The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-02-05

sidered, n natural born teacher. She
had played school all alone by herself
many time on the wood-pile. Select
ing sticks of wood that were of sufficient
dimensions to stand alone, she would
place them before her, give them suitable
names, and discipline them to her heart 3
content, till her skill iii training the poor
senseless things became utterly exhaust
ed. So Mary was unanimously elected
as the teacher pro tenn. AT first she
found it almost impossible TO make out
programme because of so many assist
ants, each ready with suggestion, and
no two of them agreeing on the same
thing. AT last one of the girls said,
"Oh, Matte, let's call it composition
day." and this proposition being at once
accepted they soon came to order, and in
n few minutes each one was thoughfully
considering a suitable subject. 81 shall
write poetry" whispered Nelly Morse to
her next neighbor. "Auntie says she
was n natural-born poet if she had only
had chance, and l am just like her
everybody says 80"
Joe Barton heard this confidential
piece of information, and with n merry
twinkle in his eye concluded that he
would write poetry too.
An hour passed, while busy fingers
wrote and erased alternately, and the
teacher called for their exercises. Lizzie
Wyman held up her hand rs a signal
that she was ready, and will give her
composition just as it was written, hoping
that my young readers may be able to
correct her misspelled words. Her sub
ject was:
81 LETTER TO MY ANT.
{" My DEAR ANT now ta he my pen in hand
to inform You that / hav got new dress, and
Willy has got the mesles and very bad cot. l
found last years birds nest in the old maple
tree, and put some white beans in IL for eggs !;
Johnnie said had better put some corn in it too
and then it would hatch out succosash, but l
don't believe one word of it.. Old Bridget Lark
is dead and we can't have her to wash for us
any more. My pen is poor, my ink is pail, my
love to you shall never fale. | am writing on
my slate but l thought that would be- u NICE
verse to end OFF with. Mother cut cranberry
half in two and put it on her ioint to cure her
corn. So no more at present; From your dear
nece. LIZZIE WYMAN.
Next came Nellie Morse's poetry. 1t
ran as follows:
"As was gazing on the water
i saw a man a-mixing morter;
The more he mixed the worse il grew:
He tapped his wings and away he few;
He dew into the highest tree,
And there he sat and gazcd at me,
And as he gaZed he roZe in flight,
And this is all have to write"
Nellie sat down looking quite proud
of her poetical effort, and Joe Barton
signifed his readiness to read his compo-
sition. The teacher nodded assent, and
he read:
"a poor old maid, and all forlorn,
Declared she poet born,
And as I'd nothing else to do
thought I'd be poet too.
have dog, ms name Is Nose;
'Tis wonderful how much he knows.
He'll chase the hogs, the sheep and COWS,
And scare them with his loud bow-wows.
His kennel il is warm and good,
And there he goes to eat his food,
He'll scratch and sneeze,
And bite his heas
And do il all with perfect ease
The scholars all laughed Mt Joe's COM
position excepting Nellie Morse and she
" made face at him the first time that
she caught him looking that way.
=" / wrote some rhymes, too" whis-
pered Susie Day, and she blushed like a
primrose as she read:
Spring will soon come, and the birds be singing
The hawk, owl and bue-jay, the thrush and
pigeon;
Then on the trees behold the sweet robin.
Through branches and boughs you will see his
head bobbn."
81 had to leave off the So in "bobbing
to make it rhyme with robin she said
apologetically No one thought of
laughing at Susie's poetry, for she was
! the pet of the whole school.
Henry Wilson then read letter on
prayer-meetings. Here it is ::
"Prayer-meetings are very solemn places.
go every Wednesday night should not go so
often but my father il deacon. and he makes
me CO. get very lonesome in prayer-meeting.
because it is always about the same thing and
know just what is coming every time. Uncle
Jacob skinner is so deaf that he can't hear what
the others say and so he generally falls ASLEEP
and snores AZ loud as the big organ upstairs.
And Deacon Summers always tells how wicked
he il though don't believe he ever stole al
apple in his life and when he gets most
through talking lie asks the prayers of the
| church that he may continue on, though
should not want to continue on If L thought
was as wicked as he says he Is. | can't think OF
much more TO say about prayer-meetings, only
/ fell asleep once and dreamed that Joe Barton
had me down, and stuting my mouth full
of sand. and | fell off the seat and screamed
right out Help, helpn and old Mrs. Walton
came over where / was and asked me if
wanted the prayers of the church. was awfu
ashamed ana 80 WHS lllOliltr. anu sllOoh Tlt
and said / shouldn't go to prayer-meeting agar
very soon and wish she had kept her word
but she didn't / cannot think of much moro
to say on this subject, only found "a horseshoe
one night going home from praycr-meeting
and gave it to old Bobbie Vain to keep the
witches away from his colt. He believes IL
witches. So no moro at present"
L cannot tell you all that was written
but John Wyman's composition cum'
last. He wrote one about his teacher
as follows
CT thought 1 would make up a compo
sition about Miss Warren. Miss Warner
is nice teacher, and she wears whitI
apron. We all learn good deal ever,
day, and she kept Tom WILDER i'll at re
cess because he tore Henry Wilson's GOA
and pricked me with pin. So good
by"
As il was about noon, and all the com
positions had been read, the teacher be
slowed few words of commentator
and then proposed on adjournment. Sh
told Henry Wilson, however, that h
ought to speak more respectfully o
{ prayer-meetings, and she was evel
, thoughtful enough to inform him tina
Doubling Thomas lost great blessing
, by staying away from the prayer-meet