The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-04
gsSyYSsE sfYsssf. and Hseisa'
stos, Dssr. ff.srt


amer hearing the reading lessons every soun5
Iady will read an original composition, anu
a,sry vornr man will commit piece ell; ~
memory. of poetry or prose. which h Gu r.
snse,r from this stand, and those WI" '''''
do either will be punished. -. tho hrowa
u" thn ,nersniration started on ehe "iom9
IL" I'll ,uesaas the solemn sI,eeeh rs"
Vi .no ' Tve, the boz who had rat ms ii.i nt
,a.'I, nn5er the deck, and placed one lu1.
. ~ VI t,,s ai,lc. ready to ago y at the M9iur
e s. .an , Is dismissed. pulled Of his lni1.els
"a r.;.sn searching fora book to lake AouiG
~ H.a ~ y something out off, and whispered
~ -, surh % adarn il, conlound thc
lnc J.' cane an from behind the desks, anc
IA Cit Nc if there was to be IN eclipse ana no
,,,.ss hsd been smoked, except the ono smart
han who had "rather speak than not,",ahd
ii,e girls WHO had big sisters at boarding,
schools. whose previous literary efforts a'
homo afforded rare chances for plagiarism,
which by little help would Deceive 'ne
teacher. ,..lt -, ~, ,.,.;,.os
the forenoon Is passed III the usual manner,
mt at noon there is decided cian2e u!'ue
in the appearance Of the scholars ana scnoo!:
room. The ..bir girls" are "Gfessed UP
cnr tho occasion. Their gowns are OF lll,e,
trv,ure than those worn during tie "ceh
Sn,na are adorned with their Hlothet
"hrc,stpjnn and a pair Of prize " eor-lli,ss'
v',ite Stockings take the place OF INC .iltt.
,,,r. LI,,eD or black ones, which "ouio iio'
Innt 50 we'll on the platform for there Melr
M dresses IN train in those days; nearly az
wore "i;eau-catchers" plastered OH inc slue
If their forehcads, and charcoal from Tue nle-
niece had been used rs dcn'iiTice ouIliiS
the in,ermisson between fore ana "iici nooil.
The little barc(ootcd girls appeared Ii
i,rioht, copper-toed shoes ana tape.einI J,
cred pantalcttes OF tic Nankccn style. WIN
tn, boys there was also an attempt at ILL
proved tolet-boots had been CREASED, pa
pcr collars turned, and p0rttoh Oh theii
" Suuday-Go-to-meetin' clothes" uonneu lol
the occasion shocl.y heads OF HAIR mad been
ro,n,,,d into partial suhieclion, and the boy
viii channel hands had soaked his knuckles
in bran and water until portions Of the orI@l-
mol rnt;cle were visible The doctors SOM
cyhalcd a powerful aroma, all his fathers
tIlyoriur essences and the tavern-kcepers"
l:ny had anointed himself with Jamaica
~ a substitute for bay rum. The "mastcr,"
e maintain a dignity equal to the occasion,
had also exchanged his everyday coat for a
:. sviuy-t,il" Of fabulous length and shiny
in spots as a ducks wing. The bell rings
reading lessons are heard, books put away,
She Speaking platform cleared for work, and
the show opens.
"Samucl Snubnose !" calls the teacher; and
" Samuel" with parting glance at his books,
stun,fles along toward the stand, where he
becomes the target Of q hundred eyes, and
his face the color Of 4 turkey gobler's wat
lies. A bow. such rs he would have mad" il
brick had struck him 1T the Instant in the
back of the head, and he essays to speak:
.sThc curfcw tolls the kncll OF parting day.
The lowing ipausc herds wind slowly DER tie zen.
Observation-Disclosures 'plorghnlan '-plotighihalI
leaves the very way
And rl1d3 the dark 10 wC.!diicSS ana 10 me-
save from the ro,iGcr il T-inani!ed towcr
The moving moon doth TO The owl complain (snick-
Save tie lie he lel where the beetle wheels his best
And drowsy tnkngs lull her distant reign"
The teacher rap3 OH the desk and says :
"<Vmucl, no 'eyity;' and SAMUEL, who has
forgotten pretty nluc'l all his "ciegy,' con-
c.utlcS a fellows:
Hero rests his tlr. l,) losd snort upon the lap Of
yeartA,
4 Youth to ii'rolHnS.,t sniyReirl ri'kn0%:mi
Melancholy marked hin III lis - birlD,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.!
Sam goes to hi; seat and holds his nose to
keen from laughing o,l loud. while at a nod
from the master "Lucinda With trips, all
s.ilcs and bushes, to the platform, and,
alter kurtseyin@," proceeds to read III al
inaudiblc voice something about " lie kind
10 thy father" The teacher says louder"
aud we catch q tpW words: our father
loves YOU, and has been ut great deal OF
expense a-irnging you UP, SO you should
obey him and not -" here ensuns aJulnblc
i, init
cease, and after folding the composition
table for inspection, "i1Ttseys" and
rocs 10 her seat. "Gcorgc Francis
Sprain," SAYS the teacher, and Il spruc2-look-
in- cl;lp, whose hair y s5hse-oi!cd into curl
mess, stc,'s boldly to the front. George
likes this Gllsines<-he is going TO make II
!awver-and in slirill voice he commences:
Not many generations ago where you now
sit cnclicIcd by all tiEt cmhellisles civilized
life. the wild fox nodded in the wind, and
the thistle dug his hole unsecured and so
he goes on on, trinsposing Il sentence occa-
sionally, but mainly right, and with firm
voice to the end. We have seen George
! since lie arrived ii Mans uoia!e; he now
| stands in tbs Police Court and defends
| "drunksH tior fifty cents 4 case win or lose.
and las acquired such reputation that 4
Judge always comes Down harder OH his
clients than amy others.
! Miss Elizabeth Bra@G;areth steps forward,
and i'll Susan 3, Anthony style reads Il
| hilaiutin' description Of country liic--how
Gin the spring, when meadow larks are
warblinG, and geese squaking, she loves to
20 out into tie fields and Gull butter-cups,
and set the little lambkinS ea:liboiing on the
| green, grassy banks tsrecn faro-banks her
t; nroihe: SAID she mcant), and then return
back to hcme again once n'n'r s,imiu nclp her
mother stuff sa,sn~~&>, for if we arc not kind
! to our parents the sasscnger meat will spilc,"
and really we have forgotten the rest Of Eli
Zaleth'> composition.
Then "Chures Basllfill" starts Cor the
stand, accelerated in his motion by a pin
| thrust rs he left the seat. He bows, and see
ing b boy making faces, co,atme..sts to
smoker, until, tho ,-cc!lSr comes up by lis
4 side and t.:r$ his head with the ferule This
causes more mirth, then more raps, until he
forgets his piece, and is locked up in the
wood-boX in disgrace.
The ministers son, "Mclviile Winterhlos-
son. is then called TO show the scholars how
good boy should sacak. Melville looks as
sok,n'i as vinegar jug; his "picce" has
| been selected by his parents ,"i.i1ipaliy for
| its moral tone. H says:
81 do most earnestly wish I could induce
all youthful individuals to diyest religion of
its gloomy and rcpulsiyo ;ssoriatronS; but,
my lords, ask no respite IRON death; I am
ready to tie Tor my country, and, sink or
swim, revive and perish, am for the onion,
one and inseparable. My lords, We've mn
American, as l am an Elnli-t,ndan here
the teacher, who hos been trying to find the
original ct The orators remarks, stops the
medley, and Melville takes his seat. He had