The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-05-05
THE YANKEE SCHOOLMASTER.

On "NIillerS Hill' farmhouse: a
towland structure built Of wood; whose
clap-boards, weather. worn and gray, were
falling into slow decay: whose mossy
wooden lane ne-troughs swung from rusty
IRONS rudcly hung; whose curling shin
giles here and there betrayed the need of
good repair; whose ancient chimney.
capped with stone, with Gchens partly
Dvergrown above tho sagging roof, looked
down upon the spires of Brandon town.
An old gray barn was built near by.
with heavy girths and scalfolds high,
and solid sills and massive beams. and
through the cracks and open seams tho
Blanting sunshine used to play in golden
CLEANS upon the hay, where oft, with
many a shout the children jumped and
played about at hide and seek, or looked
with care for hidden nests in corNers
there. Where oft at morn they used 20
hear the cackling hen and chanticleer.
where, by the broad floor meath the
mows, were cribs and stanchions for the
COWS, and strong plank stalls where
horses stood to eat their hay from racks
Of wood, and, in n corner slowed away, O.
tanning mill and old red sleigh. Where
Jolly farm-boys husked at night the gold
en- corn by candle-light, and hung their
y
into the hay, where, sheltered from the
autumn rain, with laundering fails they
threshed the grain.
Each year the hum OF honey bees was
heard amid the apple tree, the lilacs
bloomed, the locusts fair with their sweet
fragrance filled the air; the stubble fields
were plowed and sown; the warm rain
fell; the bright sun shone; the robins
sang; the groen grass grew; the roses
blossomed In Che dew; the tall red holly
hook once moro bloOmed brightly by
the farmhouse door; the sun-hower bent
its gaudy head; the cattle in the pasture
fed, the crtckets chirped in meadows
near, sounds were waited to the ear DER
waving fields of tasseled corn, of clatter-
ing scythe and dinner horn. The reapers
reapcd their golden sheaves; the swallows
left the succeed caves; the apples in the
autumn breeze grew ripe and mellow
on the trees; theleaves were swept about
the air; the fields were brown, the wood
lands bare; the snow-fakes fell; the mir
grew chill; the sleigh-bells rangon mil
ler's Hill"
The winter sky was overcast, the snow
and sleet were falling fast. Twas
Christmas eve; the air was cool; the
children hurried home from school, with
laughter loud and outcries shrill they
reached the farmhouse on the hill, they
came across the kitchen floor, nor stopped
to shut the entry door, all striving first
tho news to tell, exclaimed, in concert,
with yell: "The teachers comm here
TO stay; he's up the road little way; he
stopped to talk with Susan Stow, an we
ran home to let you know"
The mother stopped her spinning
wheel and put away her creaking reel,
swept up the dusty hearth with care,
rolled down her sleeves and brushed her
hair, smoothed out her rumpled gingham
gown, and in her rocking chair sat down;
then, striving hard to look her best, she
calmly waited for her guest.
Her ruddy, round, and fleshy face was
bordered by n cap Of lace; her nose was
nearl ly hid from view by her plump
cheeks OF healthy hue; her eyes were
bright, her hair was thin, she had q
heavy double chin; her husbands arms,
when both embraced, could barely cir
cumscribe her waist
Of all large women nine in ten will
most admire the little men, and little
men-why none may tell-will love large
women quite as well. They WOO, they
wed, the man through life is quite DER
shadowed by the wife.
Soon, parting from his rustic flame,
the tardy young schoolmastor came. His
eyes were blue, his features fair, his chin
o'ergrown with downy hair; behind his
ears his locks of brown were smoothly
brushed and plastered down; his bony
limbs were large and long; his we'll
trained muscles firm and strong; the tall,
stout boys that years before had thrown
their master through the door his rod
regarded with dismay, and seldom dared
to disobey. The pride and hopeof Hub
bardton was tall Lycurgus Littleiohn,
who had, his fellow-townsmen said: "a
heap O larnin' in his head" (Thrce
terms in Midblebury College had given
him his cheap" of knowledge.)
He often used to sit between the fair
young girls of sweet sixteen and kindly