece took fire almost every day,
even though the inventor of friction matches, ON
Hhose untortsNats Aasd the old nen,is % --~-2
lage lay the blame Of ell the fires which have
desOlated city and country for several years, was
not hsG s pr 10y p,
Ali those great blazing, cracking fires will
never be forgotten. The heart of the sailor turns
back TO them, as he PAGES the deck through the
weary night-watches, with the rain and sleet
driving in his face while the biting north
wind covers his long locks and shaggy pei, jacket
with glittering icicles; and brightly do they
CLEAN and glow in the restless dreams of more
than one famished, benumbed gold.seeksr, as he
sinks down to his last sleep amid the SHOWS Of
the Rocky Mountains
OF maps, we had none doubt whether such
an article ever saw the inside of the Red school
house, and the japanese might have been next
door neighbors to us, for aught we knew or cared.
The labors of Lindley Murray Horne Tooke,
Webster, Ashe, Greenleaf, and Brown, were con-
sidered as entirely supererogatory by both teach
ers and parents. Indeed, strong was this preju-
dice against grammar, that when it was intro
duced into our schools, some years later, the
teachers seldom made any application Of its rules
We were taught to repeat it by rote, and in this
way studied grammar for several years, and
could repeat the whole, from Etymology to Syn.
tax, without being able to construe correctly q
single sentence. In the same manner we studied
Orthography and Prosody, as laid down in the
early editions of Webster's SpelliDg-book.
doubt whether any children were ever more ia
miliar with that same Spelling-book than wer,
we; not only with the photography of our les
sons, but the number Of words in column, thu
number of leaves in the book, the leading wore
on each page every typographical error, to Say
| nothing Of the hours we spent in studying tn,
beauties of those specimens Of art that illustrs
ted the fables, counting the apples on the tree II
the fable of @The Old Man and Rude Boy,n o.
the exact number Of flies composing the swarm
that tormented the poor " Fox in the Bramble.
Ia reading, spelling, and arithmetic we were, Il
a certain degree, more carefully drilled, and
clear, well-written copy-book was the teacher
and pupils pride on the day Of examination.
Thus, with the occasional diversion of Choos
ing Sideso in spelling and grand pitched battl
with snow-balls between our boys and their rival
of the White school, we passed the winter II
the summer when the large boys were busy II
the fields, writing and arithmetic were both lais
aside, and in their place we had patchwork will
all its endless variations marking, embroidery
stitching, and plain sewing. For the qual6ca
tions of our teacher In the last, can we'll vouch
for have very distinct recollection Of her com
polling me to rip the wristband three times from
the first shirt sleeve | ever made, because, for
sooth, did not catch every gather.
II is of this teacher, or mistress, for the tern
was peculiarly appropriate in those days, | wish
to speak | have unused much upon her charac
ter and she ever seems to have been of those unto
whom it is appointed to be "made perfect through
suffering Her whole life was a oombat-s
struggle with physical weakness and pain. Hour
after hour have seen her walk the school-room
with rapid, uneven steps her long, thin fingers
clenched together, her pale lips parted, while the
great drops of perspiraton started on her brow
yet not word or murmur ever escaped her; and
when the paroxysm was past, her voice was low
and gentle as the south wind after storm. Her
TALL spare figure, and thin, pale face bore unmis-
takcable traces Of this warfare; but there was q
light in her great, dark eyes, clear serene, and
luminous, as that Of the fixed stars, which spaks
u
whom there is no variableness nor shadow oil
turning
Husbandless and childless, possessing sufh-
cheney of this worlds goods, it was matter Of
surprise to many, that she did not seek that life
of ease which her delicate health seemed to re.
auire. But she feared the ennui and selhshness
Of life Of idleness she felt intuitively that
"Somethins the heart must have 70 cherish;
Must love and joy and sorrow learn" ~
that no woman can be happy without some occu.
patton, some interest in life; therefore she took
charge Of the village school for many pleasant
summer.
The children became her children in theil
progress, pleasures troubles and difficulties, sh,
rejoiced or sorrowed and II che could not teacl
the "higher branches no one better possessed
the secret of inculcating in the minds Of thu
children habits of strict honesty, reverence to
ward God and our elders, kindness and forbear
ance toward each other, and courtesy toward al
men.
She was fond of poetry, especially devotiona
poetry, and rhymed herself with great fscility
Her appreciation Of our conduct was generally eX
pressed in rhyme, small, square pieces Of paper
ornamented with various devices in red and greer
ink But the highest proof Of her approval, th'
one priced most, was permission to take small
book which she kept laid away cboicely, in he
desk, containing poems for children, by Mr.
Barbsuld, Jane Taylor, and others and to 20 fortl
an hour or 80, with companion Of my own choos
ing, and lie in the deep shadow of the thick
lsaved trees, or perchance sit perched mp In tn
old apple-tree, while we committed one or more =
memory, 10 be recited on our return TO the school
room. Another method Of manifesting her sp
probation was to send us forth in parties Of tire
and four, TO commit TO memory the inscription
| on the stones in the adjacent grave.yards. On
pleasant summer afternoon, when the sun bega'
TO sink behind the mountain and the shadows
| Iengthen, the passing traveller might have see
half dozen little girls, wandering cautiousl
among the sunken graves, or seated amid the tal
grass at the foot Of some old slab Of red sandstone
tracing the lugubrious inscription with their tim
fingers.