The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-04

rs she bit the corner OF her cambria handker-
chief 81 win DO more Of . woman, there
But the childish feeling will come over me in
some moments. You don't know anything
about the trials of public schcol, aunt Real
ly, you cannot understand this continual drop
ping of vexations, that would wear out the
patience Of q stone school-mistress, believed"
"And what IL you were mistaken, Mary"
said Aunt Hannah, laying her hand on her
shoulder
"Whyl Did you ever teach, Aunt Hannah
] am sure there was no need Of 1t you were
rich, andn--
She glanced around her, without finishing
her sentence. E
Sand you think teaching penance, which
none but the penniless would 70 through, said
the lady, laughing.
She grew grave as she added
"ShaIl give you leaf Of my LIES expert
ence, Marya You may distil some balsam
from it,"
ooh YES, aunt answered Mary, with deep
interest, bending over until her curls rested on
the old lady's Brown sisiszFAcss But first
tell me how you came to teach II it was from
the love of teaching, you can fever sympathize
with me ~
Aunt Hannah stroked Mary's soft hair, and
looked steadily, almost sadly, into her hazel
eyes, for a few minutes, without speaking.
al see dream within these eyes, Mary"
she said, at last in low, deep tcne--"a dream
that lies in your hearts core! No, do not drop
the lashes let me read, and reccllect hus the
dream that budded and grew in my heart,
once-transplsnted to Heaven long ago."
81 did not mean to pain YOU, aunt" whis-
pered Mary, pressing her lips to the withered
hand that rested on her aunts lap. Forgive
my inquisitiveness
at does not pain me, Mary she answered,
cheerfully for why should the thought OF
that which is immortal, paina But Twill not
| sadden you with what your young loving and
| loved heart would call q sad story tonight.
will only say, that at the age Of nineteen
found myself, by one stroke cut aloof from liie's
| joys and hopes, and driven to life's duties for
the support Of an existence that was long like
| a withered rose leafn
She drew herself up, took out her knitting,
and commenced her story with animation.
al became, in short Mary, district school
ma am in a small country village, actually
| from choice. But il was in none Of Your ro-
mantle little county school housesthat found
myself ensconeed - no white, grecn-bhnded,
| elm-shaded nook of science--nOr even a neat,
red schoolhouse in the corner of yellow
corn field No; bare blank, and weather
blackened establishment, unshaded by shrub,
tree, or blind, in the exact triangle formed by
three dusty roads, was my seat of empire.
at was summer school-ladias at that day
taught only in the melting season My schol-
airs were generally the lesser fry whose elder
brothers and sisters were detained at home,
meanwhile to cultivate domestic science in tho
cheese-room and bayfield, Small as they were,
however, they were large enough to embody
the imps Of mischief that always Turk about
the walls of a school-house But pass by
them and their pranks, long since remembered
only to be smiled at. The two largest of my
pupils shall be the heroes of my story. They
were the only szable scions in my nursery of
shooting IDEAS and, as such, naturally as
sumed Importance.
| Zone was the ministers soma high-browed
and high-souled boy Of iiteen--pale and pre-
cocious, enthusiastic in his love Of the beautiful
and his love Of his books. He was boy
| among thousand fhe shows Of the Jung
frau whose legend you were last night read
| ing, cannot be purer Of contasniuation from the
world beneath, than was his yqpng soul Of that
worlds debasing influences. Bat he was no
cold-hearted paragon Of perfection, carved in
ice--my gentle, loving Eddie! His blue eye
can see it now, looking up to me from hi
brown pine desk, over which he was bending
closely-alasi too closely and il always pour
Id brighter CLEAN from its inner fountain OF
light as il met mine. His fauts--if they could
be called faults--were all Involuntary. "
felt constrained, by consistency, to reprove him
for the work Of some mGsing moment, my voice
unconsciously took a softer tone, and my eye
catching the reflection of his winning glance
contradicted the reprimand. Such was Eddie
Carroll--my prodigy my pride.
IA very different y0ungster was Master Wal
ter Raleigh R., year the senior of Eddie
but scarcely towering above the tall slender
boy Walter was tho only child Of the widow OF
a naval officer, who was passing the summer in
the country air for the restoration Of her health
and who wished to have her willful but dar.
ling boy enltivating the talents which no war
disposed 10 sQuander. He had been reared
among city influences, and indulged, as | then
thought, TO his ruin. | scarcely wondered at
this, for his face was one stamped by Nature
beautiful and noble and his turbulent will was
quite enough TO bear down the judgment of a
grieEbowed invalid like his mother. He had,
as the saying is, seen a little Of the world =
quite too much for his years-and fancied him
self equal to all exigencies superior to all au-
thority Yet, when his CLOAK Of obstinacy was
thrown of, he could be as generous and gallant
as his namesake of old
@Of course, sSir Walter was not going to
surrender, Internationally his citadel of pride
and peryerseness to country schoolmistress-
one, too, upon whom he could literally look
down., He was o most provoking thistle in my
carefully tended garden, springing up every
where TO annoy and battle me. Was carica-
ture chalked on the black board knew the
hand at glance. Was an unfortunate puppy
tsthered to my desk, or a sign Of Blacksmith
ing posted over the school-room door--each
bore witness TO my own mind Of the pcrpetra-
tor, although he managed most adroitly to
elude proof If laugh went around the school
room could never turn my eyes no quickly TO
the corner where il commenced, rs not 10 find
Master Walter bending with most impcrtnrba-
bic gravity over his slate or book, buried in
obtruse science And when scalled up for
these or other offences, he would swagger i'm
pertinently, though not ungracefully, to my
desk, and lock me in the face with an air that
said, o. plainly an words q am q lord Of Gre
ation-who are youp Reasoning and reproof
fell on him like hailstones on an Alpine glacier
they sid of, leaving the same unhumbled smile
upon his half lips With cool nod he
would toss back his dark curls, toss wink 10
the school, and stalk 10 his seat.
He became sort Of omnipresent nuisance
to my psace. was ashamed TO complain Of
him, and thus confess that had failed in man.
sgement but he haunted my dreams at night
and my thoughts by day used, at last, fair
~ 10 trelnble at his entrance, and almost fear
to lift my eyes to him
cat length he ventured upon trick Of more
consequence
"On the morning after the Fourth Of July,
when walked into the school-room, found
the children clustered about a heap Of frsg-
ments Of fireworks, on the hearth. They had
evidently been tossed down the low chimney,
and had flown hither and thithcr, 1t no little
risk blaeksniDg the walls aud desks in many
places