The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-14
For the National Era.
STORIES FOR CHILDREN AND POETS
CHAP. III.
BY ELIZA l.. SPROAT.


CHAP. III
The earth grows hush the flushed heavens
sober the clouds that reeled in wanton Grim
son, stalk the skies in repentant gray; the
children experience their weekly surprise, at
discovering that even whole Saturday after
noon must sometime come TO an end The
boat is coaxed to land, and the party, now ra-
ther quiet, patter along through che darkening
woods, out into the stubble field, across that
to the barn-yard gate, where all three have to
stop and put their shoulders under the top bar,
and lift little for the latch is somewhat stiff,
and won't raise easily; then through the barn
yard, where Jolly rolls barking out Of the barn.
door, and after some feats Of elephantine pup
pyism, stalks off with VIII on his back then
through the back garden gate to the kitchen
piazza, through the kitchen, to peep in at the
glass Widowed door of the sitting room, and
there sits mother, on her short rockingham
she sees them, and puts her finger on her lip,
for lofty is lying across her lap, with his shoe
in his mouth, and though his eyes are shut, the
slightest attempt to abstract the shoe elicits
instant demonstrations of consciousness. So
the three stand in sudden arrest at the spell of
her raised forefnger; and after fattening their
counter-charm of the supper-beIl causes them
suddenly to disappear.
Day is over work is oyer supper is over
Totty has been swindled out of his shoe, and
is gone to sleep in earnest lights are not vet
brought, for Mr.. and Mrs. B. have their chairs
out on the piazza, and Emma, Willy, and Eu-
nice, are on the door-sill, besieging their elder
brother Alfred with their newborn enthusiasm
Co. c.al ,a hnxv or hoS
when boys are always either conceited or
sheepish he inclines to the latter, which he
eyinces on this occasion, by declaring that he
"don't know anything; couldn't tell it if he
did; wouldn't be any use, if he was to-" Sc.
"Ho," quoth Willy, otis as easy as gram
mar, with the book open just make up any
kind of an original beginning, once upon q
time or something of that sort. Now for it,
Captain. Ladies, gentlemen, and fellow-cres-
lures Mr.. Alfred B. is ready to tell story"
SCHOOL DAYS.
When was a young boy, | used to 90 to
school to Mr.. Shakespeare Smith, at that old
eightsided schcol-house by the creek Mr.. s.
was smart man and just master but the
fellows that went there had been snubbed, and
cufed, and brow-beaten, and neglected, 30
long, that when at last they did get gentle
man for teacher, they hadn't the slightest no
ton Of how to treat him. OF course, the first
thing they undertook to do was to play tricks
on him; and Sob, now, can't tell q
story you know never did it in my life.n
"Strike out, Captain said the patronizing
Will 81 think playing tricks is very good
beginning considering When | went to the
Creek school, last summer, didn't the fellows
play tricks on that long Yankee master He
used to make business, when he came in the
morning, of calling out two or three of us little
fellows, and Gaming us just to get the big ones
| to order; but rather think we crcumvented
him once or twice never went to that school
| without lump of rosin in my pocket; for if
you rosin your hands we'll before he canes you,
he may whack away as hard as he likes, and
won't hurt anybody much, but himself and
wish every boy in the whole world knew it."
| "But why did he cane you?D asked Emma
ooh just because we quizzed him little
not much. Sometimes this fellows pat shoe
makers wax on his chair, and when he sal
down it was little announcement getting M
| again and sometimes we CREASED the black
board, and in the fall we stopped off the smoke
in the chimney, and put gunpowder in tn,
stove, and rubbed bitter aloes on the head O
his cane, (he used to suck the head when h,
| got bothered,l and fastened hop toads in hi
hat and wrote things on the school door--sucl
as Down with the tyrant and SO on; ant
once we put a bumblebee in his desk-ah
| don't remember that afternoon II flew ou
and stung him little and he called four of III
| boys right out from our seats where we were
sitting as quiet as kittens, and not doing a
thing but getting up our sums for the class
| The first fellow he whipped was me; but be
only caned me on my hands, and they were
rosined. The next was BOBBY Bill-you know
BOBBY? He's been going to school these thr-
teen years, and he understands all about schools
except the lessons Well, he took hold Of
BOBBY by the collar behind, and whacked, and
whacked and the perspiration rolled down his
face, and BOBBY squirmed and whined, and
made believe to be in awful pain but with all
his wriggling he kept his body always one
way, with his back to the master and when
| at last he went to his seat he walked 80 queer
that the master called him back.
"'Take off your coat says Master Gamble.
al don't want to- whines Bill.
"Of with your coat, sir roars the master
and BOBBY rolls up his eyes like very unhsp-
py cali, and off it comes.
| "First, there was jacket; then half Of an
old table cloth wound about his shoulders
then whole sheet of wadding cotton then,
bound round his waist by an old suspender,
two thin shingles reaching up nearly to his
shirt-collar, and as far down as they would 60.
| Then it was Booby's turn 10 feel the perspira-
ton rolling down his cheeks; and If ever
master wanted to revenge himself on poor
boy for having little fun, Yankee Gamble
had his revenge that day"
"Well, but tcas it you that put the bee in
his desk y said Emma.
| "Why, yes we two did it bumbebee' 9
sting don't hurt much I've been stung many
a time, fighting them, but never made such
an awful fuss about it,"
"But what fun could it be to plague the
poor teacher 90 still queried Emma.
"Oh the fellows didn't like him.
"Whyw
"Oh!' / don't know; he was 80 long and put
together 30 loose, and his joints cracked 30
| when he walked about"
"Mr. VIII, you are a naughty boy" said
Emma Indignantly; chow could he help his
joints cracking %
"Oh, well-but he was 80 freckledo
"WiilyD said Mrs B. to her son and as the
little bow stepped close to his mother, and look
ed up into the grave, sweet depth of her eyes,
it struck him ali at once that the story he had
been telling was not exactly thing to be
proud Of
"Now, mother, declare never thought OF
its being any hsrm-all the big fellows did it,
and, indeed, never thought of its being mean
Alfred, perhaps you had better finish your
story, nown
eyes do, Alfred" said Mrs. b.
"Oh now, can't" said Alfred, gawkily, at
the same time continuing
"We had some downright bad boys at that
time, and the only thing that had kept them
down with the old master was the weight Of
his cane; when that was lifted, they sprang up
higher than ever
"One afternoon they determined 10 get up
regular rebellion revolution they called IL j
and what made it 10 hard for me TO keep out
Of il was this That morning before school