The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-11

Of the olden school. and his pupils were taught
good manners and good morals, and such as nsd
brains had them cultivated and made the most OF.
II they did not use them i was their own fault.
and there was no false prudery, or NOOK deloacy
about the matter. We were innocent IN thought
and as q natural consequence were innocent In
speech, and were not ashamed OF our youthful
loves. All, mel would could coax old Time to
"ron back IN his fight and make me child
sgsn, Just for to night" and bring around me
that merry group Of twenty seven, Tor we had an
odd number in our olsss-tbirteen girls and thir-
teen boys. and one old bachelor, as we thought
him, the was twenty four, and reading up With
cur teacher preparatory to leaving for law
schooi) We all called him Uncle Hal, and 70 him
we went for counsel and consolation when We
raj confident and adviser. and right honorable
one was he. He was really the uncle OF my
special sweetheart, ard therefore doubly Uncle
Hal to ne. fret on bis own account and then on
Johns, and very proud was Of being great
fayorite with Uncle Hal. can tell you. OH
that beautiful playground how wish mine were
the painters art 70 linn fits beauties. Near the
bank Of the clear and placid "belle river" IL
nestled at the foot of high hills covered TO the
crown with stately trees, that thickly studded
their steep sides and bore upon their smooth bark
the impress OF all the initials 10 the class encir
cled in hearts and scrolls, clear running brook
wide and shallow, but running over white
pebbly sand. and ever singing low murmur OF
praise, except when ice-bound by the frost king
two COOL deep springs bubbling up from the
roots of some magnificent oaks. crowned with the
mystic mistletoe, with its evergreen leaves and
pale waxen berries with which We tried our for
iunes--old trees festooned With grapevihes, In
which we swung, and the boys rivsled each other
IN sending their sweethearts the highest, tho
tneled love vine, with ite yellow tardrils, creep
ing Ger bush aud bank, and still older trees jut.
ting out from the creek bank and hanging DER this
clear ripping water, making mossy benches for
Us Of their gnerled trunks. In which we would
Climb to con our lessons OF tell tales OF riddles.
The ground carpet of rich hue and woven py the
matchless hand Of Nature out Of violets, wood
sorrel, crowfoot, tho sweet blue forget me.not
and thousand other floral beauties. There arc
no flowers In dollhouse or conservatory that can
rival these early Wild children of the forest and
hillside. Then our happy half holidays or Sstur-
day excursions, when We would meet at some up.
pointed place, and, with basket In hand, start on
graping trip, or squirrel hunt, or for dshfry,
or to gather berries, ss II might be. Oh little
folks of large towns, you have little conception OF
the pleasures that the childhood OF your parents
who were reared in towns and villages, or coan-
try places, had. Your children's balls, when you
ape grown up men and women, may be nice, but
they cannot equal our outdoor sports; and then
for your ERtinees we have the travelling circus
and nensgerie-that was all the more apprecia.
ted that 1t was rare and not TO BIO had at will.
ELIZABETH.