Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-22

in a breath, he done did it; done chunk
de bench, an dash we all on de flo'.1
"Why, Charlie / said, "whal made
you do that 2"
II does hate girls" said Charlie and
he seemed to consider that good and suth.
Gent reason for upsetting bench full OF
them.
But they very soon got over all this, and
became as quiet and orderly as one could
desire; and ! never saw any children at
the North so eager to learn. or who tnod
so hard as these. There parents were all
very poor, and but few of them were able
to get books tor ,he.r children, SO many
of the boys used to work after school
hours and earn money TO buy their own
books. One little fellow only seven years
old had looked with longing eyes, as day
after day aud another came with a primer.
AT last | missed him. He was gone Il
week then came with primer which he
showed i'll triumph. L" Done got my book"
he said. He was such little fellow that
never thought of his having bought
it himself, so said, " | am very glad.
Who gave it to YOU ?n lie drew himself
up with the offended dignity as he answer
ed, 4" Did nj nobody CUB it to me Oar
don't nobody buy my books buys UNI N.Y.
se's.n
"Where did you get your money ?"
asked
"Done kotch bait for it."
lie had caught small fish which he sold
to the fishermen for bait, and saving up
the pennies he earned in this way, at last
had enough to buy book. The boys had
all sorts Of ways of making money, and
knew quite we'll how to take care OF their
own interests. One boy ten years old, as
soon us he could read in the primer started
u night school. They We're several men
who wanted to learn TO read, but us they
were at work all day they had no chance
to 90 to school, They engaged little Dick
to teach them in the Evening, paying him
five cents u week each. He always insisted
upon being paid in advance. | asked him
why that was.
CIV ELL" he said, 81 dunno notfin' bout
dem ar men dey mout 60 off any time,
an ei dey's got dar weeks larnin' fus',
mout whistle for my money. But Sc
only IA chile. can't go nowhars wldout my
nanny, an eff dey pays dar money dey's
sho' huff ter git de larnin'.n
| thought that was brigh. enough for a
Yankee boy He earned money in this
way to buy all the books he needed, and
put quite a little sum in the savings-bank
| besides.
These children would spend their last
cent for book, if they went without any.
thing to eat iii consequence. They did
care more to learn than to eat. Often
they would come 10 me late in the day and
say, "Please, ma'am. kin run home jes
few minutes when my class is froo? J
can't had noiiin' ter eat to-day"
"Why," | would ask, "what made you
come without your breakfast p
"llad work ter do dis mornin', an when
| ! got lroo it wor late, an Sc feared |
be late fer school, 50 | didn't wait for no
bretius"
They had no clocks their only way of
telling the time was by the sun and on
cloudy days, when they had no guide at
all, they were 50 afraid Of being late that
it was very common thing tor them to
bring their breakfast to school and eat it
there. There was one little girl who lived
more than Il mile from the school. The
roads were very bad in wet weather, and
she had to cross u brook where there was
no bridge, only stepping stoncs. After a
heavy rain the water would raise so that
the stones were entirely covered, and she
had to wade the best she could. She used
to come through storms that would have
kept many grown people in the house, and
often came into school wet to the skin, and
with water running in streams from her
clothes. For one whole year this little
girl was neither absent nor tardy.
Whenever any Of the children hpppened
TO be late, they were sure to bring some
very good excuse, though sometimes it
would be very comical, One morning
about ten o'clock "a boy came rushing, all
out Of breath, into the school-room, ex
claiming, "'Deed, ma'am, | couldn't
hep bein, late DIS mornin' not ter save my
lire. My Nanny done got a COW, an De
COW done got a calf an dc calf done ruined
away, an de COW done gone afer de calf,
an done gone afer de COW, an | spec be
late cherry mornin' now, gwine afer dis
yere,"
My class in Sunday school consisted Of
a dozen boys between the age of eight and
twelve; most of them bright, and one a
real original,--a sort Of boy lopsy unlike
anything in the wide world but Just him
self. He belonged also to my day school,
and on entering gave his name as" Chris"
Chris what ~ | asked.
Name Chris" he repeated.
But have you no other name 2"
Done tole yer my name fore; name
Chris y and be looked at me in amazement
atmy stupidity. So as "Chris' he was
. registered, and that melodious monosylla-
bic was the only name he ever acknowl-
edged.