The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-25
ould reflect honor on themselves and the whole


far as to say that the site Of village is small
basin-shaped valley, scooped out from amid thu
hills, through the middle Of which small bu
beautiful stream goes lettering like trusnt child
This stream I'VE call 1t riyer) separates the vii
lage common from the ancient graveyard, wher,
sleep the first settlers and crossing the main road
almost encrcles what still continues to be called
the nen graveyard, though here and there q sunker
grave with its rudely sculptured slab Of red fire.,
stone, proves that many years have elapsed since
the first lone dweller was laid there. A few fee
to the west Of the old graveya ard, stood, at tn,
time Of which we speak the old meeting house
constructed after the most rigid Purtanic notions
of architecture, without steeple or bell, and with
multitude of small square windows, which CAV,
it more the appearance Of great warehouse thar
stretches westward several rods and here chs
district decided to erect their new house. Moth
ing like the little, low, brown house in which
they had tasted the benefit OF birch and Daboll
would content them now nothing short of two
story, two-chimneyed building, with a room OF
the ground floor for the common school, and tn,
one above for an academy, to the want Of which
they had become suddenly conscious.
1t was certainly grand affair, superior to any
thing in the adjacept villages aad who shs.
blame them IL they I'D feel certain pleasant it'll
lations in the region Of appropriateness, as they
gazed upon the belfry, surmounted by it's glitter
ing vane--tbat belfry from which, alas no bel
was ever destined to sound.
As il was impossible to complete the building
before the period arrived for the commencement
Of the winter school, it was decided to finish the
lower room, and leave the rest until the spring
vacation. This was done, and teacher engaged
whose chief recommendation seemed TO consist il
Al la L. LII
very impartial, and a rigid disciplinarian. Ia
temper he was hssty and dogmstc, and, like toe
many of his class, seemed to be utterly deficient
in that wisdom which seeks TO win the heart Of
childhood rather tHsd esm,ef the intellect. Fer.
ule ia hand he drove the children into the house
and out, he drove them through their lessons and
renitatioes sz3 shaSf kss. 33t---: ..arsxSk seve-
raj winters, until he received his wages--by far
the most important part of the contract with him,
for what could he have earned on the farm during
the short days of winter His impartiality was
manifested by Furnishing, on every possible occa-
sion, the children of those who were officially
connected with the school, thereby, as he thought,
showing his independence. IL was not long be-
fore his severity began to give rise to complaints
which were duly resented by the party in favor
of rigid discipline; and thus began the great storm
which swept over the village, like the sirocco,
causing many families that had hitherto sailed
the of life together to part company, and send
after each other bitter words and scowls of def
ance, instead Of good wishes and friendly cheer.
lthiel Chittepden, or, to give his military title
and name as commonly abbreviated by his neigh
bors, Leftenant Chinnin had been one of the most
active in engaging the teacher; but as long as the
punishment fell only on his eldest child, Molly,
beautiful, high-spirited girl of thirteen, what
ever no might have thought, he held his peace,
only replying TO her indignant complaints and
hearty wishes that the teacher might slip from
the old crossing-pole into the river, and get half
drowned, or slip down on the ice-anything to
oblige him to leave the school, with "Tut, tut,
Molly, dare say you are as noisy and mischie-
vOus as a flock of kingbirdsp
But when Mr.. Evarts laid his heavy hand upon
his pets, his little twin boys, Joseph and Benja-
min-when, week after week, they came home
and held up to him their little, fat hands swollen
and purple, from the hard strokes of the ferule
his spirit was moved within him He sought an
interview with the teacher, and demonstrated
earnestly with him the wisdom of his undue
severity. The teacher indignantly and semew ha,
insultingly resented what he termed his interfe.
pendence by Furnishing still more severely every
little fault Of his children.
Notwithstanding his warlike title, the Leften-
ant was peaceably disposed man it took good
deal to rouse and excite his combatveness but
this object once fairly attained, he manifested
something like the obstinate tenacity of the bull
dog. The circumstance of the interview be-
tween him and the teacher became known, and
their words duly reported and distorted to suit
the views of the contending parties He ex-
planned, corrected, and demonstrated, until, out
Of all patience, he vowed the Leftenant never
swore) by the great John Rogers, that the teacher
should quit the village or his children the school
The party in favor of rigid discipline held up
their hands in holy horror at this manifestation
Of weakness They shook their heads Ominously
when they spoke of little Joe and Benje, and
talked dolorously of the many instances in which
children born to their parents late in life, had
been ruined themselves and brought ruin on their
families all for the want of little wholesome
discipline One or two even went 80 far as to
question whether they were justified in permit
ting him TO retain his commission, as his conduct
might tend to produce a laxity Of discipline in
the militia, thereby endangering the character Of
that national bulwark.
The aggreved party on the other hand, looked
upon him as little less martyr than the worthy
lecturer on Divinity, whose name he had booked,
and they began to look upon the little twin-boys
with something like the same interest with which
they had been taught to view the nine small chill
dren of that worthy man, as represented in a
wood that invariably graced the pages Of the
New England Primer.
Those who are unacquainted with that phase
of social life manifested in country villages, can
have no conception Of the bitterness and length
to which petty quarrels can be carried Not that
the people are worse, bat their facilities are bet
ter There are few topics Of foreign interest
among them, few incidents occur to break the or
binary routine Of life, and they are consequently
much occupied with local affairs. Besides, there
is certain class, which is never lacking in any
society, the members Of which are far better
versed in the origin faults, foibles, weaknesses,
errors, and taux pas, of every individual, than
they are with their own and these, set on by one
or two adroit wire-pullers, would breed quarrel
In Paradise.
Moreover, the matter is still worse where the
families are all connected by marriage or blood,
as is the case with as and where they still retain
to q degree perhaps beyond any other place in
New England, the old English aristocracy of fam
ily. the first question with many Of our older
people being, TO this day, whenever stranger Il
spoken of: aWhat is his fAmily-whst is his
breed2n
This, perhaps, is owing to the circumstance
that eight out Of ten of the fire farms in oul
township are owned and cultivated by the linea
descendants Of their original owners, and the
traveller who chances to loiter away an hal
hour or 90, while waiting for his dinner at the
village inn, among the messy stones In the old
graveyard, may hear most Of the names 80 rudely
carved there century ago, shouted forth, agar
and again, by the noisy schoolbOyson the sdjacsn
common.
BE this as il may, our village was soon in grea
uproar The teacher, the original cause OF con
tention, soon served only as central figure II
| the dark picture, around which became drawn, II
no neutral tints, all the poor human frailties
which each Of the combstsnts had been guilty
and some, doubtless Of which they never haf
thought And such q shadow did this pictur'
cast, that even the atmosphere grew dark sn'
sitting until men could no longer see to discern In
fair features of Truth and Charity, and, wha
was still worse, even women and young children