Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-15
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Have you forgotten thenf whsa. from all
the region about they gathered to the log school
house. With i,s huge FIRE pl.c,. which y.vned
Ike the main entrance OF A,ernus How the
sleigh beils-ths old fashioned bells. big In the
middle Of The string. aud crossing small By 90
grees and beautifully less toward toe trosd brsss
buckles-chmed In every direction long before
night-,he gathesing Of the clans. There came
70 our school 1.-The Naster"-giye him a capital,
for be il entitled 10 it-Master and ell bunded
10 one huge, red. double sleigh, stresn with an
abundance Of straw. and tucked up ike Christ
mas PIE. with . score Of buffalo robes. There
we're half dozen cutters. each with young
man and maiden. they two and no more And
then again pair Of Jumpers, mounting great
outiandish looking bin. hesped Up. pressed down
and running over, Scripture measure, with q
small collection OF humanity packed up 60
route from . dozen homes. and all as merry as
kittens in . bxsket Of WOOL. And the bright
eyes, ripe, red lips, that one caught glimpse Of
beneath those pink lined quilted HOODS, and the
silvery laugh that escaped the mufflers and fur
tippets they wore then-who does not rene mber,
Who can ever forget thenl
The school house. destined TO be the srens Of
conflict. has been swept and gsrnished; boughs
Of evergreen adorn the smoke stained and bat
tered walls. The pellets Of cbewed psper have
all been swept from the ceiling. and two pals OF
water been brought from the spring, and set Oh
Q bench in the enry-rith an memorial Tin
cup-a wise provision. indeed. for warm is that
spelling room,
The big BOYS have famed and replenished
the FIRE, ill the old chimney fairly Jars with
the roaring flames. and the sparks fy out of
the top. like furnace. the oriAamme OF the bat
tie.
The two masters" are there; the two schools
are there. and such hum. and such a moving to
and fro! Will they susrm7
The fcrule comes down on The desk With en-
phssis. What the roll Of the drum is to armies
chat the "Iule" is to this whispering laughing
young company
The challengers are on one side Of the house,
the challenged on the other. Back seats, mid.
die seats. low front seats. all filed. Some Of
the fathers and grandfathers, who could. 10
doubt. upon occasion,
Shoulder the crutcb. and shor how fields are vop
occupy the bench OF honor near the desk
Now the preliminsr ies; the reputed best spell
er on each side choose. Susan BrOwhi" Oat
comes q round eyed little creature. blushing
like peony. Such little thing. and chosen
first.
q Moses Jones'" Out comes Moses, an awk-
ward fellow, with shock of red hair. shock
ingly harvested. surmounting his broad brow.
The girls laugh at him. but what be don't
know 10 the Elementary" isn't worth knowing
Jane Murray Out trips Jane, Aottered as
bird. and takes her place next to the caller
She's pretty girl, but a sorry speller. Don't
you hear the whispers around the housed
"Why, that's Johns sweetheart" John is the
leader. and battle lost with Jane BY his side
would be s~eeter than victory won without
her.
And 40 they 90, 4" calling names" until FIVE
or six champions stand forth 10 do battle aud
the contest Is fairly begun.
Down goes one after another "a words OF three
syllables followed by those OF four. and these
again by words Of similar pronunciation and d.
verse Specifications. until Moses and Susan re
main.
The spelling-book has been exhausted yet
there they stand Dictionaries are turned over,
memories rsn-acked for
Words Of learned length and sound,
Un,iI. by and bye. Moses comes down like tree,
and Susan futters there still little leaf alofi,
that the forest add the fan have forgotten
Polysy~liables follow. and by and by Susan
hesita,es just breath or two. and twenty tongues
are working their way through the labyrinth Of
letters in twiBkliBg. Little Susan sinks into
the chink left for her on the cIOwdei seat, and
there is a lull IN the battle
Then all stand in solid phasDx by schools and
the struggle is To spell each other down And
the Glory 10 d, clared FOR our district and The
school is dismissed
Then comes the hurryiug and bunding, the
whispering and glancing. the pairing of and
tumbling in. There hssrts that futter and
hearts that ache; "mittens" that cannot be worn;
hopes that are no, realized. and fond looks that
not returned. There is iingling among the
bells az the door one after another Of the sleghs
dash up. receive their nesting fright and ire
gone.
Our master covers the fire. and snufs out
the candles (don't YOU remember how he used TO
pinch the smoking wick With forefuger and
thumb. and then thrust each helpless lumnary
head first in the socket, and ve wait Tor him
The bells ring isintly in the woods. over the
hill. in the valley. They are gone The school
house is dark and t,aantless. and sc alone with
the night.
Merry, care-free company Some OF them are
sorrowipg. some are dead. and all, we fear, are
changed Soelll Alb the "spell'' that has come
over that crowd Of young dreamers-over YOU.
over us-wil IL ever, be dissolved? Yes.
In the white radiance OF eternity B r.
Taylor.