The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-04-09
EXTERNAL HOSTILITY
LOUIS o. CowAN, Editor & Proprietor.

did not oyerlay II with the littIe nypocrisies
of yood-boy policy. He was absolutely
I fearless, and, withsl, given to indignation
ouite 10 TO his own measurement of wrongs
and insults, aud be had pair Of little fists
that worked with the steam-power Of passion
in the administration Of distributive justice,
which he charged himself with executing
ct all hazards. In night Of primogenlture
he was protector to his younger brothers,
and Was not yet nine years old when he as
sumed the Office with all its duties and dan
gers.
At school, about this time, with brother
two years younger under his care, the mas
ter ordered his protege up for punishment.
Elisha sprang from his seat, and interposed
with manner which had rather more OF
demand than petition in it, Don't whip him,
he's such 4 little fellowship me- The
master, understanding this to be mutiny,
which really was intended for fair compro-
mise, answered, I'll whip you too, sir
Strung for indurnce, the sense Of injustice
changed his mood to defiance and such fight
rs he was able to make quickly converted
the discipline into frucas, and Elisha LEFT
the school with marks that required expla-
nation.
When he was ten years old, four or FIVE
neighbor boys, all bigger than himself, who
had climbed upon the roof of back build
Ing in his fathers yard, were amusing them
selves by shooting putiy-wads from blow
guns at the girls below. Elisha, attracted
To the spot by the outcry Of the injured par
~, promptly undertook the defence, and in
the fim tone OF young gentleman offend.
ed, required them to deslst and leave the
premises; but he, Of course, was instantly
answered by q broadside levelled ut himself.
Fired at the outrage, he clutched the rain
spout, and climbed like young tiger TO the
root, and was among them before they could
realize the prsctieability of the feat and
then he had them, on terms even enough for
a handsome settlement Of the case. The
roof was steep and dangerous to his eowed
anita gonists, but safe 10 his better balance
and higher courage, and they were at his
mercy; for no one could help another, and
he vas more than 4 match for the best Of
them, In position where peril Of terrible
tumble vas among the risks Of resistance.
Forthwith he went ut them seriafin, Till sew
orally and singly, be bad cuted them to the
foil measure Of their respective deserings.
But not satisfied With infic,ing punishment.
he exacted penitence also, and he proceeded
TO drag each Of them in turn TO the edge of
the roof, and, holding him there, demanded
an explicit apology. Before he had finished
putting the whole pnty through this last
form Of purgation, little Tom, who had wit
messed the performance.fr from the pavement
below, greatly terrified by the imminent risk
of fall, which would have broken q neck
or two msyhsp, called out, Come down,
Elisha oh, 'Lisha, come DOWN. Elisha
answered the appeal in the spirit Of the en-
gagenent, NO, Tom, they amt done apollo
gizing yet
lie took no sauce from anybody. He
couldn't understand why he should, and it
was hard and risky to make him know that
he must; for he was equally fertile in expe.
dients and bold in execution. On the wharf,
one day, when he was not yet twelve years
old, an insolent ruffian, big enough and wick
ed enough TO break every bone in the lads
body, aroused his wrath by an intolerable
piece Of rudeness. Resistance and redress
seemed impossible, but submission was CON-
pletely so. He saw his opportunity,-a rope
fix ed to the end Of crane hung within his
reach, and the rutiisn stood fairly in the
track Of its swing. He seized it, and run
ming backward till it was tightly stretched,
he made bound which gave him the mo-
mentum Of q sling, and planted his knees
like shot in the fellows face, leveling him
handsomely, and with spring he put him
self under the protection Of bystander,
who had witnessed and admired the perform
ance.
So Elisha earned the character Of bad
boy, while he was, in fact, exercising and
cul,iyating the spirit OF brave one. Good
good people, very naturally, did not under
stand him ,hen,-,hey DO now. Elisha new
er reformed (; he Just persisted until he per-
formed what was in him to do. The rills,
so tor,urous and turbulent near the springs,
rolled themselves into river in time, and
regulated their rush without loosing 1t.
Ii is said that 'educstion forms the COM
mon mind;' IL Is more certain that 'as the
twir is bent the trees Inclined This boy,
a, least, was the father Of the man. II was
utterly impossible to fashion his young life
by veneering il with the proPrieties which
are supposed to shape II into goodness. lie
nav moi have known what he should be in
the future, bu, he knew what he must be in
the present; and he, happily, did not Timber
himself BY forced compllances. Difficult,
daring and desperate enterprise, not only
useless. but recklessly wild, under the COM
mon standard Of judgment, worked IN him
like one possessed. AT ten years OF age he
studied the weather, watched the moon, and
carefully scanned the opportunities Afforded
by the nights for scaling fences, ciambering
over ou,-houses, and getting into the tree
tops, all round the square that was overlook.
ed by his dormitory. Wherever a cat would
20, he would; and escapes from the sky.
light, BY way Of the kitchen roof and thro
the trap-door To the yard, and thence abroad
10 enjoy an unmatched and unmolested ram-
bling, elambering and tumbling, afforded
him a seriously high-tnned delight. lie
took nobody into his confidence exeePt MS
bed fellow but this was voluntary snd gen.
erous, for he was bent upon training him ior
similar achievements. One instance VIII
illustrate:
The back building was two stories nign,
the front three, and the houses which nanked
the kitchen were, also, three stories. 10 re-
Iieve the drsft OF the kitchen chimney, 'rom
the eddy Of the buildings which emoayeo
IL, II was carried up like shait sixteen iee'
above the roof. There it stood at the ga,
Bile, in provokingly tempting altitude, anu
the point that concerned our little hero was
how to get to the top Of IL?
How should he get to the top! Bless me,
exclaims some considerate parsonage OF COT,
rect habits and cautious Judgments why
should he? Elisha would have answered
him, 4 must, and wonder Why ! should
no,s' Very certainly there would have
been two opinions on the matter, If any