Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-12-14

ventured on llt9-SlZc oil nm IN CHARCOAL on
the walls of the school house. Genius in
those days, however, was modest and retiring
as at the present. and the authors never could
be discovered; their efforts, though, were
strikingly appreciated by all Of us. sEgf
Carving in wood had its students, as the
benches and desks gave ample proof In
deed, pretty much everything was attended
to except those studies which were supposed
speciality. 1t was much easier to draw a
ship under full sail on piece of oiled paper
from the Pirates Own Book" than to clu.
cidate the mysteries Of tare and trett. Poor
old Daboll! swamped on sea of ten-cylinder
presses. Indeed, any one Of our scholars
could give you sketch Of the surrounding
scenery, minus the perspective and other un-
important details, much easier than the solu-
ton of question in the rule Of three. AS to
map making, any of them could do it well
enough in the sand oy the brook side, but on
the slate one could scarcely distinguish be-
tween the North pole and Madagascar. Lat
itude and longitude would run into oblique
angles, from out which looked the frightened
face of our teacher. .. ..8.f.
It was certainly inexplicable to us tina
these splendid emanations OF genius pleased
neither teacher nor parents; one whipped us,
the other sent us to bed without our suppers.
The plain fact is, genius was thwarted; we
were certainly intended for artists, the whole
of us; while the petty details of figures and
and the conjugation Of verbs were, in our cs-
timation, useless as looking glass and razor
in the outfit Of a modern reformer. s-.s
Epistolary correspondence was another
hobby, the monotony of which was tedious
process. The first lesson found the neophyte
with his pen grasped Ikea maui stick, his
face within two inches of the paper, his
tongue protruding, curving with each motion
Of his pen. His pen "spattcrs" :" now and
then, sending little inky globulcs over the
sheet, which he brushes off with his jacket
sleeve. lie finally masters the rudments
aud reaches the copy, MANY men Of many
minds" Fully confident OF his own powers,
he then essays letter to Susie, who sits
over the way and makes mouths at him
whenever he looks at her. He hasn't the
courage to hand it to her himself; and with
the bribe of big apple prevails on some
more favored one, who transfers the missive
to his charmer. Susie is old, now, her head
whitened with the snow of winters, and her
boy love is sleeping in the sea. She would
scarcely remember him, so much trouble and
so many years have passed since then.
i The reader may smile at the loves that
spring up between schoolmatcs, but ideals
are there formed which exist through life
Let the incredulous turn over the record of
their memories and see if there is not a ling
erng love subdued by time, yet viewed as a
pleasing connection with earlier days, before
grief had tinged the heart with regret, or
turned it into adamant with cruel, faithless
promises. ......n ..... f I.s.. ,.r
Among the fairy visions of the old school
house was hazel-eyed brunette named
Hattie L----. Timid as the birds which
circled our hill, and gueless as the fawns
that gamboled in our vallies; kind and loving,
always laughing, ever gay; none had brighter
prospects before them; none whose future
was more unclOuded; not a wave rippled the
expanse stretching away before her; sun
shine and sprngtime at every stage; flowers
everywhere. When l left Ncversdal. she
was growing up into beautiful woman.--
Hearts and fortunes were laid at her feet but
she had refused them all while singing,
. I'm DER young to marry yet" ..
Manv years passed away and had for
gotten that Hattie l. existed. 1t was a
bitter nigh, the wind swept around my house
in fitful gusts, rafting at the doors and win
dows, and turning away with Shrek, DASH
ing down the deserted streets as though pur-
ring at the door, and wondering who could
be abroad in SO fearful a storm, hastened to
openit A child of some twelve years entered
She was scantily clad, and her clothing was
frozen stiff with sleet and snow g -s..
"Why are you here!" said I, leading her
to the warm room. ra 9a#a
/ "Oh, sir, mother is dying! Won't you
come and see hers"
i did not know the child, but at once hast
ened to obey the summons, she leading the
way through the storm. We passed through
street after street, up one and down another.
finally halting before a house which, even in
the darkness Of night, Swallowed forth the
misery it contained. We ascended to the
highest floor, when my guide turned into a
room, where | shortly followed A candle
shed forth sickly light There was no fire.
and the driving hail and snow had gathered
in ridges on the floor. Offurniture there was
none. In one corner of the room was a pile
of rags, on which lay the form of woman
who was evidently in the last stages of dis.
ease. Her features were pinchcd and shriv-
elled and she gazed upon me with wild,
weird look as entered
Yes, yes" she muttcred " remember p
The voice seemed recalling half forgotten
dream. ! had heard it before and the glance
Of those eyes was hidden somewhere in the
recesscs of my memory.
It is H -, is it not ?" she enquired in
trembling voice.
4 replied in the affirmative; and taking her
hand, inquired her name. The blood curdled
around my heart as she answered.
Hattie L. p
The old school house, with its boys and
girls, was before me. The imagination, Hit.
ting along the years with electric rapidity.
went from the dismal room to Neversdale !;
from the bright-eyed Hattie of other days to
the death.stricken form before me. Twas
strange tale she told me, one of love and de-
sertion; astruggle between hope and despair
The last act Of the drama was closing. She
died in that wrctched place, breathing her
last sighin my arms. When left tho house.
morn was breaking. The snow had wreathed
itself in fantastic shapes, draping the houses
Of the rich and poor alike with its sheen Of
frosted silver. It lay like mantle on the
earth; as far as the eye could reach was
spotless purity, pure as the childhood dreams
of Hattie. But in an hour the storm came
again, and the spotless covering was gone;
the fantasy had fled
took ,n,hok yavv>c;v,oxl <>c A., o...~ 4