Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-02-10

! y 'u' io""u '"c ups "h" Piouuiy HShteu
about the eyes. The ringeader of the
mischief-makers. the young butcher who
has before figured in this narrative, looked
at him stealthily, whenever he got chance
to study him unobserved; for the truth
was, he felt uncomfortable whenever he
found the large, dark eyes fixed on mis-
own little, sharp, decp-set, gray ones. Bot
he found means to study him pretty WE'LL
| first his face, then his neck and shoulders,
the set OF his arms, the narrowing at the
loins the make of his legs and the way he
moved. In short, he examined him as he
would have examined a steer, to see what
he could do and how he would cut up. If
he could only have gone to him and felt of
his muscles, he would have been entirely
satisfied. lie was not very wise youth,
but he did know well enough that, though
big arms and legs were very good things,
there is something besides size that goes TO
make man and he had heard stories of a
fighting called The Spider from his
attenuated proportions, who was yet ter
rible hitter in the ring, and had whipped
many big limbed fellow in and out of the
roped arena.
Nothing could be smoother than the way
in which everything went on for the first
day or two. The new master was so kind
and courteous be seemed to t axe evsry-
thing in such natural, easy way, that
there was no chance TO pick quarrel with
him. lie, in the meantime, thought it best
to watch the boys and young men for a
day or two with as little show of authority
as possible. 1t was easy enough to see
that he would have occasions for it before
long.
The school-house was a grim, old. red,
one-story building, perched on bare rock
at the top of hill-partly because this
was conspicuous site for the temple Of
learning, and partly because land is cheap
where there is no chance even for rye or
buckwheat, and the very sheep find nothing
TO nibble. About the little porch were
carved initials and dates, at various nights,
from the stature of nine to that of eighteen.
Inside were old unpainted desks-unpaint-
ed, but Drowned with the umber of human
contaet-and hacked by innumerable jack
knives. 1t was long since the walls had
been whitewashed, as might be conjectured
by the various traces left upon them, wherev.
er idle hands or sleepy heads could reach
them. A curious appearance was notecea
BILE on various higher parts of the wall
namely, wart-like eruption, as one would
be tempted TO call it, being in reality a crop
of the soft missiles before mentioned, which
adhering in considerable numbers, and
hardening after the usual fashion of papier
niache, formed at last permanent ornaments
of the edifce.
The young masters quick eye soon no.
ticed that particular part of the wall was
most favored with those ornamental APP
pendages. Their position pointed sufficient.
ly clearly TO the part of the room they
came from. In fact, there was a nest oil
young mutineers just there, which must be
broken up by coup detat. This was ca
silly effected by redistributing the seats and
arranging the scholars according to classes
so that mischievous fellow charged full o!
the rebeilious impenderable, should find
himself between two non-conductors, in the
shape of small boys of studious habits. II
was managed quietly enough, in such a
plausible sort of way that its motive was
not thought Of But its effects were soon
felt; and then began system of cores
pondence by signs, and the throwing Of
little scrawls done up in pellets, and an
nounced by preliminary ahems! TO call the
attention of the distant youth addressed
Some of these were incendiary documents,
devoting the schoolmaster TO the lower di.
whites, as a - stuck up dandy as 8 a
- purse proud aristocrat,' as "a -
sight too big big for his, etc. and holding
: him up in a variety Of equally forcible
phrases to the indignation of the youthful
community of School District No. /, Pig
wacket Centre.
!. Presently the draughtsman of the school
set a earicature in circulation, labelled to
prevent mistakes with the schoolmaster's
name. An immense bell-crowned hat, and
long, pointed, swallow-tailed coat, showed
that the artist had in his mind the conven-
tional dandy, as shown in prints of thirty
or forty years ago, rather than any actual
human aspect of the time. But it was
passed round among the boys and made its
laugh, helping of course to undermine the
masters authority, as P,mch or Chamrw'
takes the dignity out of an obnoxious min.
lister. One morning on going to the school.
room, Master Langdon found an enlarged
COPY of this sketch with its label pinned or
the door, lie took it down, smiled little
put il into his pocket, and entered the
school room. An insidious silence prevail
l.ot-oJ n &c Soma piof .rara krau,.