Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-07-07
NV First Lesion.

Il My First Lesion.
D Addy Punderson-yes, that was the nam
e of my first schoolmistress. She was one c
a the stiffesf, incest, and most thorough
= prim old maids that ever took care of othe
peoples children. She taugh, in it'll
I red school-house, in "Shrub Oak" obou
half mile at the back of Falls Hill.
; like to be particular in the geography
. though had never opered an atlas in m,
; life when Miss PunGerson received me int
her alphabet class.
l see her now, sitting SO very upright ii
her high backed chair-solemnly opening
the blue paper covers of our primers, AM
calling me by name. see the sharp point
cd scissors lifted from the chin at her side
hear the rap, rap, of her thimble agains
book; yes, l feel MYSELF dropping that bash
ful little courtesy and bushng under those
solemn gray eyes, as she points down the
long row of Roman capitals and tells me
to read. remember it all; she had on q
brown cotton dress; her hair was parted
plainly, and done up in French twist be-
hind; there was good deal of gray in tha:
black hair. and around her prim mouth any
quantity of fine wrinkles; but her voice
was low and sweet; She was stiff. but not
cross, and the little girls loved her in a
degree, though she did give them long
stretches eff hemming and over seams TO
sew. ...l. -.H-1f-tf.... ...s..- -i.. y4
| My first scboolmistress come from some
neighboring town. She was neither .Epis-
copa lian or Presbyterian; but wore the
incest little Methodist bonnet, made of
si.very-gray stain. without a bow or bit of
lace--a Quaker bonnet cut short. Then
she had a dainty silk shawl. tinted like a
doves wing, and always carried her hand
herchef folded when she went out to pray
er meeting.
The school house stood upon the bank OF
smal stream which turned mill just
above; it was SO overshadowed by young
hemlocks that you could only hear the sing
ing of the waters as they stole by the win
dows. Some forty feet of meadow lay be
tween the windows and the bank, and
noble pear tree full of golden fruit, flung
its shadow over the school house, as we got
our lessons. Those great ball pears were
cruelty tantal;zing as they grew and ripen-
ed amid the green leaves. but when they
came rushing down from the boughs, and
tell in the grass direct .ly s.aer -ss- SO plump
and mellow, it was really too much for hu-
man nature.
D,,4 ri chn
the golden rule every day, and keenling at
her high backed chair, prayed diligently
night and morning, while we stood mutely
around. Indeed her control was go perfect
ikaf ge hardly yentured 10 look al thespesssf
when they fell; the idea of touching hem
never entered our hearts.
But one thing troubled as very much; just
as the fruit grew ripest, Miss Punderson
began to take her dinner basket, and cross
into the meadow at the hack of the schoo,
house, where she would disappear down the
hemlock bank, and stay sometimes during
the entire hour Of moor.
One day was startled at my lesson by
splendid pear that came rushing from the |
topmost boughs of the tree, and rolled down
towards the mill stream. Dan Haines, who
was sitting on the second class bench close
by me, whispered from behind his spelling
book "ihat the mistress would be after that
pear abou: noontime."
Mary Bell, little girl 10 my class, looked
suddenly up and nodded her head. We had
found it all out; that was why the mistress
crossed the bank every noon. She was fond
of pears. and wanted them all to herself,
greedy old thing! We began to feel very
angry and i'll used; not one of US would
have thought it. What right had she to the
pears! They did rCt belong TO her more
than to us. In fact, Mary Bells father, who
owned the mill, and lived in the great house
with pointed gables just in sight, was tine
only person that had a claim on that tree or
its frnit.
When the recess came, we were upon the
watch. just as usual. the mistress took her
dinner basket, and getting over the fence.
went towards the henlock bank. Once she
stopped, as if to tie her shoe. ..
"See, see!" whispered Dan, who was on
his knees, peeping through the rail fence.
"She's making believe to tie her shoe, but
she's only picking up a pear. Let's jump
over and see the mean old thing ca. it,
Dan climbed the fence as he spoke, and we
followed, little frightened, but resolute to
FIND out the truth.
Dan went before, treading very softly and
looking everywhere in the gress. Once he
stopped, made dart at tuit of clover, and
up again. caught glimpse of something
yellow in the hand he was pushing with
considerable hurry and trouble into his
pocket, that swelled out enormously after. !
But Dan looked straight forward into the
hemlocks and began to whistle, which
frightened us half out OF our wits, and we
threatened 20 r"n back again unless he
stopped.
Dan grew cross at this, and went back in !
high dudgeon. trying to cover his pocket
with one hand. Mary Bell and would
have gone back too, think, but at that mo-
1ent we heard voice from the henlock
bank.
"Come. come," whispered Mary Bell;
"let's see il she has really got it,
We. crept forward very softly, and looked
over into the stream. II had dry pebbly
shore, broken with few moss-covered
stones, all in deep sbadow-for the hem
locks overhung the spot like tent. Upon
one Of these stones sat our schoo!mistress
singing. Her voice was soft and clear. and
Joined in with The murmurs o. the stream,
snlenn ann sweet