Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-11

The Fish L Didn't Catch.
remember nay first fishing excursion as If =;
were but yesterday i have been happy many
times in my life, but never more intensely 80
than when | received that first fishing pole
from ny uncie's hand and tTudged Oft with
him through tie woods and meadows Ii was
q still, sweet day of early summer the long
afternoon shadows Of the trees lay cool across
path the leaves seemed greener, the iow-
ers bTIghteT, the birds merrer than ever be
fore. Wy uncle, who knew by long expert
eDce where We're the best haunts of pickerel,
CONSIDERABLY placed me at the most favorite
point. | threw out my line as | had so often
seen others, and waited anxiOusly for bite,
moving In rapid Jerks on the surface of the
water, IN imitation OF the leaping frog. Moth
ing came of it. " Try again, said my uncle.
Suddenly the bait sank out Of sight. Now
for IT, thought |, " here is n fish at lasi," |
made strong pull, and brought up tangle
of weed. Again and again 1 cast out my line
with ching arms, ana drew it back empty.
| looked TO my uncle appealingly. " Try once
more,' he said, - we fishermen must nave pa
tIence.
Suddenly, something tugged away ut my
line and swept of with II into deep water.
Jerking it up, | saw Il fine pickerel wriggIng
IN the sun. - l ncle - | cried, looking back
in uncomfortable excitement. I've got Il
fish - - Not yet" said my uncle. As he
spoke there was piash 10 the water | caught
the arrOwy glcam OF a scared fish shooting IN
to the middle of the stream my hook hung
empty from the line. | had lost my prize.
We are apt to speak OF the sorrows of child
hood trlhes IN comparison with those of
grown-up people but we may depend upon
1t, the young folks don't agree with Us. Our
grlefs modified and restrained by reason, expe-
rlence and self-respect, keep the Iroprleties,
and If possible avoid scene but the sorrow
OF childhood, unreasonable and all-absOrbIng,
Is a complete abandonment TO the passion D.
The doll 5 nose Is broken, anu Tie world breaks
up with it the marble rolls out OF sight, and
the solid globe rolls off with the marble.
SO, overcome by my great and bitter disap-
poinJment, | sat down the nearest has>ock,
and tor = time refused 10 be cOmfOrted, even
by my uncle assurance that there were more
fish IN the brook. He rehEted my bait, and,
putting the pole again in my hands, told me
TO try once more.
- But remember, boy ne said, with his
shrewd smile, " never brag Of catching a fish
until he Is on dry ground. I've seen older
folks doing that IN more ways thAa one, and
50 making fools OF themselves. It's no Use to
boast OF any thing until it's done; nor then
either, for 1t speaks for itself
How often since have been reminded of
the fish that J didn't catch When hear
people boasting OF d work yet undone, and
trying to anticipate the credit whIch belongs
only TO actual achievement call to mlnd that
scene by the broOk-side, aud ihe wise caution
OF my uncle Ia Ina particular instance takes
the form Of d proyeEb Of universal application
" Never brag Of your fish before you catch
him -. q. Whltl.er.
EDUCATION or rHE BLACK RACK.-A writer
III 4 Mississippi jOurnal-the jack -on -HtsSlS
sIDpIan- estimates tuau there are milhon of
neprOes III the southern states TO be educated
of whom three hundred thousand are ready to
be received az pupils the schools The
temper OF the article is spltetui against the
Ysnkees-the employment OF whom, as teach
ers, the writer deprecates-but ne fully admits
! the capacity u3 the negro tor improvement,
| and his desire for the acquisition OF know
! ledge On this head he remarks
! - " here could lie (the teacher) ind more
/ docile quiet and Obedlent set OF little fellows
! than among the children of those who have
| all their lives obeyed. and would instinctyely
| require il of their offspring The law and
the wish OF the parent would allow Of such
discipline would keep good order N school.
The time allowed the mother from her
weekly toll would enable her 10 keep the lit
lie fellows nicely and decently clad. am
satisfied from observation and repeated con
versatious with them on the subject that next
70 their freedom is The desire 30 improve their
minds. dJ not say 1t Is 50 with all cf them
nor is u the case with uii white persons, but
| am satisfied it is So with the better ted
and better minded of the black population
such as Will give more pleasure and less
trouble in their management T. C4eIr em
ployer.
1t probably matters very litsIe who the
first teachers Of the black race at the South
whether they be from the North, as they in
ali probability will be, or whether-as the
writer in the MissiSsipPsan deslres-5hey be
from the southern white population, who
however, at present, cannot supply any con
siderable number OF them. In short time
the blacks will have teachers OF their own
color in sufficient numbers.
In Augusta the colored schools have been
doing very WELL according to the Dispatch
which reports that the negroes have - ten
teachers, five day schools five night schools
one thousand one hundred and ten scholars
enrolled /; average daily attendance, seven
| hundred and tbIrty-nine number of those
| reading, four hundred and fortythrec MUM
Der writing, one hundred and sixt 1.-TWO. The
amount Of funds contributed by the colored
people themselves toward their own education
is S278. At Savannah, Macon, Columbus
and Augusta they have teachers, elghty-nine
schools s.xtv-two /; sch liars enrolled, SIX thou
daily attendance, not given ; readers, I"
thousand six hundred and nineteen writers
one thousand twenty. Amount of cash con-
tributed. five hundred and thirty eight dollars
At an exhibition of the freedmen = schools il
Augusta, d sprightly quadroon, with lone
curls, rected valedictory, and the perform
ance ended with the singing Of the Battle
song of Freedom.
| TIE UPAs TREE.-The story that the pat
tree of the Island of Java exnaies d poislon-
| Gus arena, the breathing of which causes in
| stant death, is now known to DE false The
tree Itself seer Jes u juice which Is deadij
poison, but Its AROMA odor Is harmless
| Strychnine is made from the seeds of tht
| Upas tree. Inc story that there Is d poisoned
valley IN Java where this tree grows, IS false
| Such is the Ot ia distr CT, the atInUs
phere Ct which produces death. The effect
however, l. not occasloned by the pas tree
but by an extinct volcano rear Batar, caileC
| Geneva Upa5. From the Old crater and ad
Joining valley, Is exhaied carbonic gas, such a
often extInguishes life in this country, in old
wells and foul places. This deadly atmos
phere kills every created thing which comes
within It's range birds, beasts and men. b.
Il confusion OF names, the poisoning effects o
this deadly valley have been ascrlbed TO th'
/ Upas tree.
A BEAUTIFUL lLLUsrKATIoN.-Tne follow
ing paragraph by DIR. Holmes contains
beautiful and truthful Illustration
Ii one should give me dish OF stud an
tell me there were PARTICLES OF iron in it,