The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-04-16
SWALLOW-TAIL.
BY RUTH CHESTERFIELD.


Andrew Truman sat i'm the doorway one
spring evening, listening to the crOaking
of the frogs, the rushing of the brook but
lately freed from its lev chains. and the
signing Of the wind among the still leaf
less branches. But although his senses
took cOgniZance of all these things, they
did not occupy his mind, save as a run
ming accompaniment to thoughts which
lay far deeper. AT length he spoke:
It's learning that makes the difference,
mother, and | mean to 90 to school and
get learning, and try to be somebody"
"No, 'taint learning. Andy" replied
his mother, who was sewing by lamp
inside the room, and to whom this an
nouncement was not altogethera surprise:
:" faint learning that makes the odds; I'll
tell you what it is-it's money! You Jest
save your money and get rich, and you'll
hold up your head with the best OF
'em."
"No, mother. it's learning does it."
persisted Andrew. "NoW there's the
minister! | wish you could see the rows
of books that mans got on his shelves.
They say he has 'em all at his tongues
end, and that's why everybody goes to
hear him preach Sundays. And there's
the doctor! Who'd care how rich he
was if he couldn't cure iem when they're
sick?"
"The doctOr!" said Mrs. Truman. dis
dainfully, "iest you let him walk afoOt
instead of ridin' in his sulky with a two
hundred-dOllar horse, and see how many
of the big-bugs would send for him! As
to the minister, | wouldn't demean my
self by saying anything against a minis
ter, but it always seemed 10 me that his
black brOadclOth and white chOler had
lttla So,thir1f N do with II How d'N-o
think 'twOuld be if he should 90 into the
pulpit with green baizc jacket and a
pair O. cowhide boots? No. no, Andy,
take my word for it. moneys the thing to
have, if you want to make tigger in the
world"
But as this reasoning failed to convince
Andy. and he still adhered to his rcsolu-
ton of going to school and 4" getting learn
ing" his mother yielded the point with a
good grace. which is the next best thing to
having ones own way.
swell, if you're determined said She
''yOu shall make as good an appearance as
the rest of 'em; they won't think moth
ing of you if you don't" And thereup-
on she opened an old chest and dragged to
the light of day certain garments which
had lain there some fifteen or twenty
Years.
There" said she. that was your
Uncle Eben's weddin' suit, and | always
meant it should be yours; but seein' as
you've took the notion to be scholar.
you shall wear ito school instead: so put
it on and see how it'll fit
There was a blue swallOw-tailed coat
with brass buttons, white vest and pair
of striped trowSerS. Another dive into the
chest and a tall, bell-crowned hat was
brought forth.
1.-The trowsers are a trifle long" said
Mrs. Truman, whirling her son round as if
he had been lay figure on a revolving pc
destal, /" but | can turn up a hem easy
enough. And as to the rest. they do fit
beautiful; wouldn't "a done better if they'd
been made for you"
That the coat nearly reached his heels
was not considered of any consequence so
it did not drag the ground, and that it was
not in the prevailing mode never once Oc-
CURED TO this innocent pair, as why should
it? Does the bird from which it derived
its name alter the style of his tail-featherS |
because he is going among larks and
robins?
As last finishing touch, Mrs Truman
clasped round Andy's neck a satin stock
a stOrk, she called it. still speaking orno- |
thOlogically-and then gazed upon him |
with admiration. She even wiped away |
tear, so forcibly was she reminded of the |
lost Eben.
Arrayed in this remarkable costume. with |
a large calico work-bag containing his |
books in one hand, and a tin-pail contain
ing his dinner i'm the other, Andy made his |
first appearance at the school which had so |
long been the goal of his hopes and aspira-
tions; "a high school for youth of both |
sexes as the circulars announced.
He had intended TO be there IN season TO |
secure seat beforehand, but having come |
distance of three miles-fOr Andy. as you
may have suspected, lived on the outskirts
of the town-and having been delayed by |
the necessity of stopping to purchase a
slate and pencil, the scholars were all as
sembled and the master in his desk when
he arrived.
As he paused on the threshold. look
ing helplessly about him, a smile went |
round the room, which in some instances
developed into a laugh, and even Mr.. |
Briggs's moustache was seen TO twitch a |
little. He instantly made up for it, how
ever, by putting on a look of extra stern |
ness and shaking his head ominously att the |
boys on the front seat. He then directed /
Andy to a vacant desk, asked him the us
ual questions and assigned him lesson.
Now the poor lad was shrewed enough |
to see that something was amiSs, though |
he could not guess what, but the conscious
ness made him feel awkward and i'll at ease.
He tried in vain to fix his mind upon his |
book, and the consequence was that when |
called TO recitation, he made so many |
blunders that the master, not understand
ing the case, put him back into one of the |
juvenile classes. OF course this was very
mortllying, and only made matters worse.
AT recess he kept aloOf from the rest, and
Al hight went home feeling depressed and /
discouraged.
The next morning his depression had |
passed away in a measure. He knew he
had his lessons, for he had sat up tiII mid