Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-06-09
THE TALKING HAND.
showing the Use and Abuse Oi
ThtaRs.
ny EDWIN u, ThAffoS

there were with forty pairs OF hands,
while each OF tho four hundred digits
seemed bewltched, You know how
such things run through school, or a
neighborlood, like the measles or
whooping cough, the seven year
locusis or q circus, or any other all
absorbing devastation, Tho pcren-
nial visitations are marbles, peg-tops,
kites, base ball, swimlng aud fltds,
all the boys have EN- but they are
special contagious as erratio as a
comet, that know no law, that run
their course and arc gone. The boys
collect postage stamps and the g'rls
string buttons both are seized with
q harmless mania Tor writing wonder.
full notes which pass with rapidly
between tho boys and girls that would
quite astonish tho gentleman who
superintcnds Uncle Sans mail bags
and .the fashion of saying sweet
things in queer phrases, never gets
quito cured.
The boys and girls that I started to
speak Of before | got to playing leap
frog with the other ideas that came
rushing along, were just now suffer-
ing from severe attack Of deaf and
dumb alphabet. One Of the boys had
got hold of somewhere, and he had
very privately, and with urgent in
functions Of secrecy, instructed his
very particular friend, Jennie Brown,
how to talk with her fingers, in school
without whispering. She had with
equal care impaired the valuable art
to her bosom friend, Mary Staples,
who promised never, never to tell,
"houest Indian )" but the "honest
Indian evidently was not Charlie
Meader for by some strange coinci-
dence he nearly dislocated his fingers
while walking home from school with
Mary that night and the final result
was that from one to another it was
passed around, always as a secret
never to be told under any circum-
stances, till every child that knew its
A. B. C.'s, also knew what particular
quirk of the thumb or twist oftho
finger was necessary to represent the
desired character.
Miss Davis the teacher, was dis
tracted. No one whispered, o, no |!
They all obeyed the letter of the law,
but its spirit was broken persistently.
Let her tara her back for an instant
and the whole school was plunged in.
to q perfect vortex of conversation,
and yet not a word was spoken
The case was decidedly Desperate
After a careful diagnosis, Miss Davis
decided upon course OF treatment
which promised to be eflicatious.
II.
"Wouldn't it be awful if the teacher
knew all wo say to each other ?" wig
gled Jennie Browns fingers one after
noon to a boy across the aisle.
"She amt sharp enough for that"
was the confidential response.
"After we recite in geography shall
ask permission to come up to Charlie
Meader on the back seat 80 can sit
by you," said frankie Smiths silent.
tongued hand 10 Annie Bordman, the
fairest miss IN school.
"That will be perfectly splendid
said Anuie's white hand, land l will
move over 10 as To be close up
81 found robins nest this noon.--
We will 90 for it to night" said Tom
Whitehouse to chum OF his who
went "snacks' in these predatory ex-
peditions.
"Aud so the children passed the
urst hour of school that day in a man
ner delightful 10 themselves, but dis
astrous to the requirement of what
they would find very handy TO have
when examination day should arrive.
The geography recitation was over
frankie Stone held up his hand.
"What is it y asked MISS Davis.
"Please may l study my spelling
lesson with Charlie Meader T.
Horror of horrors Miss Davis did
not speak, but holding up her hand SO
that all the school could see, while her
face vainly tried to conceal the laugh
that was rollicking around inside she
slowly spelled out for their edifcatlon I;
"After we recite geography shall
ask permission to come up to Charlie
on the back seat so that l can sit by
YOU Annie" That will be perfectly