The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-07-02
TuE scnooLMAsrER's GUESTS.
A Farm Legend.
ny WILL CARLETON.

Close watching the nlOtOns On scholars, pathetic
and gay and grotesque.
as whisper the -leaness branches, when Autumns
brisk breezes have come,
His little scrub-thicket of pupils sent upward a
haf-smothered hum;
lake the frequent sharp bang of a wagon, when
treading forest path DER,
Resounded the feet Of his pupils, whenever their
heels struck the floor.
There was little Tom Timms on the front seat
whose face was withstanding drouth,
And jolly Jack Gibbs just behind him, with rainy
new moon for mouth;
There were both of the Smith boys, studous AZ if
they bore names that could bloom,
And Jim Jones, a heaven-but mechanic the slyest
young knave in the room,
With a countenanoe grave horses, and ms
honest eyes fixed on pin,
<1ueer-bent deeply-laid project To t'klhel DOC
Hawkins'skin.
There were anxious young noyces, drilling their
spelling-books into the brain,
Loud-puiiiing each half-whispered letter, Ike an
engine just starting it, train;
There was one fiercey muscular fellow, who scowled
at the sums on his slate,
and loered at the innocent figures look Oh ui-
speakabe hate,
and act his white teeth close together, and gave his
thin lips a short twist,
such things be done with the INST!
Ibere were two knowing girls in the corner, each
one with some beauty possessed,
IN a whisper discussing the problem when one the
young master likes best;
A class in the 'front.' with their readers, telling,
with difficult palms.
How persisted brave Marco Bozzaris while bleeding
at all of his veins;
And boy ON the floor TO be punished, a statue of
Making faces at all of the others and enjoying the
scene all lie could.
Around were the walls gray and dingy which every
old school-sanctum hath,
With many break on their surface where grinned
INCORPORATING of lath.
patch of thick plaster, just the school
masters rickety chair,
Seemed threat'nngly DER him suspended, like
Damocles sword, 10y hair
There were tracks on the desks where the knife
blades had wandered in search of their prey ;
Their tops were as duskily spattered as If they
drank ink every day.
The square stove it pulled and it cracked, and
broke out in red-naming sores,
Tin the great iron quadruped trembled like dog
fierce TO rush out-o-doors,
White suow-Hakes looked in at the windows the gale
pressed its lips to the cracks;
And the chidren's hot faces streaming, the
while they were freezing their backs.
Now Marco Bozzars had fallen, and all of his
suh rings were DER,
And the class to their seats were retreatng, when
footsteps were heard at the door,
And FIVE of the good district fathers marched into
the room in row,
And stood themselves up by the hot fire, and shook
Of their white cloaks of snow;
And tue spokesman "A grave squire of sixty, with
countenance solemnly sad,
Spoke hus, while the children all listened, with all
OF the ears that they had:
80 We've come here. schoomastcr intendin' TO cast
an inquirin' eye round,
Concernn complaints that's been entered, an fault
that has lately been found;
To pace of the width of your dons, an witness
what you've been about,
an see if it's paying to keep You, or whether we'd
best turn We out.
% The first thing I'm bid for to mention is, when the
class gets up to read;
You give EN- too tight of a reinin' an touch EN- up
than they need;
You're nicer than wise in the matter of holdn the
book in one han,
An You turn a stray in their doin's, an tack an
odd Il on their an;
There amt no great good comes of speakin' the
words poiite a. see,
Provdin yen know what the facts is, an tell EN- of
Just they be.
An then there's that rcadia' in corncert is censurcd
from first unto last
1t kicks up heap OF a racket when folks is a-trav-
elm past
Whatever il done as to readin', provdin' things go
to my say,
sha'nt hang no new-fangled hinges, but swing in
the old-fashioned way"
And the other four good district fathers gave quick
the mt that due,
And nodded oblquely and muttered, q" Them ere Is
my sentiments teU.'
Then as to your spellin': I've hoern tell 10y them
az has looked INTO this,
That you turn theu out o your labour, an make the
word shorter than tits,
An clip the l. of o. your musick which makes my
son Ephraim perpleXed,
An when he spells out as he oughtr, you pass the
word on TO the next.
They say there's some new-grafted books here that
don't take them letters along;
But if 10 just depend ont, them new-gratted
books is made wrong.
You might Just as well say that Jackson didn know
all there was about war;
as to say that old spellin book Webster didn't know
what them letters was for"
And the ether four good district fathers gave quick
the consent that due,
4nd scratched their heads syly and softly, and said,
a. Them's my sentiments tel0."
- Then, also, your rithmetic doin's as they re
Is that You have left Tare an Trct out an also the
old Rule of Three;
steppin' scholars to please
With saw-bucks an crosses an pOt-hoOks an tc's,
y's, an IS.
.weaint got no time for such foolin; there amt no
great good to be reached
Ny Upton chldrn mp higher than their fathers
was teached."
And the other four good district fathers gave quick
the consent that due,
And cooked one eye mp TO the ceiling, and said,
" TheDts my sentiments telc.'
d" Another thing, must here mention, comes into
the question to-day,
Concornin things in the grammar you're
tcachin' our gals for TO say.
Ny gals Is az steady clock-work, and never give
cause for much fear.
But they come home from school t'othur cvenin
a-talkin' such stuff this here:
iOUe an ThOu i0rcst,' an he iOUes,' an le
i1ce. an You ioce,' an 'They-'
an they answered my questions It's grammar
twas al could get 'em TO say.
Now il, stead of dom your duty, you're camyin'
matters on
As 60 make the gals say that they love you it's just
all that want to know ="
".
NOW Jim, the young heayen-built mechanic, in the
dusk of the evening before,