Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-08-21


on'y a chile. can't go nowhars widout my
nanny, an eff dey pays dar money dey's
sho' huff ter git de larnin'."
[ thought that was bright enough for
Yankee boy. He earned money in this
way to buy all the books he needed, and
put quite little sum in the savings-bank
besides.
These children would spend their last
cent for book, if they went without any
thing to eat in consequence. They did
care more to learn than to eat. Often
they would come to me late In the day and
say, "Please, ma'am, kin run home les
few minutes when my class is froo? ]
can't had nofin' ter eat to-day"
Why" [ would ask, what made you
come without your BREAKFAST
"Had work ter do dis mornin'. an when
| got froo it wor late, an Sc feared [
be late fer school, so | did MT wait for no
| brefus."
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 so afraid of being late that
it was very common thing for them to
| bring their breakfast to school and eat it
there. There was one little girl who lived
more than a mile from the school. The
roads were very bad in wet weather, and
| she had to cross a brook where there was
no bridge, only stepping stones. 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
| nff into II t, II, !
with water running in streams from her
clothes. For one whole year this little
girl was uei Their absent nor tardy.
Whenever any of the children happened
to be late, they were sure to bring some
very good excuse, though sometimes it
would be worry 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
life. My Nanny done got COW, an de
cow done got calf an de calf done ruined
away, am de cow done gone afer de calf.
an l done gone afer de Cow, an | spec be
late cherry mornin' now, gwine aFer dis
yere."
My class in Sunday school consisted of
dozen boys between the age of eight and
twelve; most of them bright, and one a
real or1ginal,-a sort of boy Iopsy unlike
anything in the wide world but lust him
self. He belonged also to my day school,
and on entering gave his name as :" Chris.D
-" Chris what ?" | asked.
Name Chris" he repeated. t.
But have you no other name ?D
Done tole yer my name fore name
Chris";; 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.
Ills dress was the most wonderful thing.
that ever was seen, and was arranged
without the least consideration of times
and seasons. On stormy winter day
when the cold seemed to pinch ones verv
bones, and an Exquimaux suit of furs
would have been comfortable and suitable,
chris would dawn upon the school in
smiling Satisfaction, t,ttired In the thinnest
possible summer clothes, and usually bare
looted. On warm spring day when every
one else thre~ aside extra wrappingS, he
would frequently appear with two suits of
wollen clothes, one over the other. and an
oyercoat that reached to his heels, the tat
tels dragging on The ground, and collect
ing a mud fringe around the edge OF the
garment. 18th this costume he wore usu
ally one boot and one shoe, OF if he so far
| contormed to fashion as to wear a pair of
boots, one leg of his pantaloons was sure
to be tucked In and the other left hanging
down. Uniformity was something that
his soul abhorred Surnnounting this
I Va sra6 Of
have paragraph all to itself.
No deception can do justice to that hat
1t was without It's like IN the wide world.
His mother had made it out Of some black
material, quilted. twas immensely large,
and the binding was sowed so tightly
round the edge that the riln-6road
enough tor Quaker-was drawn down
almost straight, and rested on his shout
ders. This article he wore wrong side out
through the week." so IS ter keep toder
side clean for Sundays explained:
and rs the lining vas of bright-eolored
calico, he looked, at little distance. as if
his head had turned into j big snowfower.
Every Sunday l read to the class some
part OF Bible history, and the next week
questioned them as to what they remem-
bered of 1t. On one occasion had taken
the story of Adame and Eve. Chris
seemed particularly interested. and aban
dOned his usual occupation of pincbinp his
nelghbors for fully five minutes to listen.
The next Sunday when l asked no could
tell me anything about our last reading,
his hand went up instantly.
''Can you tell me about it Chris ?n l
asked
Yaas'm, kin tell heap. Bow. I'll
mash your mOuf eff yer don't quit fooln,
wild me. Guess | knows as much as Won
does" This last was addressed to one of
the class who audibly expressed his
doubts as to Chris telling anything about
a lesson 1t was the first time he had at
tempted such u thing, and the children
were astonished bey ond measure. Having
quoted them, [ said, "Now, Chris: let us
hear how much you can remember
Yaas'm. De Lord done made Adam
an Eve, an put 'em in de garden oh Emil.
boy, III choke yer eyes outen yer head
eft yer don't quit rollin' 'em at mel Dew
get long we'll huff till Eve done eat de
apple, den she carry enc % Adam an,
c'tss at him to eat it, an den dev done
druV 'em outen de garden, an put an in
SS"e a' ue gaze 10 keep >em from comm
back"
" hat kind of an engine was il, Chris?D
asked, whe-2 he paused breathless.
Ftrc-a'agane, ma'am," responded Chris,
trlumphantly. He had understood angei
as angane, and this accounted for his infer
est IN The story. lie had once seen fire.
engine that had greatly interested him, and
nothing could persuade him that it was
not the very Same article that had barred
the gates of Eden against the return of
the exiled pair.
Almost match for Chris in oddity was
his neighbor Peter; but there Was this
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. learned readily, and as
rule understandingly, and VAS a re-
markably intelligent boy for his age and
advantages, or rather disadvantages.