The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-05-07

0ddltlOnh lustrc 10 the Ugllncss OF IN ugly
room, anywhere, our master stood para
mount to and before all Others. master
. and scholar we said then, Our limited
3 vocabulary knew no "Preceptor Pupil
0 Ourmastcr was 4 Methodist prcacher--a di'
q abolical little wretch who opened
Q school with vindictiyc prayer
J a mercilcss, vicious, bowling prayer, that
suited well the character Of the little mons
ter that rose from his knees, full At the
evil spirit that manifested itself in his
every look and word. This man-devil who
prayed for God to punish his enemies, and
mercllessly slashcd and cut with Aarons |
rod, 50 to speak, the bent backs and dang |
ling naked legs Of the little wre.ches I'M
der his own despotlc CONTROL believed he |
was serving the Lord If this man sue
cccded in Installing into the minds and
hearts of these children little else, he sue
ceeded in instilling into their minds and
hearts the power to hate him with hatred
that has lasted when almost all else about
the man is forgotten.
Aside from the cruel master and the
many Inconvenience that we encountered
in our rough search after knowledge, there |
was a lasting charm about our Old log school
house that some Of us, if not all, have car
red about with us through the changes and |
vicisitudes of thirty years. Not fairy hand |
nor magic wand Ger flashed into existence
a scene iraught with richer loneliness than
was this, wherein We spent our
school days. Nestled down among
the hills whose every rugged side and green
sumit were covered with denscst woods,
rested our old school house. Up to its very
threshold the fragrant apple blossoms
made of the morning air one atmosphere Of
sweets, Gnarlcd old, stom-defying cherry
trees offered a safe refuge for the gentler
, birds that had built their nests amid their
e branches for half a century, unframed by
hand Of boy or girl. This od-timc spot
\ had once been a home, and the log cabin
l. had served its turn as parlor, kitchen and
dining room, no doubt long before the
it time Of which | write. Only the strag-
" Cling orchard trees and the hut itself told
: Of mans work, when we knew it. 4 hun
dred yards away, winding in and out
among the hills, washing their very feet,
sparkling and flashing in winters cold and
, summers heat, lay the beautiful, the silvery
waters Of La Belle River; and as We
walked beside it, listening to the "slush,
slush" Of the gentle waves, what thought we
Of lifc's stormy pillows. Clambering up
It's sides over the unsightly roof, up to the
very chimney top, the wild trumpet
vine scattered its wealth Of flowers over
all, a little way down on the slope OF the
9 hill boiled up the bubbling spring. Feath-
cry ferns dipped their graceful heads far
down into its cooling waters dotting its
sides were blue-cyed "sour-sorcl' blossoms, |
and the tender trailing vines chung all
around and about it; and away between
the hills, in the deep dark, woods ran the
tiny pcary stream, nor stopped til !, was
lost in darkness.
Have any pair Of hands and feet that
d0bblcd and splashed and wadcd about in
that old branch of water Ger ayed them
since in marble bowl OF porcelain bath,
half 50 cool! What Should we country
children then have thought Of the tons and |
tons OF ice 50 essential to the comfort Of our
children, now! Why, we never dreamed OF
keeping ice then; nor OF canning fruits and |
vegetables; round.cycd incyedGlty had
greeted the daring soul progressive enough
TO have advanced the mere possibility Of
such wonders as ice in midsummer and
fresh fruits and green corn and peas in
December, "Whcrc ignorance is bliss. etc"
you knowthc Old truism that is forever new.
Our luNWic, were few; our our wants not
many; and Of these We called upon the
woods and streams to yield up their gifts to
US TO supply The very jumping ropes in
use by our little ones, were things unknown
to Us, when we were little ones. We tore
loose from their iastcnings the thousand
twining tendrils oithc wild grape vines and
supple green brays, and skipped and umred
them and chased each other in 1t the "back
door" and had quite al the enjoyment out
Of them, the iancic,t rope could have given
US. And oh, how did use to cny the bows
on the occasions when new vine
was needed for our playground To
see them climb to the very top
OF the giant trees without once tearing
, skirt or catching pet,icoat On limb; and
, out with tour.bladcd, horn-handIed knife
, and cut and slash and trim. 1t was too
tantalizlng to be endured by girl with