The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-28
THJNDER-ST
ABealltifulS STORY

unpaIuted, wooden building, winch, isoi"seo
and lonely, stood upon the outskirts OF
country village.
Tn, d,s,r,ct sch DOL houses flor, for what
other earthly purpose than a district school
house could the Ingenuity Of man have de-
signed that dresry plsce?) stood q little re.
moved from the dusty highway. from which
however, no trim paling divided it; the stone
walls which bounded the ad AGENT lots were
in 8 neglected and tumb down condition;
she turf around The door was bare trodden
and dead;lhe few shade trees (origiually lief,
by the building committee" to shelter their
work, aud possibly hide its deformi,esl we're
hacked Ind hewed, broken and dead: and
the place had altogether that unhappy, de
serted look which 40 often, in the country,
distinguishes these outer courts of the tenn
pie OF literature, aud sometimes suggests the
inquiry whether, it there il a "royal road 70
learning il might not be well TO erect sta.
ton houses more suitable to the comfort Of
the young travellers on the route
The door burst open, and 8 noisy crew OF
hall grown boys and girls came trooP'os
out, followed by score o. two OF lio
Juvenile aspirants to literary distinc'ion VIZ
clumsy, grsceless gam bos, einsn OF AP'sh
erinsces, rude shouts and jeers ana cries
and wells and all the various tnmean1ng
and unnecessary noises which vulgar boy
hood finds delight in giving uttersnce TO.
They spread themselves out into the road,
end graduslly dropping off q, their several
turnings, the rude clsmor lessened by de-
grees, until, as the latest strsggler, who
had been impeded by the enforced coupan-
ionship Of a brace of younger brothers
Disappeared in the sunny distance, silence
settled again upon the scene of their
exodus.
But see they have left the door open
behind them and we may venture survey
OF the interior of the place where these
rough young colts, who are, perhaps, train.
ing for the heights of Parnassus, are first
broken IN and taught their PAGES.
The door step, q broken milestone, is
Uttered over with chips and stones, shells,
stalks, and leaves; and the door sill is
broken and settled but never mind, we can
enter. Inside is large, bare, high room,
with its numerous and uushaded windows,
high up in the walls, which, once white
washed, and ow yellow, weather stained
time worn, and SCARED by lack knives, and
grim with the imprint OF successive hundreds
OF little, dirty bands. The Imprinted floor
is strewed with bits OF waste paper, straw,
and other rubbish-sll the nameless detris
which seem naturally TO collect around the
roots OF literature. and from which, perhaps,
il vegetables.
No sound disturbs us here save the sharp,
mouotouous "iick tack, tick TACK Of the
coarse wooden clock 10 the corner, the tar
nished pendulum of which swings back and
forth with a nervous, 5pssmodic Jerk, as If
IrrItated by the dullness of the place, il
counted the time grudgingly, and with u
sharp bitterness, feeling that 1t might be
doing something better with sll its weights
sDd wheels; aud the hum of the idle flies,
dronIug lazily 10 the dim window
panes where the sun shines hottest, rising
occasionally to q sharper, shriller sound,
when some rope wa king spider, disdaining
balance pole, dartlng along his hair hung
path with the agility Of second Blondin,
clasps the luckless singer in his trescherous
mbracs, and, despite it's struggles aud
resistance, calmly plnion ITS legs and
wings. and spins a shroud over its still
LIVING victim.
But the room though silent, is not wholly
deserted Look around 10 the masters
desk Sis a graceful and fashionsbly dressed
oung man he is leaning forward, with his
white, geutIemsnly hands clssped together
and resting upon the corner of the desk be
tor- hin; on them rests his head, his fine
hair falling over the casped hands, his
handsome features clouded with care or
grief, and his downcast eyes hun with
moisture which only bis strong. earnest,
maniy self control could keep from breaking
forth into unmsnly tears for Robert Mid
dieton. though he sat there in his chair Of
state, legally constituted ruler and teacher,
and duly chosen, elected and invested with
authority by the sage school committee of
j., to rule with undivided SWAY
SIS principal of their district school,
was himself undergraduates in far
higher school-the schOoi OF adversely
[ 10 the age of eighteen years, Z bert
Middleton had been the pet and favorite of
fortune: and then, with that sudden tickle
ness which has been said TO be one OF her
feminine characteristics, the capricious
goddess had cast him Off and houted him.
and frowned upon him, and turned her facs
away like very coquette, not even letting
him know when or how he had offended
her.
The father Of the young teacher, the elder
Mr. Middleton; wealthy and prosperous
merchant was early Left wido ~er, and
Robert, his only child, the pride ard
delight Of his heart: hu. his parental love
though natural and bameless in feeling, had
been unfortunate in the mode OF Expression
Ht iatHrE UhI tDEnLltHctu B!4t III DUsthEttl.
aud under the restraints of poverty he had
made his own wealth. and attaching, per
haps, undue Importance to it's advantages,
he desirous that his only child should
eDjO7 all the accessories to comfort which
wealth could procure, and escape all the
annoyances which stern poverty entails
This was the object with which he had
commenced his patient accommodations, and
though the end had long been obtained. be
still continued to regard it as his object; but,
unconscious 10 himself, his motive had
gradually become changed, and the pursuit
OF wealth, which had been the business of
his earlier life, mad become, IN later years,
It's pleasure. II had been for him all the
excitement Of the gaming table or the turf,
without the consciousness OF wrong doing, or
consequent selt-reproach ; tor he Wac an
honest and liberal man, exact aid punctii
nous III all his business iran~actions, giving
orsaa 10 many, aud wrougIng no man; but
"heh ne hau made sagacIous venture, or Il
succeshuI sp"cuihtion' he sui haiteTed him
self It was all tor Robert that he stlll plodded
on IN the trammels Of bus!uess-au far
Roberts ultimate good that he Kent hifnself
too much immersed in commercial ,nr-n;,.
to give the boy his personal attention. or
even cultivate his acquaintance; and, con.e
quently Robert knew his father only as the
latter knew his banking house-es the
institution from which he WAS enttieC 10
draw his funds.
But money, even when honestly made and
worthiiy used, is not always to be securely
held The wheel ef fortune is always turn
ing. and Two ar three revolutions Gifts spokes
served to dlssipate the labored accumuia-
eons OF years Fortunately. the merchant
oid not live to see it: he died quite uucou-
scicus OF the impending ruin: died srppos,ng
ne left Robert to the endowment of a Prince.
ly fortune; aud the world Tho commercial
world IN which he lved) believed SO too
and fastened to tffer its allegiance TO the
young millionaire