The Oxford intelligencer., 1861-01-16
From the N. Y. Sunday Times.
The Man with the Rlack Beard. 3
III AARr KYLE DALLAS.

We were all assembled in the little school
room, girls on one side, boys on the other,
and Miss Linda in the middle, beside a ma
hogany desk, piled with spelling books, and
graced by a polished ruler which never,
within the memory Of the oldest scholar, had
been used for an5 more unpleasant purpose
than to rule copies with, for Miss Liads's
sway was very gentle one, IS any one who
looked into her fair face might well have i'm
xgined. Even our habit of calling her Miss
Linda was proof Of this: any other teacher
would have been addressed by her surname,
but we never even thought Of ours as Miss
Harrington To this day cannot guess her
age: she was certainly young, but her fea-
lures had lovely peculiarly Of their own,
which made it impossible to say how young
she was. In her mirthful moments she
looked like merry child, in her sadder ones
sine was a quiet woman; but in any mood
she was as beautiful as perfect features, ivory
skin, a wealth of golden hair, and great,
long-fringed, black eyes could make her.
She was in her merry mood this morning,
and there were dimples in her rosy cheeks,
and those black eyes outrivalled the bright
est diamonds that ever glistened amid the
tresses of princess. The stupid scholar Of
the school There is always stupid scholar
in the school, and be is inevitably boy)
was stumbling through his spelling-lesson,
and falling fat over the insurmountable word,
physician" He had spelt it fizzishion,"
" fussition," and was at present mute with
despair, and, oblivious to the promptings Of
sympathising little girl behind the teachers
chair, was preparing to cover lis eyes with
his coat sleeve and bemoan himself when
the whole school was startled by the sudden
fiingng open of the door, and the entrance
of little Lilly Darwin, the smallest of all the
small children under Miss Lindas care, in O
state of violent agitation. n, H..
"Oh, the man, the man p sobbed Lilly.
"The great tall man with the big black
beard He's frightened me out of my senses. v
"What man, Lilly T. said Miss Linda, com
passionatcly. GLOW did he frighteu you
my deari"
He came close behind me, and said
Never, never, never r" answered the child
"and he put his hands to his forehead, ant
then clasped them together, and then went
away out of sight down by the river. Oh
Pm SO frightened, SO frightened, Miss Linda
you can't think" ..
at was only some poor crazy man, my
DEAR" said Miss Linda "You are safe now
at all events; wipe away your tears, and tel
me all shout it" r.... .....
Il was coming along the green lane to
wards school, Miss Linda hurying very fas
for fear would be late, when met our new
minister, who stopped and shook hands will
me. and asked how you were, and said h
would look in at the school and hear us sim
tLiB AilcTuOOut ah0 Nulte WdS AHs"eIlbs
him this tall man with the black bear,
passed US twice, and then stopped beside th'
water. And when the minister turned AVA
he looked after him, and then walked yer,
quickly towards school, and then back again
and then clasped his hands and said Never
never, neycrr out loud, and frightened IN
so that cried, and ran here as fast as
could" -
This horrible narration affected all tn
smaller children as ghost story would hav
done; and Miss Linda, after looking aroun'
at these frightened faces, laughed merrily
and, expressing her decided conviction tina
the gentleman with the black beard had e:
capped from the lunatic asylum, called tn
school to order, and proceeded in the usus
routine Of duties, as though nothing particu
lar had occurred.
Early in the afternoon "our minister" di
call. lie had a habit of visiting the schoc
and it appeared to me that the teacher wa
much more interesting than her scholars. A
all events, it was certain that be looked ,
her much oftener than he did at us, and wa
very particular about shaking hands when i
took his leave. He was young and yer
handsome man, and rumor said that he ws
exceedingly in love with our Miss Lind
lie fingered in the little school-house Ion
while on that bright summer afternoon; b.
he went at last, and then the children wei
dismissed, and the little building closed 4
the night Ny way was the same as Mi
Linda's, and trotted along beside her, hol'
| ing tightly 10 her simple muslin dress, an
chatting all the way. We caufe before Ion
to the pretty cottage where our schoc
mistress boarded. The woman of the hou,
"a talkative New EBglander-sat with h
knitting upon the porch. She greeted Mi
r Linda with smile, and began TO empty b
budget Of smaIl-taIk aud news forthwith
add your ears burn to-dayp she sal
"They ought to, for you've been tAlk'
about enough. There was a stranger here
foreignlooking man with long bla,
beard; and he asked me about the place al