The true northerner., 1880-07-30
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 l first knew the reality. An old
brick school-house, formerly church,
with It's broad doors and great arched
windows, their buff curtains fluttering
Iazily III the summer breeze, forms the
principal feature. A background of
hazy, purple-green hills, and just to the
right a 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 i'll front the great gaping
ditch, which III 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 i'll majestic grand
eur, It's 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 / think L never
tired of watching its bright waves glim-
mer and gleam through the swaying
green trees. Here, gentle reader, it was
that first knew Ethel Raymond, a tiny,
fair-haired girl OF perhaps my own age,
always clad III the same purewhlte 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
frr,Da1 nncac onl c,1,,,raccoJ ti++or ,f thn
little calico-clad damsels whose manners
were not nearly so respectable as their
SCmewhat-faded garments. How long
1T 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.
spects they must be awful rich to
dress SO fine at school" timidly sug-
.gested little Kitty Edwards, as soon as
we were settled.
Rich, indeed " shifted Mat "poor
as Jobs turkey; live i'll 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. My 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 un-
der the circumstances she couldn't he
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
ching 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.
1t makes quite a 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 solemn
fact; she's got one of these sewing ma
chimes. You just pull the thread and
away goes the tucks it's got a 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 n
secret, wouldn't tell everybody for any
thing a. there are only about forty of
you, of course it Will never get out" and.
giving her curls wicked toss, Mat
bounded away.
Mat Bronson was the acknowledged
leader, and fear the new scholar would
have been sadly neglected but for the
thoughtful kindness of our teacher,
who seemed never to weary in his