The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-08-06
SUCH IS LIFE.

Away back IN memory's halls hangs a
picture yet undimmed, though years have
come and gone since the days long ago
when I first knew the reality. An old
brick school-house, formerly church,
with its broad doors and great arched
windows, their buff curtains futtering
lazily in the summer breeze, forms the
principal feature. A back ground of
hazy, purple-green hills, and just to the
right group of grand old walnuts,
where daily we held our noon picnics,
and wove wonderful garlands to decorate
the yellowed walls of the old school
room, and in front the great gaping
ditch, which in a marvelously-short
space of time would swallow up the
whole school after the bell tapped for
recess but to me the dearest feature of
all was the broad old Mississippi in the
distance, rolling along in majestic grand
eur, its sparkling wavelets catching the
suns brightest beams, and throwing
them back into the old school house
with redoubled brilliancy. From my
seat near the window I think I never
tired of watching its bright waves glim-
mer and CLEAN through the swaying
green trees. Here, gentle reader, it was
that first knew Ethel Raymond, tiny,
fair haired girl of perhaps my own age,
always clad in the same pure-white dress
with its marvellous number of tucks, and
blue silk waist, with low neck and short
sleeves setting off her fair childish beau
ty, though sadly out of place in the
dusty old school-room. as was the gen.
eral opinion from the numerous up
turned noses and suppressed litter OF the
little calico-clad damsels whose manners
were not nearly so respectable as their
somewhat-faded garments. How long
it seemed till recess that first morning,
and when it came how we all bounded
off to "our grove as we called the wal
nuts, to surround Mat Bronson, who,
with an air of superior knowledge, had
informed us that the newcomers lived
"just down by her house, consequently
was supposed to know all about them.
: !" I s'pects they must be awful rich to
dress so fine at school," timidly sug-
gested little Kitty Edwards, as soon as
we were settled.
erich, indeedi" shifted Mat; "poor
as Jobs turkey; live in an old shanty
just down below our house; amt got
anything in but two or three old chairs.
a table and stove; awful stuck up,
too. Ny ma went over there, the other
day, just to see what kind of people
they were, and, my land Mrs. Ray
mond was so high and mighty she hard
ly asked her to sit down. She said I'M
der the circumstances she couldn't be
very sociable, which means she's too
poor; amt going to send her boy to
school, with her present arrangements
she can't, which means he amt got any
thing to wear, you know. Pity he can't
wear the family white, with about half
the tucks ripped out; it would be Just
long enough for him; with all, you know,
it makes quite stylish Sunday dress
for their mother"
"Well, I'd be ashamed, Mat Bronson,
to tell such stuff as that" interrupted
one of the girls.
"Well, you know Tn never ashamed
to tell the truth, and this Is a solemn
fact; she's got one of these sewing ma
chimes. You just pull the thread and
away goes the tucks it's got draw
string In the waist, and when it's washed
and done up who knows the difference?
Now, my dear schoolmates, don't look
so horror-struck tell you all this as
secret, wouldn't tell everybody for any
thing; as there are only about forty of
you, of course it will never get out, and,
giving her curls a wicked toss, Mat
bounded away.
Mat Bronson was the acknowledged
leader, and fear the new scholar would
have been sadly neglected but for the
ever thoughtful kindness of our teacher,
who seemed never to weary in his
efforts entertain and amuse her during
the long recess time. I can see them
yet, his dark boyish beauty contrasting
with hers so fair and childlike. Ernest
Emerson, our teacher, had come to us
from aneighboring academy, and, though
scarcely more than a boy, had won his
way both among parents and pupils. A
model Of perfection and beauty he
seemed to US children. The ietty curls
lying in damp rings about his white
brow, the great lustrous black eyes and
family tinted cheeks made up for his