The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-12-04
PACING THE MUSIC.

AAo PAS'"~A6 iSPiy IL 'AA"' "
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FACING THE MUSIC.
It was wild, dreary place whore tho lit
tie red school no use stood. with it's back to
= mill pond, and fankcd upon either side
by low bushes and evergreen shrubs amid
which many wild school boy had sported
in boyish thoughtlessness Of freedom.
Fronting it, was the road scarcely of legal
| width, and beyond, the bold forest rose in
all its native wilderness.
| 1t was surely . dreary place to locate =
school-room, and many wild scenes were
| performed there. In my manhood's days
| had visited the place, changed, it is true,
| from what 1t Was twenty years since /; but
still the old sehool-house stands there, and
| still the young ideas are there trained in
the ways OF worldly wisdom. The paint
| which was 20 brigh. and red in its fresh
| ness twenty years since, is now faded and
| washed to almost nameIess hue, blu. still it
| is not renewed. Within, the seats and
desks bear the marks and cuts of a quarter
OF century's service, under the hands and
knives of Young America - Need l say
| more?
| The building does not seem what it was
twenty years since. Looking back, haHy
veil seems hung before me, behind which
appear the scenes that have 20 long since
passed away. Then the youth of tender
( age received Instructions during the sum
mer at the hands of some enterprising miss;
while in the winter time those of more ma
ture years, who couldn't De spared from the
ia, m in summer, FASTENED to make amends
for the deprivations. Swapping fellows
l Of hov
and stature. But they realized the value
of education, and were not ashamed to
study tor It's possession.
This was the rule, but there were ex
options, as more than enc teacher learned
to his sorrow.
| Very naturally q school room full OF men
is no, so easy to manage if bent upon mis-,
chief, 90 they were at times. If the master
possessed the night kind Of tsmperA VIC Mt
and Was willing to submit to occasional
abuse--sllowing certain Of the scholars
their own way in all things-he Was quite
likely to maintain his position during the
term, il no outside influence were brought
to bear upon him but should be dare to
stand upon his dignity and rights, an IRE
prescribe CONFLICT was at once inaugurxted,
in which the teacher, being single handed,
generally bad the worst.
| A singular case occurred one winter,
which have fresh in my mind. Two OF
the scholars we're really the prime leaders
Of all offensive movements; the balance
merely joined the melee when it was set in
motion These ring leaders were Ben
I Winslov, tall, strapping fellow of twenty,
and Anthony Reeves, a youth scarcely less
gigantic in frame. To these might be
added the latter's sister, Henrietta, a great
awkward girl OF seventeen, to whom the
rough attentions of Ben Winslow we're re-
markably acceptable.
In fact, it would scarcely be wrong to say
that she vas more to blame for many of
the outbreaks than either of the boys, since
she often reused the anger of the teachers,
when both Of the gallants felt called upon
to Zee to her assistance. One teacher had
already been forcibly elected from the
school hoase-after which he left in dis
gust, leaving Us to enjoy q vacation until
another could be found to fill his place
AT the end OF q week, word WAS circula-
ted that = person had been engaged who
would undertake TO teach out the term, and
| that school would re,commence on the fol-
lowing Monday.
The day came, and a snowstorm was
raging. Still most of us met at the school
pied in bulldog . FIRE, upon our arrival
One of the boys had been engaged to per-
form the task, but, upon his arrival, the
new master found the stove filled With
snow.
lie greeted MS with easy self possession,
rensrkinH rs he 70 We from his knees
ut is too bad the snow collects in our
etovs 20; We must try snd remedy that in
some manner"
| These words sounded omiuously in my
| ears. | fancied that beneath that Joking
manner lay some stern stuff | had waited
for him to rise that could see what kind
OF = man he was.
l was somewhat disappointed on seeing
him lay aside his hat and overcoat. | had
certainly expected the committee to engage
q modern hercules to overawe the insubor>
dinates; but it was not SO.
/ Adolphus Graham-so no called himself
was not above the medium size, appear
ing but boy beside such as Ben and An
thony. His face vas thin, pale and intcl>
lectual, with high brow and much firm>
ness Of character indicated upon the fea.
lures. A pleasant emile fingered about the
mouth, and felt in . momont that he
would DO an excellent teacher in good
school; but how would it be in this case ,
| An that was the question
In due time the bell was rung, and most
Of the scholars took their seats. Ben and
one or two others fingered about the stove,
whispering and taking for some time but
no notice was taken of them, and they e.
nally followed suit.
Not much was done. The names oil
those present we're taken, skeletons Of
classes organized, and the time of recitation
gwen out. This occupied most of the fore.
noon. Meantime the tumult had beer
such as | never saw ia q school-room be-
fore. Scholars laughed, whispered, moved
about the room, and went out and in al
option.
No word was spoken by the master
That calm, smiling face surveyed every
thing, but no word was uttered | wa.
dumb with astopishmens; never saw any