Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-11-07

j Isuppose its dead ] was first; but
anyhow / thought was floating about in
a dark space, and every minute wanted
TO fly up, but something kept me down. 4
could not rise-and as grew used TO
the darkness, you see / saw great
many things floating about ike myself
mighty curious shapes, one of them,
with wings like bat, came close up to
me and after all, what was il but a
Homer; and thought may be it would
help me up; but when Imade a grab at
it, it turned into smoke. Then came a
great white-faced owl, with red bothered
eyes, and out of them glared Voster,
and out of the other a Cough and
globes and inkhorns changed, Mary, in
the sight of my two eyes, into vivacious
tadpoles, swimming here and there, and
making game of me as they passed. Oh,
| thought the time was thousand years,
and everything about me talked bad
Latin and Greek that would bother a
saint, and ] without power to answer or
to get away. Tn thinking it was the
schoolmaster's purgatory was in
"May be so" replied Mary, "parti-
cularly as they wouldn't let you correct
the bad Latin, dear"
But it changed, Mary, and / found
myself after thousand or two years, in
the midst of a mist-these was a mist
mess all around me-and in my head
but it was clear, soft, downy-like vapor,
and had my full liberty in it, so kept
on going up-up for ever so many years,
and by degrees it cleared away, drawing
itself into a bohreen at either side, lead
ing towards great hill of light, and
made straight for the hill; and having
got over it, l looked up, and of all the
brightness I ever saw, was the bright
ness above me the brightest; and the
more looked at it the brighter it grew ;
and yet there was no dazzle in my eyes
and something whispered me that was
heaven, and with that | fell down upon
my knees, and asked how was to get
up there for mind ye, Mary, there was
a gulf between me and the hill, or, to
speak more to your understanding, gap;
the hill of light above me was in no ways
joined to the hill on which / stood. So
| cried, how was I to get there. Well,
before you could say twice ten, there
stood before me seven poor scholars,
those seven, dear, that taught, and they
that have taken the vestments since.
knew them all, and I knew them well.
Many a hard days work l had gone
through with them, just for that holy
blessed pay, the love of God-there they
stood, and Abel at their head"
Oh, yah molla think of that now,
my poor Ably; didn't l know the good
, pure drop was in him y interrupted
Mary.
4" The only way for you to get to that
happy place, masther DEAR" they said
is for you to make ladder of US"
1t is a ladder of the -"
"Whish, will ye," interrupted the
master. "' We are the STAIR said they
that will lead you to that happy man
I sion. All your learning, of which yor
were so proud-ail your examinations
I all your disquisitions and knowledge
, your algebra and mathematics-youl
: Greek-ay, or even your Hebrew, !
, you had the same-all are not worth
q traneen. All the mighty fine doings, tn,
greatness of man, or of mans learning
' are not the value of a single blessin;
here but we, masther jewel, WE Arr
YOUR CHARITIES; seven of us poo
boys, through your means learned thei
e duty-seven Of us and upon US yor
d can walk up to the shining light, and b
s happy forever"
:. was not bit bothered at the idea G
y making step ladder of the seven hol
d craturs, who though they had been poo
IS schlars, were far before myself .wher
they were now; but as they bent, step
e ped first on Abel, then on Paddy Blake
Il then on Billy Murphy; but anyhow
IS when / got to the end of the seven,
d found there were five or six more want
n ing; tried to make a spring, and onl
y for Abel I'd have gone--I don't kno'
1t where. % the Lord be mereifull
e this the way afther all? . / said. Boy
e --darlings, can ye get me no more tha
1t half way afther all?"
II Sure there must be more Of US /
70 help you, makes answer Paddy Blak,
N " Sure ye lived many years in the worl
7, after We left you, says Abel, and, ~
F. less you hardened your heart, 1t isn't po
r, sible but ou must have had dale MOI