The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-02-25
A Yankee School Master and g sYallah
Dog

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From s'Tho Professors Story, by Ohver gen5
dell Holmes, in the Atlantic Monthly icf FED
iruary, 1891 ~
gTbs advent of Master Langdon to Pig
xvs.Lat Cartre created much more lively
sansot;on than had attended that of either OF
his, PREDECESSORS. Looks go good ways
ali the world over, and though there were
several good -looking people in the place,
and Major Bush was what the natives OF
the town called a handsome man, that is,
big. fat, and red, yet the sight of really
elegant young fellow, with the natural AR
which grows up with carefully bred young
persons, was a novelty. 49,
When Mr.. Bernard showed himself at
meeting, on the first Sunday after his arri-
val, il may be supposed that good many
eyes were turned upon the young school
master. There was something heroic In
his coming forward so readily to take al
place which called for strong hand, and a
prompt, steady will to guide it. In fact,
his position was that of a military chieftaln
on the eve of battle. Everybody knew
everything in Pigwacket Centre; and 1t was
understood thing that the young rebels
meant to put down the new master, if they
could. It was natural that the two pretti-
est girls in the village, called in the local
Q1alGCt, as OUT diPbnODe
sent it, Alminy CUTTER, and Arvilly Braowne
should feel and express an interest in the
good looking stranger, and that, when their
Hattering comments were repeated In the
hearing of their indigenous admirers, among
whom were some Of the older "boys" of
the school, it should not add to the amiabe
dispositions 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 ringleader Of the mis-
chief-makers, the young butcher. who has
before figured Ia this narrative, looked at
him steaIthiIy, whenever he got chance to
study. him unobserved for the truth was,
he felt uncomfortable whenever he found
the large, dark eyes fixed on his own little.
sharp, deep-se gray ones. But he found
means to study him pretty well-hrst his
face, then his neck and shoulders, the set
of his arms, the narrowing at the lions, the
make of his legs, and the way he moved.
In short, he examined him as he would
have examined 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 mus
Giles, he would have been entirely satisfied
He was not a very wise youth, but he did
know well enough that, though big arms
and legs are very good things, there Is
something besides size that goes to make a
man and he had heard stories of a fight
ing.man, called "The Spider" from his at
tenuated proportions, who was yet terri
Bile hitter in the ring, and had whipped
many big limbed fellow in and out of the
roped arena. Le ea
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, he seemed to take every
thing in suoh-a natural, easy way, that
there was no chance to pick a quarrel with
him. He in the meantime thought it best
to watch the boys and,young men for day
or two with as little show of authority as
possible. It was easy enough to see that he
would have occasion for it before long.
The school-house was grim, old, red,
one-story building, perched on bare rock
at the top CT hill-partly because this was
a conspicuous site for the temple of learn
ing, and partly because land is cheap where
there is no chance even for rye or buck
wheat, and the very sheep find nothing to
nibble. About the little porch were carved
initials and dates, at various heights, from
the stature of nine to that of eighteen. In
side were old implanted desks-unpainted,
but Drowned with the lumber of human con- |
tact-and hacked by innumerable jackknives.
1t was long since the walls had been white
washed, as might be conjectured by the va
rious traces left upon them, wherever idle
hands or sleepy heads could reach them.
One morning, an insidious silence pre-
vailed which looked as if some plot were
brewing. The boys were ripe for mischief,
but afraid. They had really no fault to find
with the master, except that he dressed like
a gentleman, which certain class of fell
lows always consider a personal insult to
themselves. But the older ones were evil
IDENTIFY plotting, and more than once the
warning a'h'na! was heard, and dirty lit
tie scrap of paper rolled into a wad shot
from one seat to another. One of these
happened to strike the stove-funnel, and
lodged on the masters desk. He was cool
enough not to seem to notice it. He Sc
cured it, however, and found an opportuni-
ty to look at it, without being observed by
the boys 1t required no immediate notice
He who should have enjoyed the privi-
lege of looking upon Mr.. Bernard Langdon
the next morning, when his toilet was about
half finished, would have had very pleas
ant gratuitous exhibition. First he buckled
the strap of his trousers pretty tightly
Then he took up a pair of heavy dumb
bells, and swung them few minutes; then
two great "Indian clubs" with which he
enacted all sorts of impossible-looking feats.
His limbs were not very large, nor his |
shoulders remarkably broad but if you
knew as much of the muscles as all persons
who look at statues and pictures with a
critical eye ought to have learned, you
would have said there was pretty show of
them beneath the white satiny skin of Mr.. |
Bernard Langdon. And if you had seen
him whan he laid down the Indian olnhs |