The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-14
How Jasper crushed the BIackberries.


HoU Jasper crushed tie Blackberries.
~ shall not say any more lessons to-day, Mr..
Classic, not another word 80 you may just
put the Lexicon on the shelf Tvs four o'clock
and after, and such glorious weather." cried
Jasper, putting his little watch back into his
pocket, and lesping through the window upon
the bed of double dahlias, with boys usual
recklessness. Then, running his fingers through
his long, curly brown hair, he bounded off
among the shrubbery, whistled to bis pointer
who ran, barking and leapipg, after him-and,
in twinklipg, was over the garden fence and
in the road, laughing and playing with merry
white Jewel"
Mr.. Classic looked after him while, then
put up Jasper's books duty that Was never
performed unless the tutor did it-and seated
himself by the window, with paper-cutter and
the last Edinburgh in lis hands, murmuring-
GA wild lad to think he is sixteen years
old, and has no more scbriety of demeanor than
q kttenl"
Some of us, perhaps, would cavil at such
wonder, contending that youth is the proper
period for wild sportiveness that sobriety of
demeanor" is more unnatural in the lad than
frolicksome gambolling in the old man; and
that to see this lad, 30 entirely objective in his
enjoyment, so joyously sportive with Jewel Z"
and his own bright thoughtlessne ss, half car.
ried us back to the good old times when books
were left to priests, and " cultivate thy truth
and thy valor," was the only precept the youth
needed to learn. But such an idea never in.
6trated itself through the cobxebby Uranium
of Plato Classic, A. M. He wss one of that
class of men who seem born simply to give
printers an opportunity of employing Greek
type. His cradle day lullaby had been the mo-
notone of Greek chorus; his infant sports had
expended their chief efforts in limitations of the
Parthenon in "letter. blocks;" his boyhood
had played "hide-and-seek among the copju.
cations of the irregular verbs; bis youth had
devoted itself to analysis of metrical arrange.
nent; and, in his manhood, he had become q
vicar-or, at least, as near an approach to thar
Anglican mummy as the genius of American
institutions permitted. His mind was but q
reservoir of scholarly empiricisms; herein we're
comprised, bounded, walled in, all his sympa.
thies, thoughts, aims, IDEAS, aspirations and,
making scholarship in it's most restricted sense
his sole standard of Judgment and appreciation,
he would have cut the world down to sizes that
would match his shelves of " In Unum Del.
phini" or his Elzevirs. Being such, his opin-
ion concerning his pupil, Jasper, is not much
to be respected by our reader.
In truth, if Jasper thus belied his age in
being so gay and wild, in voting Latin 4" bore"
and declaring Greek and Mathematics only ft
for dead heads" like Plato Classic, A. M
men who didn't know a snipe from blackhird
nor trout from catfsh-in respect Of Up
pearance, at least, this age was amply vindi-
Gated. BE was tall and COMEDY; as clean built as
q race-horse, with a dark, quick flashing eye q
large nose, that was indicative enough of his
natural impetuosity Of temperament; mouth
of womanly delicacy and refinement in its lines,
yet betraying, Enthusiastically, in the 6rmness
of the lips, when occasionally compressed, q
will of iron obstinacy. His hand, despite fire..
quent rowing matches, and climbing, and use
of the Ak, was well shaped, and his foot small
and symmetrical. He was, in fact, boy Of
exceedingly prepossessing appearance, hearty
and healthy.
And so Jasper bounded down the lane until
he came to curve in the road, and saw the
schoolhouse of the neighboring district show
ing out white and cheerful from amid it's sha.
ding grove of oaks.
At this point he stopped, and, with the famil-
iarity of old habit got upon the top rail of the
worm-fence, and being duly seated thereon,
while the playful Jewel at his feet watched him
with brown eyes, he commenced whiting and
whistliDg, ever and anon consulting his dainty
little dme.piece After while, with merry
shout, the children began to bound out of
the school-house, books and dinnerb baskets
(empty now in their hands. Several went
past Jasper, cycling him with knowing sort Of
smile, and merrily returning his jocose saluta.
tons. But he still looked towards the school.
house, until finally what appeared to be the last
girl came out, and slowly sauntered up the
road towards Jasper, diligently reading in an
octave volume, the binding of which was pro-
tected by calico covering.
Come, reader, put on Fortunato's cap, and
we will run down the road to meet her, for she
is to enact the part of heroine in this our Ro-
nance, and, as such, you should be curious to
see her. would have you put on Fortunato's
cap, lest she should blushingly hide from us her
face beneath that comprehensive sun.bonnet,
for she is very modest little girl indeed, and
likes not any one to cast even "sheep's eyes :"
at her, unless it be-" Nobody"-as Mr.. Charles
Dickens says. l guess most of us young ladies
and young gentlemen have speaking acqusint-
ance with just such q Nobody" as that Of
Arthur Clennam.
Notice how gracefully she balances herself
upon her dainty little feet, as she walks along
the green sod of the road side-it is the tread
of an incipient woman-one that with culture
could become queenly in stateliness, but ito Pc
culiar indication now is vigor, health, strong
life. How 1.-THE and elegant her figure, though
not yet beginning to round and soften into the
womanly fullness. See how the small nankeen
mittens fit loose about the hand and wrist, while
the rosy fingers clasp book and basket in .
coquettish consciousness of their own beauty.
Notice, too, if thou be connoisseur, how pro-
fuse her rich brown hair, in what voluptuous
curls 1t toys upon her temple and check, in
what caressing eabonpoint it Hings down
lavish ringlets upon her shoulders, far below