The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-25
ghs 1ailg Argns,
From the New York World.
The Village School-Master


The verses appended hereto must he
familiar to every reader of newspapers in
the United States, as there is scarcely n
journal between the two oceans that has
not republished them more than once in
the ten years of their existence. Aside
however, from the beauty of sentiment and
tenderness of expression which shonld
have been sufficient to assure such lasting
popularity, it cannot be doubted that their
pertinacity OF circulation is larely due 10 =
typographical blnnder first in a country
paper, and then in the Times, Of this city
by which they were attributed to the pen
OF Charles Dickens. Ii is safe to say that
the illustrious English novelist could no
more have produced them than their true
author could have written David Copper-
field for Dickens was VIGOROUSLY without
the faculty Of verslfication, and excepting
the not artistically remarkable song OF
THE Ivy Green in ''Pickwick, and some
trifiing rhyming in prose form in the
Cricket on the Hearth, he never turned a
passably smooth stanza in his life. Poetic
thought he had, of course, but no facility
OF rightly poetic execution. The verses in
question, 50 often ignorantly quoted as his
credited when appearing 10 the contribu-
tional sections of his later Christmas sto-
riesl, were really written in or about the
year 1862 by Mr.. Charles S. Tor II Dick
enson, nephew of the late Daniel s. Dick
ensou, at that time teaching village school
near Binghamton, in this State, in the in
| terval between the close Of his collegiate
studies and his adoption of his present pro
tessil of law First appearing in print
over the signature of The Village School
Master, in weekly literary paper in this
city, Of which the present commentator
was then editor, they were subsequently
included in volume of poetic compilations
/ by the late Mrs. c. NJ Kirkland, with the
author full name, and so passed into wide
circulation Four or FIVE years ago the
types OF a copying rural Journal abbreyia
! ted Mr.. Dickinson name by two letters
and thence the loDg-eontinued blunder:
THE CHILDREN.
| When the lessons and tasks are all ended,
1 And tae school for the day is dismissed,
And the little ones gather around me
| To bid me good night and be kissed;
Oh, the little white arms that encircle
My neck in tender embrace
| Ga. the smiles that are halos OF heaven,
Shedding sunshine OF love on my face,
! And when they are gone sit dreaming
OF my childhood too lovely to last;
/ OF love that my heart will remember,
" hen it wakes 70 the pulse of the past,
Ere the woild and its wickedness made
A partner Of sorrow and sin,
When the glory Of God was about me,
And the glory of gladness within.
Oh my heart grows as weak as a woman's,
And the fountains Of feeling viii flow,
When think OF the paths, steep and stony.
Where the feet Of the dear ones must go;
OF the mountains of sin hanging DER them,
OF the tempest of fate blowing wild;
Oh there's nothing on earth half so holy
As the innocent heart OF a child
They are idols Of hearts and of households;
They are angels of God in disguise;
And his sunlight still sleeps in their fresses,
And his glory still CLEANS in their eyes
Oh those truants from home and from heaven,
They have made me more manly and mia
And know how our Savienr could liken
The kingdom of God 10 child.
ask not life for the dear ones,
All radiant, Others have done,
But that life may have just enough shadow
To temper the glare of the sun;
woHld pray God 10 guard them from evil
Bat my prayer would bound back to myself;
/ All a seraph may pray for sinner
But sinner must pray for himself
The rwig ia 50 easily bended
have banished the rale and the rod;
have taught them the goodness Of knowledge.
: They have taught ne the goodness of God;
7 My heart If dungson OF darkness,
Where shut them for breaking rule;
Ny frown Is sufficient correction;
Ny love is the law of the school
. ] shall leave the old house in the autumn,
: To traverse the threshold more;
/ All how shall sigh for the dear ones,
Co. That meet me each morn AT the door;
/ / shall miss the good nights and thu kisses.
And the gush of their innocent gler.
The group on the green, and the flowers
That are brought every morning 10 me.
( shall miss them at morn and at evening,
Their song in the school and the str ct;
! shuli nil he lnV-b an of f4.-ir yft1T
And the pat Of their delicate feet.
n When the lesson and tasks are all ended.
. And death SAYS the school j. dismissed. ="
4 May the little ones gather around me.
a To bid me good night and be kissed