Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-07-01
EATON, PREBLE COUNT. O. JUYL 1, 1858.

resolves, and though very cheerful still
was far less rude and wild. We mad
better progress in our studies now tina
the teacher was with US, and winter; i
our after years, was one to be pleasant
remembered,
One day at school, in the mornin;
the teacher stood looking out from
back window, watching the little boy
and girls carrying stones up to the tol
of steep knoll behind the house.
4 They carried then one at a time rolleC
them down the step
Looking round upon the circle oi
girls who sat busted with light sewing
knitting, and embroidery his eyes spark.
led with new idea as he said, put BY
your work, girls, and before schoo
takes up. let US all go and join those
merry little ones in round of play.
Oh, come said Kate, with all her ole
spirit wide awakened from its sleep, and
she jumped up, dropping her work
while her spool Of floss and thimble
rolled across the floor, do do and
then catching his eyes she looked down,
while the rosicst Of bushes spread over
her face and neck.
The same Katie yet, said he, laughing
and enjoying her pretty embarrass-
ment.
At the foot of the hill we each sclec,
ted round stone, as large as we could
carry with ease, and elm bed with them
up to the summit.
We have the royaiist kind OF Il play
to day, Master,' said little Lucic Cor
ham; ''you see we call it telling for
tunes; the way the stone We throw rolls
down hill, is just the way we are to be,
and act, and get along iu life.
All, you winsomc little sybil, said he;
bat if it don't roll at all what then,
Lucie?
Why, ifit stops soon, the one that
started it amt going to live long, was
her earnest reply. y merry laugh
from US, at her originality, made her
hang her head and shy off to an older
sister.
"Well, let US try Lucie's game, then,
said the teacher. Mary Vail, you roll
first.
Mary rolled her stone, which went
swiftly down the hill, knocking every
thing in its way, making sparks fly from
splinty rocks, splitting little sand stones,
pitching sticks hi.l'sr Ftrd hitlrr-; nntii
its force was exhausted an it rolled down
slower and slower until it stopped.
\ straig ghtforward, upright life is to
be yours, Mary; neither temptation, nor
malice nor slander will harm you, for
you will walk straight ahead in the line
words Lucie, with u mock air Of serious
ness.
''And so we all rolled each stone
down the hill until came the turn Of The
master or Kate, t'Now it's you turn,
Kate" said he; ''Ill wait till the last
and have the best fortune Of -
Kate stood near the teacher, as she let
hers fall from her hands, and at the
same moment, either purposely or acci-
dcutly, his dropped too.
Would you believe it? They rolled
along side by side, steady keeping even
pace with each other-no knocks, but
perfect unity-if large stones impeded
their way, they skipped over them, and
trotted, and capered, and gamboled along
together as nicely as Deacon Elliots
span of dapple greys.
Then as they came to where the
hill stretched off into a gentle swell
their pace slackened, and they moved
along side by side until they rustled In
among the dry flags and sickle grass,
on the bank of Crystal Greek, and then
with low splash, not half so loud as a
grassy sod falling upon coffin they
dropped over the bank, not three sec
onds apart.
You two would work together well,
said Lucic; but there was no word drop
ped from the masters trembling lip in
reply, and Kate, her head was turned
aside examining some fossils that Lima
Rice had found on the brow of the hill.
To hide the teachers visible embar-
rassmcnt, [ laughed heartily, and said
that it was real funny play of Lucie's,
after all.
We all rcn down the hill to school,
and l observed that Kate tried to keep
away from the master, by linking her
arms in with a girl on either side of
her. L guess she began to see matters
in true light.
That evening, there was taffy party
at Nora Groves house. to which the
whole ncighborhood was invited besides
the teacher and all his scholars. 1t was
sugaring~ off times in the old sugar
camp, and Squire Grove had told Nora
to invite everybody, and VIC might
spend the evening in the big old kitch-
en-, and that VIC might have three pals
of syrup to make into taffy, sugar wax
and sugar. The teacher said when he
dismissed in the evening, We must nui
wear silk aprons 70 the party, or head
dresses, and the boys must not wear
their Sunday vests or nice neck ties, fol
it would mar the pleasure Of the party
if any of us had on clothes that would
be easily spoiled.
) We three girls wore pink ginghau
dresses and white aprons, and mother
made the master wear one of father
homespun linen coats, to save his nice
black cloth one, for she said taffy was
as bad as tar on ones clothes.
Il thought Kate never did look sweetel
than she did that night, The waist o.
her small checked pinked gingham drcs:
was gathered full behind and before OIL