The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-09-23

This brought US to our thirdly" of queer
thiAgs,-the superstitions so rife among the
Creoles, and the "charms so universally
cherished by the negroes. Nine-tenths of
their dwellings are made proof against evil
spirits by an old horseshoe nailed to the
vestibule. 1t recalled to me an occurrence
OF an early morning, when, picking my way
across the open area near Poydras market
among Creole hucksters who seemed to
'crangle the passers-by into purchases Of
fruit and half nude squaws sq2atted upon
the pavement among their palmetto baskets,
wild tea, and ratania scrubs. | had almost
set foot upon little mulatto boys VI hole
stock in trade, consisting of few small piles
of figs, May-apples, and pomegranates,-
doubtless corn6sticated. He calmly di-
rected my leg aside with a hand evidently
less nervous for the fate of his fruit than of
corner of the old paper underspread. ]
halted with puzzled look of enquiry at the
precious corner. lie noticed it, and, with a
friendly glance at my sky.blues," slyly lift
ed the paper sufficiently to disclose small
old mule-shoe, quickly, however, replacing
it with jealous surveillance of the competi.
tors around, lest they grasp and "have in
them the more than mortal knowledge u
which he, like Macbeth if not like the
| witches, had learned from the perfected re-
pert" While investing a picayune in his
fresh figs. noticing he could "parlez-vous, -
whispered go Quest ce que c'est que celia 9'
He put to shame my poor Pathological Pari-
sian by only returning, with grin, the Sax
on monosyllable, >" Luck"
The " fourthly Z" of queer things was, the
aptness Of colored children at acquiring
knowledge all except mathematics and
branches dema ding logical reflection. My
story had suggested to my next seat neigh
bor practical joke he had witnessed, where
| in two colored urchins were the heroes and
an Indiana chaplain the victim. The latter
was more remarkable for improving oppor-
| tunities than for judiciously ly selecting them,
"a characteristic which child will note
with quicker intuition than man.
"See dar !" exclaimed one of the rogues
Oar comes dat chaplain Let's p'tend to be
fghtin, jis I hear him croak!" Instantly
the chuckles of the little comedians were
transformed into the tragedian's vindirtive
scoU Is accomp anied with, Z" Did ~" Did mt :"
Lie ~" Lie YOURSELF" passes and clutches
at each others wool, and, at the right juno
ture i'll the chaplain's approach, clinch
and fall" He thrust out his hand, of course,
and separated them. Then followed a regu-
! lar Chadband homily upon the ext" Your
| little hands were never made" etc, in sol
emn and slightly nasal rotundo.' The boys
promised not to do so no more" and were
hopefully mended. But no sooner had their
victim disappeared than their peat up risibles
burst forth, and mimcry Joined practice to
preaching" To them, unlike most white
| hearers, not word of the sermon had been
lost.
The comments upon this incident drew me
to report the then yesterdays success in
solving question, two months before, dis
dainfully propounded to ME, namely" Can
YOU put learning into little niggers' skulls -
Only six weeks previously, had organized
under the Board Of Education for Freedmen
school in that locality, leaving it in charge
of young lady, lady Of only ordinary
promise as a successful teacher. All the pu
pills were under ~ years OF age. With mos
careful examination could not find single
one that knew ths alphabet. Upon my re
visiting it the Yesterday, found over doz
en- pupils who could readily form upon thei
states any script letter called for, writ
their own names legibly thereon, read ant
spell correctly wherever took them in Par
ker and Watson's primer, and, though YER.
lame in the addition table, could recite, il
the tune of Yankee Doodle, the table Of Py
thagoras to ten-times-ten, seriatum, withou
my detecting any mistake. Yet their mis-
tress, however apt at teaching, had no gen
: ius whatever as manditariat," ,"-the buz
of over 40 little voices, as | entered unper
ceived, being the only reminder of bee-hiv
that the schoolroom afforded. In no whit
schools, had ever seen such rapid progres
lii learning as in majority of these colore
schools. conceded, of course, great "a
lowance for the extra inspiration of the col
y ored children, derived from being every eve
ming proudly foi ed to impart to their cray
, ing parents the attainmsnts of the day.
My Reverend companions agreed with m
that the pourng.in-process," so much OF
3 jected to by some educationaliss is the onl
!, right method for these children, at leas
= till drawing-out can become rredicable I
q the contents of their minds. And speakin
5 OF schoolma ans, We also unanimously col
: cluded, that the one in question, with all he
defects as a discip!inarian, is preferable
a one of the class Of Dombey's hopeful fren
n Miss Tox," eternaly straining at the gna
d and 6nical!y fussing with the mint ar
e cummin to the neg lect of weightier ma
e ters; or to one of the class of Little Do
II r,'s governess, everlastingy keeping NJ
e My the lips, but the whole nervous syste,
lie in pert, "prim, pretty" pucker.
D. There were also considered a "ffthl,
q "slxthiy and seventhly of things at Il