The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-02-18
Ypn The Prees..er's ssery in The Atlantic xnsAly,


wackst Centre created much much more
lively sensation than that which had attend
sdthaa Of either Of his predecessors. Looks
70 q good ways all the world over, and
though thsre several good looking people
in the place, and Mejor Bush was Was what
the natives Of the town called ga handsome
MAJ, = that 10, big, fat, and, yet the sight Of
. really elegant young fellow, with the nat.
sral air which grows up with carefully bred
youne persons, was novelty. The Bramin
blood which came from his grandfather -
we'll u from b mother, direct descendant
Of the old Flynt family, we'll known by the
famous (scs Cat. Harry. Anno 1884, had
been enriched BY that Of tie Wentworths.
which had had good deal Of ripe old Ma.
deria and otnsr generous elements mingled
with it, 90 II ss run to gout tsometimes in the
old folks, and to q high spirit, warm com
plexiop, and curly hair in some Of the
younger ones. The soft curling hair Mr..
Bernard had inherited something, perhaps,
Of the hieh spirit but that he shall haveas
chance Of finding out by-and-ty. But the
long sermons and the frugal broad Of his
Bramin ancestry, with his own habits Of
study, had told upon his color, which was
subdusd to something more Of delicacy than
one would cars to see in . young fellow
with rough work before him. This, howev-
er, made him look more interesting or as
the young ladies At Major Bush's said, Sin.
tsrestin'." g@
When Mr.. Barnard showed himself at
meeting, on the first Sunday after his arri-
val, it may be supposed that . good many
eyes were turned upon the young schoolmas-
tor. There was something heroic in his
coming forward 80 readily to take place
which called for strong hand, and .
prompt, steady will to guide it. 10 fact,
bis position was that Of military chieftnin
On the eve Of battle. Everybody knew sv::
ervthing in Pigwacket Centre; and it Was
an understood thing that the young rebels
meant to put down the new master, II they
could. Il was natural that the prettiest
girls in the village, called in the local dia-
lect, 10 nearly as our limited alphabet viii
represent 1t, Alminy Cutterr, and Aryiliy
Browne should feel and express an interest
in the good.looking stranger, and that, when
their aatteriDg comments were repeated in
the hearing Of their indigenous admirers,
among whom were some OF the "boys" OF
the school, it should not add to the amiable
disposition of the turbulent youth.
Monday came, and the new schoolmaster
was in his chair at the upper end of the
school house, on the raised platform. The
rustics looked at his handsome face, thought
full, peaceful, pleasant, cheerful, but sharp
" cut round the lips and proudly lighted
about the eyes. The ring g-leader Of the mis-
chief -makers, the young butcher, looked at
him steadily, whenever he got chance to
study him unobservcd; for the trut ID was he
felt uncomf Portable whenever be found the
large, dark eyes fixed on his own little,
sharp, deep-set, grny ones. But he found
means to study him pretty xell-frst, bis
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, be examined him as he would have
examined q steer, to see what he could DO
and how he would cut up. If he could only
have gone to him AMI felt Of his muscles,
he would have been entirely satisfied. He
was not very wise youth, but he did know
we'll enough that, though Dig arms and legs
are worry good things, there is something be.
sides size that goes to make q man !;
and he had heard stories Of fighting an,
called "The Spider" from his attenuated
proportions, who was yet terrible hitter
in the ring, and had whipped manya big
limbed fellow 10 and out of the roped arena.
Nothing could be smoother than the way
which everything went on for the first day
or two. The new master was so kind and
courteous, he seemed to take everything in
such . natural, easy way, that there was no
chance to PICK o quarrel with him. lie IN
the meantime thought it best to watch the
boys and young men for day or two. with
US little show Of authority rs possible. 1t
was easy enough to see that be would have
occasion for it before long.
The school house was grim, old, red,
one. story build, perched on bare rock ut
the top Of hill-partly because this was o
very conspicuous site for the temple OF
learning, and partly because land il cheap
where there is no chance even for rye or
buckwheat, and the very sheep find nothing
to nibble. About the little porch were curv
ed initials and dates, at various heights,
from the stature Of nine. to that Of eighteen.
Inside were old unpainted desks-unpaint-
ed, but Drowned with the number OF human
contact-and hacked by innumerable jack
knives. 1t was long since the walls had
been whitswashed, as might be conjsctured
BY the various traces left upon them, wher-
ever idle hands or sleepy heads could reach
them. A curious appearance Was noticea-
bio on various higher parts of the wall
namely, a wart like eruption, as one would
be tempted to call it, being in reality crop
,f the soft missiles before mentioned, which
adhering in considerable numbers, and hard
ening after the usual fashion Of paper
mache, formed ut last permanent ornaments
of the edifce.
The young master's quick eye soon motto
ed that peculiar part Of the wall was most
favored with these ornamental appendages'
Their position pointed sufficiently clear tc
the part of tho room they came from. In
fact, there was nest of young mutineers
Just there, which must be broken up by a
coup r etdt. This was easily effected by
redistributipg the seats and arranging ths
cholars according to classes, SO that mis-.
chievous charged full of rebellious impon.
derabls, should find himself between two
non. conductors, in the shape Of two small
bows Of studious habits. Il was managed
quietly enough in such plausible sort Of
way that its motives were not thought of.-
But it's effects were soon felt; and then be.
CANA system of correspondence by signs
and the throwing of little scrawls done W
in pellets, and announced by preliminary
a'h'a'm's. to call the attention Of the dis.
tant youth addressed. Some Of these were
incendiary documents, dev oting the school.
master to the lower divinities, ~ 60
stuck up dandy, a. q So purse. proud
aristocrat," as q - sight too big 70,
his, etc.," and holding him up in . variety
Of equally forcibls phases to the indignation
Of the youthful community of School Dis.
trict No. l, Pigwacket Centre.
Presently the draughtsman Of the schoo
set carlcatnre in circulation, labelled, te
prevent mistakes. with tas schoolmaster'l
name. An immense bell drowned hat, ant
long pointed, swallow- tailed coat, showet
that the artist had in his mind the conven.
tional dandy, as shown 10 prints ofthirty o'
forty years ago, rather than the actual hu.
mao aspect Of the time. But it was passed
round among tho boys and made its laugh
helping Of course to undermine the master'i
authority, az Punch or the Charivari take,
the dignity out Of an obnoxious minister
Langdon found IN enlarged copy Of thi,
sketch, with its label, pinned on the door
He took it down, smiled 4 little, put it int
bis pocket, and entered the school-room.-
An insiduous silence prevailed, which look
I 4 = u