Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-10-02
The LANDsTREETs.
Al STORY OF THE PEACH COUNTRY,
BY
tsA OSCAR DALE.
fcr.r,iohtad NV Tlba Rvarv Eveninp publiehing 90,
OSCAR DALE,
oopyrishted by The Every Evening Publishing Co
CHAPTER v.
THE YANKEE soHooLMAsrE

THE YANKEE SCHoOLMAsrER'
AS Mr.. Carswell had thought TO himself,
whtn he incidentally learned from Tom
Landstreet who the soboolmaster, or
rather the principal Of the Iron City
Academy, was, the latter was after all no
Yankee, bus New Yorker. Charles
Rensselaer, Barlow, as he had heen
named, had driited down TO Lincoln
district without thought Of making the
place his home. A bookish man with
fne tastes and instincts he hsd earned
modest living aB o sub editor on New
York newspaper, which we will call the
Courier, sinoe that was not its name, and
he had injured his health and impaired
his eyesight by sitting up night after
night deoiphering atrooieus copy and
wielding the blue pencil with extermi-
mating effect on the verboBity OF articles
and kilograms.
After his brother had established him
self at Rensselaer,, Charles went to spend
one Of his brief vacations there ard
improved his leisure to indulge In spell
Of sickness for which he could have
scarcely found time while chained to the
great machine which must be as steady
and sure In Its daily movements as the
earth itself. He recovered slowly, and,
since the devouring press waits not for
time nor tide, much less for mere men,
and must 20 On regardless Of sickness or
sorrow, lie or death, Charles Barlow
naturally found 1t had not waited for
him. His place had been filed and there
was nothing for him to do but wait till
another opened, as one surely would among
the Indispensable but unknown parts
OF the great msuhine which sucks out the
very lives Of men In order that busy
world may have each days history
compressed into no more words than II
can find time to hastily scan at the
breakfast table.
But Charles Barlow was still weak fo-
. long time after he had got about and
he shrank from q return TO the weary
grind as horse In green pastures might
shrink from return 10 the drudgery OF
the tread mill up which he had tramped
day after day, remaining ever in the
same place and knowing nsught Of the
results he produced. In this mood the
proposal that he should take charge OF
the new academy at Iron City came to
him as an opportunity for relief from toll,
and though experience had since shown
him that teaching had many vexations
and trials Of its own and lacked most OF
the o0mpensations which render journal.
istio work tolerable, he olung TO his
academy, first because he found the
balmy air of the region was putting new
health and vigor into his delicate form.
and afterwards because he had come to
know and love Katie Lsndstreet and
could mot bear TO forego his occasional
opportunities for meeting her until he
should have either won her love in return
or found his hope Of doing so futile. Hs
could only see her now and then, for
though there had been no actual proht-
bition against his visiting Mr.. Land.
streets house he had been made TO feel
that the old gentleman deteste5 him and
he had noticed with pain that Miss Katie
never invited him to call on her as she
unhesitalingly did others, though never,
II she could avoid 1t, in his hearing.
Tall, OF slight figure with brown hsii
and eyes and silken beard, the young
man seemed 10 lack vig0r, and his indis
pensAble glasses gave him an air O
effeminscy at first in the eyes OF hill
sturdier neighbors, yet thanks to th'
systemstic training Of city gymnasium
Barlow could swing his light body over
five.rail fence more readily than mos
men, and many believed that there was
dangerous power in the muscles Of hi
right arm. At least a young fellow. large
and much heavier than Barlow, who hst
announced that he wac going to slick
the master on account Of some reprimant
administered at school was abaent for
few days after that he had named TO
making the attempt. The master ha'
however paid two visits to the belligeren
youth and both Of them were ever afte
silent as to the encounter II there ha
been one. One small boy declared pos
lively that he had seen Nick Wilkin
take off his coat and square OIL at Ml
Barlow, aud that moment atterward
Nick was lying In heap on the groun
and the master stoopinR down tying
handk -rohief around Niok's forehead
The chief thing that initiated agsinst
general acceptance OF this story was th
devoted friendship Nick had ever sftel
wards manifested toward Mr.. Barlow.
Whether the story was true or falee u
notion had somehow got abrosd th'
Barlow was master Of that art whic
rowdies distinguish as the Science an
an excellent result was that the sohoo
masters adherence to his old tailor d.
not subject him to any open critiois
from the village loafers, who usual
resent any notable nestness or touch
fashion In masculine dress. But Barlo
had something more than passi
tolerance from the people OF Iron Cit
He was popularity believed to be
inexhaustible reservoir OF knowledR
His library Of few Thousand volum
was regarded as marvel and us Col
plstenesss In reference books would hs
entitled II to pi aise from more disorin
mating critics. Hence 1t was that
frequent reply to questions, 81 CAM
say precisely but will look 1t up for yon
seemed the sufficient promise OF
solution Of any vexsd question. 7
editor Of the BaRdad Banner had Actua
borrowed horse and driven over to IL
City for the express purpose OF asking
some information concerning Durham
order to defend himself against sn
at his ignorance by the Durham Case
He was mot only courteously received
Mr.. Barlow had handed him two separ
oyclopedia volumes, articles tiom VIII
the editor copied, and q gszstteer W
the names OF eli the DurhRms exist
anywhere, which the editor likew
copied. By the time his task was 6nisl
he was surprised TO receive from Barlo'
liat OF all the magazine articles that
ever appeared on Durham In Bnglant
America and 8 memorandum at
bottom IS to the New York librarie
which several of the magazines could
found The editor knew something
encyclopedias and .gazstteers, but
Joining Of little personal knowledg
dip into an old copy OF the then
Poole's Index seemed to him to aln
SAVIOR Of magic. He went home and
out that Durham fellow and then hay
asosrtained the limited extent of
rivals knowledge, he OF Bagdad procet
TO demolish the Durham editor wi
popderous article OF three columns wi
showea such wide knowledge and O
ali sorts Of authorities Except the 81
olopedia) so glibly that the Dur!
Republican actually complimenteo
Democratic paper by republishipg
article in full and 1t even made
editorial reference to 1t In which
Democratic contemporaries were
oasticslly exhorted to "dwell toge
in unity" while the Bagdad Banner
oounseled never again to take 80
club for the purpose Of smashing W
Thenoeforward no amount OF rel
strapoe on the part Of Mr.. Barlow Q
prevent the Banner man from ailudiI
him as "our learned friend OF neigl
ing town. or tithe distinguished prof
of Iron City," and the principal Q
public school at Bagdad made no
ceAlment Of his belief that "the como
spectacled dsndy'' had paid the edit
thus compliment him. Tom Lands
had a aimilRr suBpioion, but he conf