Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-02-08
MY FIRST SPEECH.
BY RALPH ROANOKE.

MY FIRST SPEECH.
BY RALPH ROANOKE.
Doubtless every man remembers som
o,,e among the number of his preceptors
whose eccentricities made lasting i'm
preston upon his youthful memory. Sucl
n7e;1 have a separate and isolated indivi
dual;tv distinguishing them from all 9th
ers. We delight in lingering over their
memories, whether they logged US 70,
our deficiencies, or pet:.ed US for our faith
fulness. There is an instructive respect
and veneratioL c1yendered in our bosoms
| for our teachers, akin to that We feel for
our parents. Ay, how many of us are
there, who, in looking back upon our
school days, can remember how often
we have sworn upon the altar OF our high
dudgeon, that if we ever grew to be
men, We would revenge our injured in
noccnce; and yet how few of us would not
become bencfactors ii in our power? Let
US thank Heaven for the sentiment Of
gratitude, and proceed.
In my tenth year ! commenced going
I to school to very eccentric English gen -
tgeman t. the name Of Turner. He was
we'll educated, and had that case md
elegance Of manner which arc acquired
by Intercourse with tie world. The pub
lie mind WAS greatly ag!tated, "nd many
questions were asEed in regard to the oc-
cupaticn in which he had Dce2 bred, but
40 reliable information was ever obtain
ed. His familiarity with Shakespeare, III
duced many . believe him to he an ac-
tor. The truth of This conjecture re-
! c,a;Dcd buried in his own bosom. 70 me
he had the sir of one who had retired
from some g,2&t metropolis III disgust,
/ choosing his temporary home among ct-
saurc county villages, where he could
vegetate and tale his ease. When his
means gav2 out, and something had 10
be dors to obtain livelihood, he chose
to have gang Of boys about him, and
thus secured both amusement and sup
port. He was extremely fond Of children
and had many pets amongst the boys,
and kept the school in an uproar on ma
nv occasions by the rnahner in which he
employed them. One little incident will
give an idea cC his humor: Our school
! house was situated at the outskirts OF the
village, surrounded by large grove ot
trees. 1t was a wooden frame, fastened
together with pins, weather-boarded on
the outside, and lathed on the inside
The space between the outside boards
and the inside laths was chinked with
mud. In this mud all the numerous
kind of reptiles slowed themselves snugly
away for the winter, and they remained
luxuriatingsin torpidity until the genla
sun of spring thawed them out. Wide
boards were fastened against the stanch-
cons supporting the framework, slantlng
at convenient angle, and served fol
writing benches. BY the same law oi
cause and effect, the genial sun which
thawed out snake would also make q
lazy boy drowsy; and when he wheeled
round his face toward the wall, and lean
ed his elbows upon the writing desk, his
head came in contact with The mud.
On one occasion, AS one Of Turner'S
pet boys had fallen asleep, large snakc
was discovered protruding his head from
the wall, acd was leisurely surveying his
{ unconscious companion. The natural in
s'inct of the snake made him fork out hi:
tongue with fearful rapidity at the sigh
of an enemy. AT this juncture th'
snake was discovered, and Immediately
reported to Turner. Turner rose VI
, from his seat, and walking over softly OF
his tiptoes, amused himself by pokins
straws in the boys ear as he enjoyed hi
siesta. The boy snOrted and rubbed hi
nose, as he half unconsciously moved hi
head from right to left, until the frequeu
repetition of the tickling caused him t.
: raise up lazily, rub his eyes. and fnall!
to open them. The panic with which h
was seized. upon finding huge snak,
, glaring his fiery eyes upon him can vel
, be imagined, and he gave yell that dis
t turbed the peaceful citizens at mile
! distance. To add to his terror, Turne
! pounced upon him from behind as if il
, great alarm, crying out at the top OF hi
2 voice:
; For Gods sake, Bill, don't eat him
he's not good raw!' whilst Bill. almos
: choked between fright and anger, tnrne,
$ round and replied:
"Who the ID do you thinks go
f ing to eat him ?''
{ It was at this school that one of tn
f most amusing incidents of my boyhoo
f occurred. The first examination j
f which Ihad to take prominent part wa
f about to come of, and old Turner's va
!. Unity was aroused to make a sensation.- :