The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-03-04
[From the National Normal.l
AStory that has Some Truth in It.
> BY c. DALLAS LIND.

Itwas a beech tree IT had stood there
more winters than. You and have seen
1t had been the silent witness of much
history. some of which will appear as we
go alongs 4 As Ia -heechztree or for that.
matter, any kind Of a4 tree could be a.
witness. ssISut ITS TODD Tia efe-and its hong
arms waved in the wind, and altogether
it seemed to me to be as knowing as hun
dreds, who. gazed at it without a single
idea being Suggested to their minds by
its appearance. a IT had splendid op
portunity for observation tor it stood just
in front of a little school house The
school house was not there when the
tree was "a sappling No. the tree was
respectable piece of timber long Before
the bricks were burned that formed the
noted little pile-the four walls that.e
closed so much that will tell you OF, il
you have patience to read my story.
But our tree. 1t is none of the kind
that expended all of its vitality in aspir
ing towards the clouds 1t believed in
broad liberality, and few trees could re
joice in greater spread of branches or
boast of affording more shelter to "rowl>
of the air and beasts of the field" The
school children did not know how much
they owed TO that tree How many swings
werelpade OF its long flexible arms, how
many childish games were played in its
bounteous shade how often they gath
cred the triangular, juicy nuts and, yes,
sometimes got whipped for bringing them
in to eat in school hours The wood
pecker found dead limb in its top. Il
fine drum on which to play a tune to his
mate. How the boy, tired of the confine-
ment and dull routine of school, longed.
when he saw the same red headed featE-
cred drummer alight on the fence oppo-
site the window, to get out to throw a
stone at his birdshp. Who was to blame
for the cause OF his love of stoning birds
being greater than his love OF arithmetic
Let the3~school marm,' who has throw l.
her life into her work answer Let some
of our philosophers. who write for our
educational Journals attempt to answer,
Let the institute instructor spend an
hour lecturing on the subject For their
benefit | will suggest that it is not a
question OF metaphysics.
The tree observed all these things, bat
withsa wisdom which only belongs to
trees, kept it all to its elf Nobody ex.
poets tree to tell its thoughts, you
know.
The tree was rugged and horny, none
of your smooth faced, soithanded gentry,
because it dad not grow in a hot house.
1t had to battle with whatever came, sun,
wind, rain, sno%, frost or hail. 1t always
them 1t had not the protection of nu-
merous companions like its brother that
stands in the heart of the forest No, it
was one of the pioneers standing on the
outskirts, ready to interpose its tough
arms to breakthe blast that would lay
its smooth barked, tall neighbor prone.
Neither did it stand in a romantic spot,
such as novels speak OF. There was no
grotto nor rocky glen in the vicinity.
True, there was little brook at the dis
tance of a stones throw, but it was a
sober stream and little thought of except
to furnish drink. to the cattle | do not
know even that lovers ever sighed be-
meath its boughs, unless you call the
cooing of the turtle dove by that name.
Neither did love sick swain ever carve
his sweetheart's initials on It's bark 1t
was not smooth enough for that. Poets
never wrote of it, nor under it. 1t had
not the historical interest attached to it
that had the charter oak. or the apple
tree that grew over the grave of Roger
Williams. But, Notwithstanding, some
interesting events occurred in its vicinity.
Do not imagine now that | am going to
relate some hair breadth adventure,
nothing of the kind. only what we all see
every day,
What a chapter the history of that
built long ago. it matters not when. But
there were plenty of fogy teachers then,
and there were who taught then who
were ahead of their time, but would be
called fogies now. There was one, the
one who taught the first school in the
new house.a large mama splendid teacher
of the old style. A wonderful scholar we
BOYS thought. AS think of him now, !
think of Goldsmith's school master. lie
was q good teacher for that time. lie
played ball with the big boys, but made
the mistake of humping little fellows
with his finger on the head when they
became mischievous. He never spared
the rod either, and the Pater famtLas
thought much of him for that. But there
was one objection which they made. lie
was II farmer lie taught in winter and
farmed in summer and was accused of
having too much attention TO his cattle,
horses and hogs, to the detriment of his
school Some also grumbled because he
received the enormous wages of $3.50 per
month There was another thing that o
one objected to. III used tobacco to such
an extent that the floor Was always a
mahogony color, and needed no sprlnk-
ling to allay the dust. He taught more
by example than by precept When the
boys got stalled" in arithmetic he did