The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-10-13
The Old SchOOlm0ster's Story.
A STORY OF TIE WAR.

E y Johnny Curtis lived with
his mother in Grey Street, near the old
: Beech Woods. which shadowed the south
ern edge of the town. His father was a
i, drunkard He spent all his life in hang
ing about grog-shops, where he earned, or
, was treated to, enough whisky to keep
him always just so boozy-sleepy enough
to enjoy his pig-Efe behind the stove, and
waketul enough to saw bit of wood. or
bring pail Of water, or "come up and
drink" He seldom came home. even to
his mealssand when he did he would slink
INTO corner and say nothing. He never
brought cent of money into the house.
johnny was more of a man by far than
he was-more of a father to Bessie and
Ellen, the two little girls his sisters 1t is
a natural thought enough that such a faith
er was not likely to make very good son
out OF Johnny but | have often observed
that drunkards who are utterly shiftless
seldom have drunken sons the good moth
er cOunteracts all the evil example of the
father. And when drunkard's son does
follow in his fathers tracks, there you may
generally see proved the mothers woeful
lack. Mrs. Curtis was God-loving wo-
man - Industrious, modest. low-voiced,
Smooth-tempered. She supported her lit
tie ones by her needle But after he was
ten Johnny never was an expense to his
mother. He earned good deal of money
III various ways. He had the habit of
gathering together bits of old iron, cop
per, and brass which other people threw
away, or gave him, or sold him for tri-
fie; and every few months he would gather
his hoard together and drag il to the store
III his go-cart for grand clearing out sale.
The money went right into mothers pock-
ct always. In the winter he would smoke
the neighbours pork hams in little smoke
house that he built himself. This brought
in many a clean sixpcnce. Then. in the
summertime, he used to drive up cows
for different families in the village. from
the Beech Woods pasture. He had as
many as ten under his care sometimes,
and he got sixpcnce week from each per
son whose COW he drove. and shilling
from DIR. Bell, who lives over the river.
As early as four o'clock of June morn
ing, when had been taking my custom
ary walks, | have seen johnny Curtis let
ting down the bars of the Beech Woods
paStuLc. to let his cows out, to be driven
up to milk at their different owners houS-
es, and back again to pastrlIc before John
ny got his breakfast. How the little tel-
low managed to get the cows together
from all parts of that great pasture. por-
ton of which was covered with a deep
wood. might have been mystery to the
unsophis,icatcd. But the COWS were al
ways either at the bars or within hail
The ground under that solitary old acorn
tree near the bars was as bare as nv
schoOl-vard, where the COWS had lain.
chewing their cuds and waiting for john
ny; and when they were not there he
would mount into the tree and cry " Bos :.
Come. bos. Come, bos." and the cows
would trot up to him with full uddcrs
swinging.
SO Johnny was great help to his poor,
worse than widowed mother. At the
same time his school was not neglected.
lie was as regular in attendance as the
master himself. Johnny was not a boy
to shine much, and in composition and
defamation he was very backward He
, was smaller even than his age would war
rant, and generally wore quiet, half
dreamy air that did not promise very great
things for his future One would have
thought, who did not know Johnny, that
he had no energy at all : but his deeds
told another story. His mother knew bet
ter, can assure you.
| was sorry, in view of all johnny 5
good qualities that he had the reputation
Of being coward among his fellows, He
; was so meek that it was next to an i'm
possibility to put an atfront upon him.
TO tell the truth, however, he was too
well liked by his comrades to be put to
that test often. do not remember hav-
ing known Of but one instance of the sort.
There was black-eyed, long haired, for
, eign boy who came to Dale Manor to live
one summer when johnny was about
twelve years old. don't know really of
what country he was his name was
Mark Lowcnstein-a German name, but
think he had more Italian than German
blood in him. His father kept livery
stable at tue hotel, and sent his boy to my
school. He affronted johnny very sauci-
ly one day-called him vile name, and
dared him to fight. Johnny just turned
his back and walked away, and Mark
Lowenstein followed him and struck him
an ugly blow in the face with the back of
his hard hand. | had seen the whole
transaction, and took Mark into custody.
., l do believe Johnny felt worse about that
than he did at being struck | shall nev-
er forget the scene presented by those two
: boys as they stood before me then; for,
/ later events in which they have been ac-
tors have made them more than heroes OF
romance. Johnny, with his soft blue
eyes and sturdy little figure, wiping the
blood from his face with his red silk hand
kerchlef; Mark, with his sullen black eve,
and tall, 1.-the form, waiting his sentence.
r 6 | am as much to blame as he is. Mr..
e Baldwin" said Johnny. You should
have seen the .StOniShcd paze vo,,nr 7 ~
wenstein shot from his black eyes at this .
+ " You to blame said | !; "What did
: Won do. John -