Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-11-19
Upon the stand.

Upon the stand.
ny KATE W. HAMILTON.
The r'no trees around the little frame
sohooihcssc bagan to nod knowingly to each
9th .sA Asir shadows heightened in the
long summer afternoon The old school
clock rang out four in sharp, querulous
way, as il it said q" There hope I'm
done striking study hours for one day, and
can run in peace little while without
everybody wishing I'd hurry The wind
bore the sound through the open door into
the entry, and a slight expectant rustic and
stir began among the straw hats, dinner
baskets aud sun-bonnets, as if they were
making to 60. Inside the movement was
not go slight; and it required all the teach.
er's watchfulness to preserve order during
the closing oxercises--the reading Of a few
Bible verses. " Ye shall be wit-witnesses
unto me-" piped o shrill, monotonous voice,
and lust then there broke in sudden crash
ing and confusion as Johnny Grey, the
water-pail, and the rickety stand upon
which il had stood, rolled upon the floor to-
aethor. johnny had moved out to the end
of his seat that he might view from little
distance hewonderful mill Of empty spools,
leather wheels, pins and strings that he had
slyly established under his desk aud lean
ing incautiously against the treacherous
stand, he brought down in full1orce water
power sufficient to turn not only his mill,
but himself, and the attention of the whole
school beside.
Dolly Scudder was so startled that she
sprang to her feet, and dropped the cores
Of ali the green apples with which she had
been regalus herself Johnny muttered q
half audible " Golly :" and got upon hit
feet, with bis face very red and very solemn
and his hair dripping. The children on al
sides Uttered and giggled. 1t would re
quire more than the remaining five minutes
Of school time to restore sufficient order tC
continue the reading. The teacher saw the
hopelessness of the attempt, and gave il
up. Some other things she was almostready
to give up when the last war-whoop and
burst Of laughter had died away in the dis
tance, and with throbbing head leaning
upon her hand, she was left alone in the
dingy little temple of learning.
Her eyes wandered over the old desks
battered, nicked and carved by many {
surreptitious jack.knife, to the walls deco
rated here and there with curious specimen
Of art in charcoal and pencil, faded maps
rusty black boards, sprinkled with awkwar,
figures; and then she glanced at the hooI
sown with apple seeds, splashed with water
tracked with dust from little bare feet
Everything told of restlessness, shy mis-
chief, and dislike Of rules and order ther
was no evidence of anything better,
seemed to her. Were not all her efforts t
teach them anything higher than "eye ser
vice " useless Why attempt more thai
the mechanical routine for which she re
ceiyed her slender salary Mightshe notres
satisfied with reaching their brains as well a
she could, and letting their hearts alone ?
For they all remember Johnny Grey
exploit, and of the reading not one Of thel
will remember a word" she said, as sh
YEARLY tied on her bonnet, and turned th
key in the door.
But one of them did remember-just
word. Little Tude Veider had puzzled oy,
that three.syllabed witnesses" spellir
and re.spelling it, lest she should blund
if it came to her, and had so learned it th
she recalled it the next morning, even in Il
3 midst of cleaning house for a whole famil
Of dolls Housekeeping cares, more rea
found their way to the farmhouse sittin
room that bright Saturday morning. Mr.
Veider had commenced pairing apples f
a ! pies, but had been obliged to stop and a
tend to the milk that Huldah should ha'
c skinned an hour before. Then, before tn
d was completed, came Mr.. Veider from Il
u field, intent upon button for his shir
sleeves, and with true masculine inabili
c to help himself, and masculine impatien
) for somebody to help him immediatel
called for wife" to bring thread al
u u needle; she couldn't go Topping round
j that way"
"Oh dear" sighed Mrs Vcider, as S
J. snapped her thread after the final site
It "somo people have lives, or work wor
Z, showing-a whole something by ITSELF b
u mine is just made up Of odds and ends
) scraps left from other peoples gowns-li
" patchwork quilt"
y y THE quilts have patterns, Susan, pret
patterns when they're done. I've made Z
many a time stars and diamonds" Q
:, swered the aged grandmother, in her slo
=. rambling way
y MA! ma" suddenly broke in Tud
u childish treble, 81 can spell partic'
long word witnesses, cause twas in {
~ lesson yesterday 'Ye shall be witues
- unto me.
"Yes, witnesses unto Him." interpo'
the grandmother's quaint, uncertain spec
., again, as she looked up from her sun
~ nook by the window, and let fall from
~ ~ trembling hands the knitting, the only We
~ ~ that ever busted them now. His v
~ =, nesses; that's what we all are, always"
~ ~ Mrs. Veider scarcely heard. She '
~ hurried, worried, and, moreover, used
!" these broken threads Of talk. "Gral
'' mother would commence anywhere, and
ways end nowhere she was wont to say
Lu her remarks; aud now she put away thi
"' bic aud needle, and hastened to the kitcl
IA " iOoh uiltI iluidhh oiho " Sht''iNH
" commission They were sure to be nun
- Gus enough. Huldah was the trial OF
life, and much more resigned to occl
o' that position than Mrs Veider was Of b
w ing her do so.
She (Huldah) was leaning idly on
kitchen window--a 1.-the, brown, slen
lg' girl Of fourteen, with large black eyes
lr- straight dark hair that was always find
ng its way out of net and braid, and hang
IS about her shoulders in a wild way, '
tn aggravating to tidy Aunt Veider.
he lady saw it the first thing on her returI
the kitchen.
"Busy doing nothing, Huldah ?"
IN asked, with tone Of courtesy in her yo
ON Yesm--as usual" said Huldah,
ior renely.
to, IL should think you might have fnlr
y" pairing those apples for me your hair lc
as though you had been flying round III
tie hurricane. Well, ifyou won't do anyti
be- else, you can 60 out to the barn and b
l2"lmc some eggs to make the cake with"