Des Arc weekly citizen., 1869-01-19

| well, we had capital tune, jus
 that pleasant haze hung over the wholt
 Into the pasture.-by the second
 trees.-and under them,- fingers wei
 pricked, bags all the time growin
 fuller and fuller. Then the afternoo
 lunch. which well compensated th abstenliousness of the mornings, thel a sharp game at ball with the chestnu burs--and even the smallest boys wer made to catch them bravcly-and, a the spines ran into their plump littl, hands, to cry, ''Pain is no evil!' 4 l first-rate frolic-every minute a sue cess. The sun would steal down, bu for once, though we had not too mucl time, we seemed to have enough to ge through without a hurry. We big boys were responsible for the young sters. and we had them safely up or the Holdemess road, by Clapp's grand. mothers, Tom Lynch driving and the little ones piled in-Sarah Clavers ir front-with the chestnut-bags, when the sun went down.
 By the time it was pitch dark we were at home, and were warmly wei. comed by the master and sMiss Try 'phosa. Good soul, she even made dip toast for our suppers, and had hot ap- pies waiting for us between the andl- rons. The boys rushed in shouting, scattered to wash their hands, and to get her to pick out the thorns, and some of our fellows 10 put on some oi the chestnuts to boil. For me. stepped into the school-room, and, in the dark. moved the minute-hand oi the clock back two bours. Before long we all gathered at tea--the master with us, as was his custom in the evening.
 Alter we had told our times, as we hig boys sat picking over chstnuts, af- ter the little ones had been excused, Miss Tryphosa said. Well. boys, am sure am much indebted to you for one nice long afternoon" My cheeks finglcd a little. and when the master said, "Yes, the afternoon fairly made up the short-colnings of the morning.. did not dare to look him in the face. Singleton slipped off from table, and l think he then went ard replaced the watch-keys.
 The next day, as we sat in algebra. the clock struck twelve instead oi ten. The master went and stopped the strik- ing part. Did he look at me when he did so? He is now Bishop of New Archangel. Will he perhaps write me Il line to tell me? And that afternoon. when Brereton was on his Scientific Dialogues. actually the master said to him, Il will go back to the last lesson. Brercion. What is the length of a seconds pendulum And Brercton told him. What should you think tue beat of our pendulum here ?" said the doctor, opening the case. Brcreton could not tell and the master explain- rd; that this pendulum was five feel long. That the time otthe oscillations of two pendulums was as the square root of the lengths. Brereton had already said SO he was set to calculate on the board the square root of sixty inches. and the square root of the seconds pendulum, 39l39. I have remembered that to this day. So he found out the beat of our pendulum and then we verified it by the masters watch. which was going thatafternoon. Then with perfect cold blood the mas ter said, And ii you wanted to make the pendulum 90 twice as fast, Brcre- ton, what would you do?" And Brereton, innocent as Psyche, but eager as Pallas Athene, said, of course that he would take the square root ei five. divide it by two, and square the quotient. .'The square is 1925 said he, rapidly. Fl would cut the rod at one foot two and quarter inches from the pivot, and hang on the bob there. ;
 "Very good said the master, GOT. more simply you move the bob up three quarters of the way So saying he gave us the next lesson. Did he know. or did he not know? Singleton and l looked calmly on. but showed neither guiltno curiosity.
 Dear Master. if there Is ink and pa ,,n in. A T say. did you know, or did you not know? Accept this as my confession. and grant absolution to me, being peni- tent.
 Dear master and dear reader, am not so penitent but will own, that, in a thousand public meetings since, l have wished some spirited boy had privately run the pendulum bob up to the very pivot of the rod. Yes, and there have been thousand nice after 'noons at home, or at Georges, or wi'h Halliburton, or with Liston. or with you. when I have wished l could stretch the rod-the resf of you uncon- scious-till it was ten times as long.
 Dear master, am your atieetlona'e
 FRED. INaHAM.
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 -yjcksburg has Il musical wonder. A negro girl, raised in Hinds county as black as the ace of spades, IS years old. ignorant of the notes, and unable to spell the simplest word. can play exouisitely oih the piano. ''She can