The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-01-09
THE OLD DAYS AT SCHOOL.
By CARRIE v. SHAW

had been a weakly child and lived my childhood
Ard then wasn't born like them, and less like
An tbat asked or wanted was my books, away
from noise;
And OF all contempt ever felt held for girls ana
boys.
40. when we came to the city and was sent to
shinS at first was counted as slightly above u
fool;
And you'll believe me when I say, month or
1ook ali the conceit ever had most fairly and
squarely out.
Rst with my books my lonely hours had i'm
proven. you see:
And it wasn't long before their scorn had turned
And saw it with sorrow, for meath discip-
lines rule
MAS wiser and gentler far than when at hrst
came to school.
Hogan to that you cannot go on your way
alone,
ssooessfuiy, unless you have small world of your
own;
Bat so long as you stay on this one. where so many
To. must cater to the general taste in spite of all
they say.
10 tried to win their favor, was sincere about it,
too;
worked their hard examples that they brought
for me to do.
They were glad of the assistance that gave; put'
/ live,
believe they thought the harder OF me because
had it to give.
O4 their weekly compositions I would oft compose
AS far as genius that way went, they hadn't much
But. trying my best to please them, it all worked
the reverse;
And. in tead of liking me BETTER they seemed to
hate me worse.
And. III tell you, while we're talking, something
that perhaps you know:
you can conauer scorn or hatred if you have
other foe;
You can even conquer prejudice if there is no real
blame;
Bat when envy sides against you, you had best
throw up the game.
rhnro is no propitatng. Well, it went on just the
same,
E. could not last forever, and day the crisis
came.
Iwns accused of cheating but just how cannot
say;
didn't understand it then, and don't quite to this
day.
Bat, anyhow, they had it fastened solid down on
No good of sny protest. had better let it be-
Aad the teacher, fairly doubling, but weak friend
at the best.
HssitaIed for moment, then went with the
rest.
live till every hair is white silver In my head;
II live till all my friends are dreaming of deaths
dreary bed;
shall not forget that morning when the whole
school turned on me.
i tried TO stammer argutnents-the teacher stopped
me first
OF all things she detested, she detested lies the
worst.
Twas bad enough" she moralized, "to think had
became
A cheat without my adding silly falsehood to the
sane.n
7 bar nd wifi avpsO of
mute despair,
Slowly searched each row of faces for CLEAN of
pity there.
Not ray of kindly interest, but a covert smile
Met my gaze, with all their cruelty and machina-
uOns clear.
And stood there, shy and awkward in my shame,
before them all,
And in spite of all my pride, the tears of helpless
grief would fall;
shall not forget that moment, to the longest day
live.
a will not forget,"I crieo, aloud; neither will
forgive.
~And mark my words" cried, with swelling heart
and burning brow,
-Ial be- further above you some day than you are
above me now;'
And rushed then from the room, never needing
the order to stay,
But one desire in my whirling brain, and that was
to get away.
Out from the room had learned to love, and down
the familiar stairs.
With heart nsanely praying in bitter, passionate
prayers,
And lips insanely vowing, in wild, urreasoning
vows,
To rise as far above them all world and its fame
allows.
Ost in the yellow sunshine, with its glad light
knocking me,
rnst where the birds were singing in the shady
cedar tree
Out through the great iron gates, and past the
church of granite stone,
~For the last time" / kept saying, "hll l win
fame my own"
We'll, the busy years sped onward. and amid scenes
strange and new
Prosperity had met me. and repaid endeavor true
But amid il all could not Danish quite the DID,
xor cruel memory would ever come and bring it
back again.
I'm my dreams alone at midnight would come back
the haunting past.
And the faces in the school-room, as / had sur
yeyed them last,
Tho cruel, haunting glances and the teachers cut
ting words.
And without the happy sunlight and the singing of
the birds.
And the maddenng sensation that for no blame of
my own
was verbally outcas. on the heartless world
alone
TIL ~ith a cry of terror and with hot tears falling
fast,
would wake to find my anguish but the visions
of the last.
And the bitter, insane longing for revenge would
then return.
Mnsing my early wrongs until both heart and
hrain would burn;
And 30 1t was, one sunny morning found me back
again,
Amid the old surroundings of my wrongs aud of
my pain.
had now fulfilled the promise that 1 made long
years ago.
lad risen to distinction, such al merit be-
Itow.
And the light shone the great iron gates as had
seen them last,
And think the very same birds sang their greet
ings as passed.
bsth o heart grown stern and bitter, with the
memories surging on,
vent 10 ind my teacher-a woman old and wan
Who greeted me with glad SURPRISE and said how
pleased she'd been
10 read about the genius that she always saw
within.
nm looked so pale and orn, as she sat before
me there.
Aad the thought came sadly to me, that she, too,
had grief TO bear;
rayipe and thr ce tried TO make myself say what
came TO say,
Nat every time some strange emotion drove the
words away.
And 30 1 sat and listened while she talked about
the past,
Until with tears she said, how she had vronged
me at the last.