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


From the waverly Magazine.
THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.
-....."N#a. BY J. s. BAKER. uaa g4-.
The old school house stood in the edge of
wood, Just as you turned from the brook
which looked out from its bed of pebbles at
the roadside. 1t was weather-beaten and
grey with age; its shutters hanging at obtuse
angles; its windows, those seven by nine
lights, alternating with rimless hats and
leaves Of copy books. A chimney formed
from superanuated stove-pipe sprang from
the centre Of the roof, the latter patched with
bits of board, and unstable shingles compile
ted it's exterior. -.-,..
Within it was far from attractive; the
walls were cracked and broken, revealing
| laths which were split when saw mills were
an interdicted luxury, and railroads the fam
tastic vagaries of madman. There is a
range of coarscly made desks and seats
around the room, and overlooking them ali
is the desk behind which the pedagogue sits
you observe his birch beside him. The noisy
prattle of the children have disturbed his COSY
slumbers; and with what vim he brings
his ferrulc on the desk before him! What
an indignant frown lowers on his brow -
Nay, this is but passing dream. The dread.
ed master is lying just back of the hill, there
is nothing Of him but little dust. Those
romping girls and mischievous boys have
gone too. Some sleep sweetly where the
flowers grow, and the streamlets murmur
their ccasless music. Others have strayed
away; some in foreign lands; few happy
the rest waiting with dreary patience for
the loosing of the silver cord, hoping that
when over the river their sins and sorrows
will be alike forgotten. .. s.. .
! The school house, too, is gone. The
"march of improvement" strobe right thro'
NevdeISdale, obliterating every trace of the
old land marks; the oaks and the elms, the
shellbark in which the squirrel built his nest
the igbuttonwood with its grape vine swing,
the grove of locust, and the dogwood with its
berries, have all been offered burnt offering
on the altar of innovation. As a substitute
for these we have new houses and strange
faces; trashy novels and boarding-schoo
French; trees set out with mathematical cx-
actitude; tagged side walks, and such de
lightlul society" ..s-1 -..a IT,. ..... .
The memories of the old school are all that
is left the octogenarian, and these recollec-
tions, alas do not breathe single wish for
draught at the fount of eternal YOUTH
There is, however, melancholy pleasure in
recalling them; they tell us how futile is
hope, how vain is love, and how powerlcss
the ambition of man. .s.. l
1t was one summer morning, as I remem-
Der; the field OF grain had been all harvest,
ed, and there was to be eight months school
the last which attended in the old school
house. From all parts of the district came
the children, some pretty large ones, too
others led toddling along by the hand of an
elder sister, whose meek blue eve and
thoughtful face indicated the Importance OF
her charge: some barefoot, and with panta-
looms fastened to one suspender by an i'm
provised button hole and twig of birch :
others tidy and well dressed.
You see one who has for several seasons
been the Ounce Of the school. You would
scarcely think, to see his lack -lustre eye, that
he would die worth his millions in stock and
scrip, yet he did die thus. Another. who
wears such sleepy look, and to whom cx-
istence seems burden, has grown into one
OF the finest poetic writer's Of the age. Others,
with high hopes and brilliant dreams of COM
ing fame, have dropped one by one away :
their faults hidden by the leaves that strcw
their graves.
Yonder is the store-kceper's son, he who
exhibits so much hauteur. Every movo-
ment of his says "my father is rich, why
should minglc with themy He is now
lying with the unnumbered dead in Potter's
Field; acoroner's jury said he died of drunk.
enness and destitution. The son of his faith
er's laborer, who stands so meekly at dis.
tancc, is now one Of the finest lawyers of the
day.
The children, who are scattered around in
| little groups, are discussing the points Of the
new school master, wondering If he is eros,
like old Sykes who taught last winter, and
whether he will give hard lessons. Sudden.
| " the subject of discussion makes his an.
pearance at the school house door, and ran.
ping his ferrule against the building they en-
ter one after another and arrange themselves
at the desk. Their scrutinizing glances are
turned upon the "teacher," and with the
true instinct Of children, an estimate Of his
character is formed. I well remember this
particular one. He, was long and guant. his
face pock marked, and his little piercing ewes
had such squint that am almost certain he
could see two ways ct once. He wore q So
we're look, which predisposed us against him.
He made short speech, telling us that he
was master. and giving us to understand that
our peccadilloes and shortcomings. which
had heretofore passed unnoticcd, would meet
with condign punishment The larger girls
looked rather mischievous, while the pompous
address was being delivered, and the bows
grinned defiance. In less than an hour after
the conclusion Of his speech saw him pull 1
bent pin from his pantaloons, the result of a
| trick played by some indignant urchin.
Not child in school but had his studies
either from nature or from tho antique. some
ofthem dipping largely into ideality. Horses
with straight legs, kittens with triangular
faces, and little porkers with elongated shouts
and irnpossih,e iaus, tic originals Of which,