The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-17
THE scuooLMAsrER's GUESTS.
A Farm Legend.
by WILL CARLETON.

AS whisper the half-lcaicss branches, Wheh Au-
tumn's brisk breeZes have come,
His little scrub-thicket OF pupils sent up""" i"
halfsmothercd hum;
Like the frequent sharp bang of wagon when
trcading forest path DER, -
Rcsounded the feet OF his pupils, whenever the'r
heels struck the floor.
There was little Tom Timms on the front seat
whose face was withstanding droutl,
And Jolly Jack Gibbs just behind HIM, win
rainy new moon for Il mouth,
There were both of the Smith boys, as studlous
rs if they bore names that could bloom
And jim Jones, a heaven.built mechanic, the sly
EST young knave in the room,
With countenance grave as a horses, and his
honest eyes fixed on pin,
Queer-beat on deeply laid project to tuhhei
Joe Hawkins skin.
There were anxious young novlces, drilling their
spelling books into the brain. =,
Loud.pufiing each haf-whispered letter, Ike an
engine Just starting its train;
There was ore hercey muscular fellow, who
scowled at the sums on his slate,
And leered at the innocent figures look OF I'M
speakablc hate,
And set his white teeth close together, and gave
his thin lips a short twist
As to say: :" could whip you, confound you,
could such things be done with the ist!'
There were two knowing girls in the corner,
each one with some beauty possessed,
In whisper discussing the problem which one
the young master likes best;
A class in the front with their Readers" were
telling with difficult pains,
How persisted brave Marco Bozzaris while bleed
ing at all OF his veins;
And boy on the floor to be punished, statue.
of ideness stood,
Making faces at all OF the others, and enjoying
the scene all he could.
Around were the walls gray and dingy, which
every old sChool-sanctum hath,
With many a break on their surface, where
grinned Il wood-grating OF lath.
A patch Of thick plaster, just over the school
masters rickcty chair,
Seemed threatningly DER him suspended, like
Damocles' sword by hair
There we're tracks on the desks where the knife.
blades had wandered in search OF their prey;
Their tops were as duskly spattcred as If they
drank ink every day
The square stove it pulled and it cracked and
broke out in red flaming sores,
Till the great iron quadruped trcmbcd like a.
dog fierce to rush QUITO doors.
White snow flakes looked in at the windows, the
gale pressed its lips to the cracks;
And ihe chdren's hot faces were streaming the
while they were freezing their backs.
New Marco Bozzars had fallen, and all Of his
sui 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 in.
to the room IN row,
And stood themselves up by the hot fire, and
shook oil their white cloaks Of snow
And the spokesman, grave squire of sixty with
countenance soemny sad,
Spoke thus, while the children all listened, with
all OF the cars that they had:
"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 doin's, an witness
what you've been about,
An see If is payin to keep you, or whether we'd
best turn yc out.
"The first thing I'm bid for to mention is, when
the class gets up to read,
You give EN- too tight of reinin an touch en-
up more than they need:
You're nicer than wise in the matter Of holdin'I
the book in one han,
An you turn stray q in their doIn's, an tack
an odd on their an;
There amt no great good comes of speakin' the
words SO polite as see,
Providin you know what the facts is an tell 'cmI
Jest as they be
An then there's that rcadin in concert, is cen.
sured from first unto last;
1t kicks up heap OF racket, when folks is a.
travclin' past 4
Whatever Is done as to rCadin' pruvdin' things
90 to mysay,
Sha'nt hang on no new-tangled hinges, but swing
in the old fashioned way"
And the other four district fathers gave quick
the consent that was due,
And nodded obliquely, and muttcred: "Ihem
ere Is my sentiments tetC.'
"Thon, as to your spellin' I've hcern tell, by
them has looked into this
That you turn the u out o your labour, an make
the word shorter than It's;
An clip the OFT % your musick, which makes
my son Ephraim perpleXed,
An when he spells out as he ought'r, you pass
the word on to the next.
They say there's some new grated books here
that don't take them letters along;
But II is 1t 50, jest depend ont, them new grated
books is made wrong.
You might just as well say that Jackson didn't
know all there was about war,
AS to say that old Spellnb Webster didn't
know what them letters was for"
And the other four good district fathers gave
quick the consent that was due,
And scratched their heads slyly and softly, and
said: "1heHiS my sentiments telc."
Then, also, your 'rthmetic doin's, as they are
reported 10 inc,
Is that YOU have left Tafe an Tret out, an also
the old Rule o Three;
An likewise brought in new study, some high.
steppm' scholars to please,
With saw-buchs an crosses, and pot hooks, an
u's, r, Us, an -.
We amt got no time for such foolin'; there amt
no great good TO be reached
BY tpt0in' child'rn up higher than ever their
fathers was teaehed'
And the other four good district fathers gave
quick the consent that was due,
And cooked one eye up 10 the ceiling, and said:
"ThcD,'s H,y s,Ht6neHts ter"
Another thing must here mention comes in
10 the question to-day,
Concernin some things in the grammar you're
teachln' our gal, for to say.
Ny gals is as steady as clock-work, an never
give cause ~ much fear,
But they come home from school tother eycnin'
a-tnlkin such stuff US this here:
Il lore an Th0a lDpsSi,' an NJ lorcS' am y.