Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-02-16

LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.

We have sent the children to school. Under the
protecting wing Of Mrs. Sparrow grass, our two
eldest boys passed in safety through the narrow
channel of orthography, ard wero fairly launched
upon the great ocean of reading before II teacher
was thought of. But when boys get into definitions,
and words more than an inch long, it is time to put
them ont, and pay their bills once Il quarter. Our
little maid, five years old, must 20 with them, too.
The boys stipulated that she should 20, although
she had never gone beyond L in the alphabet be-
fore. When | came home from the city in the eve
ming, | found them with their new carpetsntchels
all ready for the morning. There was quito a
hurrah when | came in, and they swung theiy
boOk-knapsacks over each little shoulder W a
strap, and stepped out Sith great pride, when ]
said. well done, my old soldiers" Next morn
ing we saw the old soldiers marching up the gard
en-. path to the gate, and then the little procession
halted and the boys waved their caps, aud one
dear little toad kissed her mitten at us-ard then
away they went with such cheerful faces. Poor
old soldiers what a long, long siege you have be-
fore you
Thank Heaven for this great privilege, that our
little ones 90 to school in the country. Not in the
narrow streets Of the city not over the finty
p%avemcnts not amid the crush Of crowds, and the
din of wheels: but out in the sweet woodlands
and meadows out in the open air, and under the
blue sky-cheered on by the birds of spring and
summer, or braced by tho stormy winds of ruder
seasons. Learning a thousand lessons city chill.
1890 6NhNAi w W h1"A -'hN
treasuring up in their little souls ihc beautiful
stories written in Gods great picture-book.
We have great times now when the old soldiers
come home from school in the afternoon. The
whole household is put under martial law until the
old soldiers get their rations. Bless their white
heads, how hungry they are. Once in q while
they get pudding, by way of q treat. Then what
chuckling and rubbing Of little fists, and cheers, as
the three white heads touch each other over tho
pan. | think an artist could make a charming pic.
ture OF that group of urchins, especially if he
painted them in their schoOl-knapsacks.
Sometimes we get g%limpses of their minor
world--its half-fledged ambitions, its puny cares,
ITS hopes and its disappointments. The first after
noon they returned from school, open flew CIV cry
satchel, and out came a little book. a conduct.
book These was G.. for good boy, and II. for
reading, and S. for spelling, and 50 on and OPP.
posite every letter a good mark. From the early
records in the conduct books, the school mistress
must have had an elegant time of it for the tirst few
days, with the old soldiers. Then there came a
dark day and on that afternoon, from the force of
circumstances, the old soldiers did not seem to
care about showing up. Every little reluctant hand,
however, went into its satchel upon requisition and
out came the records. 1t was evident, from n tiny
legion of crosses in the books, that the mistress's
duties had been rather irksome that morning. So
the small column was ord cred to deploy in line Of
battle, and, after Il short address, dismissed, with
out pudding. In consequence the old soldiers now
get some good marks every day.
We begin to observe the first Indications Of a
love for society growing up with their new expert
ences. 1t is curious to see the tiny flaments Of
friendship putting forth, and winding their fragile
tendrils around their small acquaintance. Whata
little world it is-the little world that is allowed
to 90 into the menagerie at half price Has it
not its joys and its griefs ; its cares and its morti-
~hcations its aspirations and its despairs ? One
day the old soldiers came home in high feather.
.rtth IN nntn 10 ~r,tat, 80 .N.u 1h.a..
Millets compliments, and would be happy to see
the Masters and Miss Spariowgrass to tea, on Sat.
urday afternoon" What a hurrah there was,
when the note was read and how round eyes glist
ened with anticipation and how their cheeks
glowed with the run they had had. Not an inch OF
the way from school had they walked, with that
great note. There was much chuckling over their
dinner, too and we observed the glow never left:
their cheeks, even after they were 81 bed, and had
been asleep for hours. Then ali their hest clothes
had to be taken out Of the drawer and brushed
and the best collars laid out and Il small silk
apron, with prOtuse ribbons, Impoverished for our
little maid ; and q great TODD generally. Next
morning left them, as | had to 20 to the city
but the day was bright and beautiful. At noon,
the sky grew cloudy. At two O'Clock, it commenced
raining. AT three, it rained steadily. When ]
reached home in the evening, they were all in bed
again aud | learned they had been prevented
going to the party on account of the weather
They had been dreadfully disappointed" Mrs
Sparrowgrass said so we took a lamp and went ur
to have a look at them. There they lay-the hope
full roses of yesterday, all faded and one poor old
soldier was sobbing in his sleep.
We begin to think our eldest is nourishing q
a secret passion, under his bell-buttons. lie ha,
been seen brushing his hair more than once, lately:
and, not long since, the. two youngest came homt
crying, without him. Upon investigation, We
found our eldest had gone on with a schoolgirl
twice his size and, when he returned, he said he
had only gone home with her, because she prom,
ised to put some bay rum on his hair. lie has
even had the audacity to ask me to write a piece OF
poetry about her, and Of course | complied
TO MY BIG SWEETHEART.
My love has long brown curls,
And blue forget-me-not eyes;
She's the beauty of all the girls
But | wish / was twice my size
Then l could kiss her cheek,
Or venture her lips to taste;
But now only reach to tho ribbon
She ties around her waist.
Chocolate drop Of my heart!
dare not breathe thy name,
Like peppermint stick | stand apart
In a sweet, but secret fame
When you look down on me,
And the tassel atop of my cap,
feel as if something had got in my throat,
And was choking against the strap.
Ipassed your garden and there,
On the clothes lines, hung a few
Pantaletts, and one tall pair
Reminded me-, love, of you;
And thought, as / swung on the gate
In the cold, by myslf alone,
How sooa the sweetness Of hoarhound dies,
But the bitter keeps on and or
1t was quite touching to see how soIemnly the
old soldiers listened, when this was being read to
them ; and when ] came to the lines
II feel as If something had got in my throat,
And was choking against the strap
lnvanhe looked up with questioning eyes, as if HI
would have said, ''how did you kcow ti4t 20