Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-10-04
THE SCHOOL MASTER.
By E. WHITTIER.

BYE WHITTIER.
JEREMIAH PAUL was short round parsonage
with quick, had almost said spteful little
grey eye--a bold head in front, and short stiff
cue behind. He was a wonderful man to look
at, and his history was no less SO than his per-
son. At one period he was the village school,
master-a rare pedagcgue and learned being
it is said not only familiar with Dilworths SPELL
inc book and the psalter, but also with such
difficult mathematical problems as are compre-
/ hended in the elementary principles of Pixies
Arithmetic. 1t may be readily supposed that
such a ripe scholar would not be suffered to re-
main long in obscurlty. His talents were not
of an order to blush unseen, and accordingly in
his fortieth year, he was honored with the Office
and enriched with the emoluments appertaning
to no less dignity than justice ofthe peace.
But we are getting ahead of our story, and
with the readers permission we will 90 back a
few years, and introduce to him the wife of Mr..
Paul. She, too, was an uncommon character
great, good natured, handsome romp, who used
to attend school on purpose, to use her own
phrase, g to plague Master Jerry" And verify,
she was plague! She used to bounce in and
out whenever she pleased; she pinched the bows,
linked the faces of the girls, and finally to such a
pitch did her audacty arrive, that she even pre-
sumed to lay hands on the finely powdered cue
of the dominic.
jeremiah was leaning over his desk in mu-
sing altitude, engaged in profound mathematical
calculation respecting the probable value of the
tenant of his landlords pig sty when this outrage
took place. He had already placed the subject
in half a dozen different attitudes before his minds
eye; and was just on the point of committing his
lucubrations to the fragment of slate upon
which his elbow was resting when vigorous
jerk at the hairy appendage of his pericranium
started him bold upright in an instant, and drew
from him cry, not unlike that of the very ami
NAL which was the subject of his scientific cogi-
tatons.
jeremiah did not sWear--he was an exempla-
ry and church-going pedagogue; but his counte-
nance fairly blackened with rage and anguish.
as he gazed hurriedly and sternly around him;
and the Unsurpassed laughter of his dscipl es,
added not a little to his chagrn.
"Who? who? who? who?'' He conld articu-
late no more. He was nearly choked with pas
sion.
"That are ugly girl, who pinched me so,'' said
a little ragged urchiu, with dirty face.
jeremiah confronted the fair delinquent, but
it was plain from his manner, that he had much
rather have undertaken the correction of his
whole school besides, than that of the incorrgibe
offender in question. His interrogating glance
was met by look in which it would have been
difficult to say, whether good nature or impu-
dence predominated.
"Did you NEEDLE with my cue?" said the DOM
inie; but his voice trembed, his situation was
particularly awkward.
"l-l--what do you suppose want of your
cue?' and queer smile played along her pretty
mouth--for pretty one she had--and what was
worse, the dominic himself thought so. Jere-
mah saw that he was about to lose his authori-
ty-hemmed twice, shook his head at such of
the rogues as were laughing immoderately at
their masters perplexity, and reaching his hand
to his ferille, said,
"Give me your hand, Miss" His heart mis-
gave him as he spoke. The fair, white hand
was instantly prohered and as gently too, as
that of modern belle at cotlion party. Jer-
emiah took tit was pretty hand; and then her
face--there was something in its expression
which seldom failed to disarm the pedagogue's
anger. He looked first at her hand, then at her
face, so expressive Of rougish confidence; then
at his ferule, rude, heavy instrument of torture,
altogether unfit to hold companionship with the
soft, fair hand, held in durance before him. New
er in all the annals of his brchen authority
had jeremiah Paul experienced such perplexity
He lifted his right hand two or three several
times and as often withdrew it.
'You will not strike me?" said the girl.
There was an artless confidence in these words,
and the tone in which they were uttered that
wentto the heart the pedagogue. Like Mark
Anthony before the beautiful Cleopatra, or the
fierce leader of the Volscii before his own Vir-
ginia, the dominic reented.
'If pardon you for this offence, willyou con-
duct yourself more prudently in FUTURE
"Ihope shall, said the prudent young lady,
and the master eyinced his solictude for the well
fare of his pupil, by pressing the hand he had
imprisoned; and the fair owner expressed her
gratitude for such condescension by returning the
pressure.
They were married just six months after
wards. So much for lenity in school disci-
pine.