St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-07-02
NORA.

and hands to fulfill She had work
to do. Nimble-footed was my Nora
as fawn, and as 1.-the and graceful.
The blue heavens that bent over her
shone out of her eyes, and the noun
tain breezes kept the roses ever fresh
and glowing on her cheeks. Nora
was a child of nature, and notwith-
standing seventeen summers had
strewn their flowers in her path, she
was still lingering on the threshold of
childhood when thus | knew her. Be-
hold her on fair June morning, light
ly tripping over the stones, up the
hills, through woods, equipped for her
labor of lovc-a coarse straw bonnet,
brown shawl a large willow basket
on her arm, leather shoes, and troop
of barefooted girls and boys ON either
side, struggling for the honor Of TAX
ing the hand of their teacher! Some
of the children are carrying lilies and
hollyhocks some have lunches of
blue and yellow violets, that they have
waded deep in meadow grass to get,
dripping their pearls at every step;
some are chasing butterflies, and sing
ing songs with the birds-all areas
full of life and gladness as the morn
ing. The small brown wood school
house, almost buried out of sight by
the pines and hemlocks, is the recep-
tacle Of these brown bare feet, and
these merry hearts and faces. The
door and windows are open to the
morning fragrace, and to the heaven
ly visitors-lovc and peace. The flow
ers are placed in vessels of water,
and grace the desk of the teacher.
Her big basket and all the little bas-
kets and tin pals are set under the
seats and sweet silence pervades
the school room, broken only by the
buzzing fly, the wild mocking bird,
and humming insects. Nora and the
children join in the universal harmony
by singing "Our Father, we hallow
thy name;" such as can read open
the sacred book and trace the words
of the apostle, Little children, love
one another" Nora, with pencil in
hand, then gathers the brood of little
ones around her chair, and with quiet
enthusiasm prints on their little brains
the "crookcd X" and wonderful W."
and the dear letter that begins the
word MOTHER How trustingly they
lay their chubby hands on her lap,
and look into her eyes, and shrug their
shoulders when the "hard letter" is
pinned ON their aprons, and she says,
+" Now, babies, run out and play on the
grass Kindly Nora stoops over the
two unfortunate children of deaf and
dumb parents, and tries to open the
leaves of their dark understandings.
AS the suns rays peer into closed buds,
the stony faces at length wear looks
and signs Of the upspringing truths
the planted seed is bursting, and Nora
says in her heart, erich is my COM
pensation for my toll ~ Gently she
approaches that large, clumsy, dingy,
rough looking boy, as old as herself,
who has been picked up in the street
and brought in to be taught by the lit
tie missionary. She guides his stub
born fingers in the "copy,' points out
the words for him to read, tells him
the wickcdness of swearing as he was
wont and Jacob" can you believe
it p is transformed from disgusting
vagabond into civil, orderly, happy
youth. If the children grow weary
in the long sultry days over their
books, Nora sends them all to the cool
spring at the foot Of the mountain to
battle their faces, and to bring their
dinner pals full Of water and shower
the floor, and to bring from the woods
running vines to curtain the windows.
Many of their lessons she adapts to
song, so they gather knowledge in
obeying the true harmonies Of nature,
and not in forced toll At four o'clock
the brown door was shut, sun-bonnets
and hats put on, baskets and pals
sw wung on the arms, and Nora, circled
by the loving ones, waits at the spring
an hour for the sun to withdraw his
flaming face before attempting their
two miles walk home. She takes from
her basket volume Of sacred poems,
and they repeat after her, Light pour
eth on the world" and the woods and
the mountains murmur back. Light
poureth on the world" and then again
they repeat, Jesus, who once wept
with Mary" and the echo comes back
faint and sweet from the woods and
the mountains, "wept with Nary"
and their hearts soften at the poets
picture of the blessed Jesus in Gethse.
name, until their trembling voices are
lost in the fullnesss Of feeling, and No
ra and the children weep together
Isaac and Ben have drawn their rag
|. ged briws, over their eyes, feeling toe
manly hears. and pull up the OK
leye d from the edge OF thu