Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-03-18


rule,
And sure thee In the light of happy faces;
Loue hope and pGtienee-these must be thy graces,
And in thine opn heart let them first keep school"
Coleridge.
That first morning at school !! How
Lily dreaded it, She felt quite nervous as
she thought of the tedious conversation
with inquisitive and dctatorial parents
about studies, tuition and the management
of children. She remembered how busy,
principal and teachers seemed upon that
day at Mrs. Wizards, and how world
wearied they appeared at evenings close /;
as If ,heir very existence was a burtben.
"'rhe girl certainly must beat her wits
ends this morning." said Mrs. Brown to
her attentive spouse as she brushed the
last speck of dust from his coat and stuffed
clean kerchief in his breast pocket, 81
never saw body so put out. She wiped
her face upon the foot-towel and pinned
her collar awry, before she came down
stairs then at breakfast she scaled her
mouth with the hot coffee and her hand
trembled so, she dropped the meat from
her fork twice"
Poor Lily, her heart sank like leaden
plummet as she unavoidabiy listened to
this monologue, and tying on her close,
muslin sunbonnet to conceal the fearful
r Il, o Il ls 20,
its parents eye, she chose the longest path
way to the schoolhouse going through
the orchards and over the cloverfields The
grazing cattle raised their heads as she
passed aud shook them reprovingly ;as she
imagined Mrs, Brown would have done,
could she have seen her leaving the beaten
track and strolling throus h the meadows.
A sympathzug bobo link that had not
been head of the family, moro than a
fortnight, and whose little heart still beat
with the tenderness Of the honeymoon,
looked down upon her fr m the gnarlcd
limb of an ancient apple tree and rufiing
the feathers about his tiny throat poured
forth an encouraging strain. Lily felt
refreshed and strengthened by this recog-
milton, of her feathered friend and when
the little, brown school-house, with its
shutterlcss windows and moss grown caves
greeted her eXpectant gaze, she did not
view it as the prison of which she was the
self-elected gavlor for tedious ten month
term. 1t nestled so lovingly in the en-
lowering shade Of clustering vines and the
birds sported so iearlessly in the surround
ing groves, that she was sure none but
good children couid attend that school
Children whose young hearts were attuned
TO the pure and beautiful, and the heavy
heart--plummet touched bottom, drawing
up hope which lay concealed there teneath
the rubbish of doubt aud fear, for the chan.
mel Of pain narrowed and grew shallow
With lightened spirit she took posses
zion of her schoolroom throne, a grea
official looking chair standing behind {
sloping desk, on which lay tcrule, sccp
tre Of absolute sovereignty, suggestive o
aching knuckles and blistered palms, Thir
ty pupils, of all sorts and sizes, from
the abocedarian whose tiny feet perpetual
ly chased each other through intervening
space betwixt the bench and floor, to tn,
gawky boy in boots and roundabout whC
ovcrtopped his teacher, patiently awai
lad the advent Of their future queen.
p An involuntary murmur of admiration
saluted her as she ascended the rostruu
and seated herself in that formidable chair
novel sense of power and responsibilit!
imparting new dignity to her step an,
mien. And mover warmer hearts, or true
allegiance vowed to earthly sovereign, thar
Lilly received that sunny morn from he
unworldly subjects.
4 choice boquot Of fresh wild flowers
from which the dew had not been brushed
crowned the pile Of unwrtten copy-book
and amid its glossy leaves lay tiny nes
wrought of silver wire in imitation of tn
wood-bird's messy home, with berries O
the wntergrocu for eggs, Lily teasure
this first tribute at the shrine of power
with miser's care Peneilling them, a
recess, in her class book, that she Nigh
afterwards copy them in watercolors int
her album greatly to practical Mrs
Browns surprise, who, "thought the lay
,o-k, shd dalelias that bloOmed upon III