Eastern times., 1853-10-06
Mtseellanp.
Lights land Shadows.


country villages i an uphill business.
never knew but one man succeed in making
money at it, and helwas my friend, the Yam
kee. The uncertainty of such an occupation
IN affording the meahs OF subsistence, renders
1t undesirable. As 1 consequence many vii
lages are left without schools for months to-
gether. On this adcount, parents are often
compelled to send thGr children from home to
learn even the first rtsdiments Of an education
In my eleventh yetr, the growing village
of Belleville was left Sminus teacher, and it
was no part of my gold fathers system of ed
ucation to allow his children to waste their
youth in ideness. III was therefore sent to
board in the country ut my grandfather's, to
have the benefit of areat eastern light who
had recently made Ills appearance in that
neighborhood
With restlessness somewhat akin to the
pioneer who pulls up bis tent and dives still
deeper into the solitude of the forest at the
echo of new axe, tho lowing Of neighbor's
cattle, or the bark of 4 strange dog, Elihu H.
Howe found his New England home too full
Of competition. He bad read somewhere, that
westward the coursepf empire takes its way
and his adventurous nature sympathized with
the prophecy.
After 'trainin' round good spell,' with
that ready tact and Auick perception which
distinguish the whRle Yankee nation, he
stuck his stakes at IT, romantic settlement of
Turkey Hill This te did in defiance of the
past experience Of tther teachers, who had
never succeeded beyond one quarter. But
Elihu was far-seeidg man, and it required
but one glance of his eye to discover where
had been the previout difficulty.
The residents of that township were pc
culiar people. Mani OF them were men of
property and education. Not unlike our Pill
grim Fathers, they had left their more COM
Portable homes in tho middle States, from con-
sclentiOus scruples.k They had manumitted
their slaves, and sought the far west in COM
parative poverty, to knjoy humber but more
cheerful homes, out bf sight of the degrading
influences of slavery The above hint will
show the tact of o4 friend Elihu, who lost
no time In joining ahe church, in profering
his services to opega Sunday-school, and in
doing all and sever@ly those things best cal
culated to please hw-abiding, and religious
people. Elihu was small man, with very
black hair, large gay eyes, and tremendous
heavy eyebrows. But begin to feel alarmed
lest in his love of adventure, (not to saw any,
thing of gain) he may have become spiritual
rapper, and give md whack for my temerity;
or perchance that bis angry ghost may ap-
pear, clothed in the same queer-looking stock
met pantaloons as fght as the skin, which he
always wore, and Ehich were such an innova-
tion upon the fashions of that region. / shall
never forget the fdnre he cut, and the many
times / was tempted to ask him how long it
took him to get mi or whether he had ever
been om of them since he. left Yankee-land.
The school-house was located in the centre
of township, and the neighborhood in the
circle of three rtiles furnished sufficient
number of scholars to make quite respecta-
BILE school. Like5most country school-houses
in the West, thiA was called the meeting
house on Sundays; and / often amused my
self by contrasting the scenes enacted therein
by the solemn 4hers and their progressive
sons. Nothing could have been more delight
ful than this rural akschool We got our break
fasts early in the morning. and taking our
dinners in bask4s, marched off leisurely,
reaching the schSol-house by eight o'clock.
Between studying and reciting our lessons,
the time few so hpidly that twelve o'clock
was upon US befdfe we were aware of IT,
This was the Il Announcement of play-time,
and then each fellow took out his basket, and
seated himself dp green grass-plot, in the
centre Of which vas fine sPrme We ate
our frugal meals 5and discussed the plans for
spending the play &hOursA May and various
were the games from winch to>ohoose, and
the exercise was both healthy and refreshing
Playtime lasted fF two~hesgs, schsOl, again
for three hours, add bEfve o'clBck we were
wendiRg cur way hOmesaGsiK ~
Elihu was gfkst economist, and in max
ing his arrangements, pforidsd- himself home
free of expense, the following manner ?he
went the rounds Vith his scholars, going each
night with different one, until he had made the
circuit; then ne began again, and so he kept
up his social c3ils, and secured agreeable
quarters. In tbs manner he became fa-
mlllar with both children and parents, and in
creased not only tis usefulness, but his repu-
tlon' Lake Goldtmith's Village Master,
his words OF lesrned length and laundering
sound e
Amazed the gapiAg rustics ranged around.
And still they gazkd, and still the wonder grew
How one small h Sad could carry all he knew.
In arguing, too, the parson owned his skill
For, cen though kvanquished he could argue
STILL
All those wefe glorious days! But, some
how or other, I wa more mischlevous at that
school than at any other. / scarcely know
whether it was b@ cause L was at .mischiev-
Gus age, or for the reason that was so very
happy. My obsItvation inclines me to the
belief that all cheerful bows are more fond of
what in school-boF parlance ia called innocent
amusement, than gloomy, dispirited ones. 1t
was my opinion, hen boy, that school-days
should be protects by law from all disagree