Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-12-27

seoe|ec's III our SCHOOLS: though ther,
were plenty of masters. There was M
appealing to the hearts ard conscience.
OF children no affectionate going forth o
the teachers soul to the soul of the pupil
the ferule were the only mediums through
which they communicated with our feel
ings and let me tell you they far sur
passed IN force the spiritual rappings'
of the present day
lie had became accustomed to the old
school method of governing, never having
been blest with other than despotic ru
lers and when the prudential committee
hired the young lawyer, now Judge H
to teach our winter school, we thought
we could read the whole course of exer.
cises for the term, from beginning to end
which judging from the past, ran thus
reading and .feruling, writing and ditgo
spelling with the same, and every item
stereotyped.
The first committee that year was one
of those pests to community, most
abominable tattler, and we expected H
would have his mind illuminated with a
high colored picture of every one of US
before he entered upon his official duties
yet how truly we conjectured We never
knew. We all took our seats in our ac-
customed places, and waited with min
gied dread and curiosity, his appearance
in our midst Precisely at nine o'clock
in the morning be entered the school
room, we hushed every whisper, and peer
ed slyly at him with one eye, and at Joe
with the other, for he had been laying
plans all the morning to send the new
teacher back to his law books before the
term was halt closed Without speaking
a word. H stepped upon the rude
platform fronting the desk, place his book
and hat upon the cross-legged table and
then slowly turned his clear hazel eyes
upon the waiting bevy of faces that looked
up from every corner of that log enclos-
ure. 1t was moment extremely awful
to us all :; and how breathlessly we wait
ed for him to speak. Even if were half
of us threatened with a fogging. it seemed
preferable to that unbroken silence, ac
as wasit by the deep searching
glance Of his eye. At last he spoke his
voice was clear and musical, and the
words fell from his lips, full. rich, and
earnest, stealing down into the fartherest
depths of our souls
With a short address on the Importance
Of improving every inch of our time. he
commenced the business of the day
The first day passed away, and not one,
not even Joe, got tlogging; how he man
aged to escape detection we could not
tell. for we often saw the teachers eve
turned towards him, when it made me
trcmble to think but he did not seem to
notice that there was such boy as Joe
Merrill in the house. Thus things went
IN for three days. the teacher never
seming conscious of Joe's presence, only
hearing his lessons with the rest, and
passing over the mistake made on pur-
pose. and the numerous slips and slides
lis feet met with going to and from the
'ccitation seat as tho they were purely
We did not know then that he
vas reading that wayward boys soul to
ts very centre we did not know how
Iis oU noble soul was stirred within
lim every time he thought of that noble
BOY nor Of the prayers he had offered
sven then in his behalf We did not
know as school masters ever cared for
my one but themselves, and we wondered
1t him. he was so different from any of
he craft we had ever known before. On
he morning Of the fourth day. as the
eacher stood on the platform, as usual
While the first class was reading Joe took
large Jack knife from his pocket and
began to whittle the bench before him
Mr.. H. as soon as he saw what he
vas doing. laid down his book-excused /
he class, and fixing his eyes steadily up
IN the offender, in firm yet pleasant
one called him to his side.
Joseph Merrill, !" said he, come here,
[ want to talk with you"
Without moments hesitation he start !
ID and placed himself before the teacher,
took him by the hand, and drew him
,lose to his side H was powerfully |
QUILT man; and just then, he appeared to !
Is to be clothed with awful majesty we
sat in our seats, trembling with terror,
expecting q scene would follow and
scene did follow, which we were totally
unused to, and unprepared for. Joseph !
rembled too, for the first time, before
school master. With a solemn earnest
less [ shall never forget H address
I'd the trembling youth.
Joseph said he, :. / have got duty
% do to you; | have, thus far, seemingly
neglected you. but you have not been alb
sent from my thoughts The short
eventful past of your life is past forever
the present is here just now but before
ycu lies the broad untraveled future; you
are beginning to step upon it now, step
carefully, Joseph, step carefully. Yours
IS no ordinary genius; you posses rare
powers of mind which if rightly directed.
will lead You to an exalted station among
the houored men of our country. You
owe much. very much, to your Creator.
for the glorious gift He has endowed you
with VIII you so through the measure
Of your years without making an effort to
cancel this debt in some measure. by so
these talents that you may be
able to do something for the glory of
your Maker No, Joseph. yon cannot,
YOU must not. There is goal to be won,
far away. in the mist clouded future it
lies, and there at the portal stands Hope.
you on-start for that goal to-
day Joseph. bend all your energies in