The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-09-03


CHERRY Pyle."
Chow old are you?'
Cherry hesitated. ''Miss Hannah
she say is eight, but nanny say /
amt but seven.
Christmas Jones' came next, then
a well-mannered lad of about fourteen,
who was intelligent in all his answers.
and said his name was ''Chiet Justice
Marshall. SAT least that's the name
father gave me, teacher. He was from
Richmond, and used to live with the
Chief-Justice's folks. But they call me
Marsh for short / live over at Mr..
Fields"
Greta found that, as rule, the chill
dren took the surnames of the fami-
lies to whom their parents had former
ly belonged. A ragged and dirty little
urchin came up presently, and gave
his name as ''Syphax Cunningham, y
and his age as nine. She could see that
for some reason the other scholars
looked down upon this boy. 1t was
plain that they did not regard him as
''frst-class,n but this only caused her
to feel deeper interest in him. There
was a "Chloe," a ''Phebe,n 'eTil-
lab, " ''Viney'' and Lilly Dale;" a
Patience" ''Phyllis," a Penny"
Nero" and s'Julius Caesar" also
a james Buchanan. After she had
finished entering their names, she took
up the First Reader" and turned to
one of the easiest pieces.
''Stand up in row, children she
said, land III hear you all read"
At this at least half of them said they
could not read. She began with Chloe.
The lesson began with the text: "A
lamp unto thy feet"
"a l-a-m-dr Chloe cried out, in a
sonorous voice.
mo, don't call that letter d.
'Well, den, it's b."
'No, it is not B..
"Den it's g."
The teacher shook her head.
EFF it amt a q, [ knows it's D."
said Chloe, lighting up again. Dem
letters certainly does bodder me, some
O dem handles a-sottin' up, an some
O. dem a-sottin DOWN.
Cherry Pyle next took the book.
While she was spelling out the words
monotonously, Tillah, farther down in
the class, let fall the book she had in
her hand. and her head bobbed over to
one side. She was asleep.
''Heads up" ordered the teacher.
"Attentionr'
Here Christmas Jones, her brother,
broke out, ''Tillah alters do go to
sleep, 'cep' when she's playin'.
Nanny can't glib her a candle to hold
widout she drap it to dc flo, an most
set de house atire.
AS the days became weeks, she found
that it was difficult to make the chill
dren feel that the purpose of the school
was study and not play; further than
this, they could not remember any
thing from one day to another. An
other problem COMPOUNDED her, and
that was how to fill up the number of
hours she was required to spend with
them. At last she took a new depart
ure. She dropped books for one-haIf
the day, and taught her pupils through
the medium of their senses. She gave
each one garden patch to cultivate.
She told them stories, and encouraged
them to ask her questions about any
thing they did not understand. Then
she brought large doll of her own to
school, with what scraps of cloth she
could find, the gayer the better, and
taught the girls how to cut and make
clothes for it, offering the doll and her
trousseau as a reward to the best
scholar at the end of the term. Chloe
afterwards won this prize, for when
she once grasped those handles to the
DIS and BIS, p's and as, they turned a
crank in her brain that never stopped
again.
One day Christmas came to her with
a grievous complaint against Syphax.
"He done stole my snack, teacher.
"What makes you think so, Christ
mas? Take care how you accuse him
OF such a dreadful thing"
II hab cheese an sicafree (fricasseed)
chicken for my snack, an he smell OBJ
cheese; he didn't have nothin' but hoe
cake for his snack, cause I seen him
when he open de paper. You jis' look
in his basket .
Syphax denied the charge, but the
circumstantial evidence was so strong
against him that Greta requested him
to remain after school.
''Syphax," she began solemnly, when
they were alone after the other schol-
ars had gone, ''don't you know God is
looking at you when you steal and
lieP"
clay QeD Him look, den!p ex-
claimed the offender, defiantly. 81
amt feared O. Him as l is OBJ Aunt
ChanY; | done it to please her. She
say she whip me eff L don't bring her
somethin' cherry day, now she spare me
to GO to school,"
'Did she say that? Then I'll 90
home with you to-day, and see that
she don't punish you, if you will prom
Use me not to steal again.
The boy looked up at her gratefully,
with strange inquiring glance, as he
gave the promise she asked. Forgive
ness and help were so new to him he
could not fully understand them, but
he felt their Divine influence. s'Aunt
Chany" was an ancient negress who
lived in miserable hut in a barren
field. She was held in awe by the
negroes on account OF her pretensions
as ''conjure woman" and her super
stitious practice of charms and phil
tiers.
EFF she don't whip me, teacher"
said Syphax, as they drew near the
house, he holding on to her dress for
protection, Use feared she'll put a
spell on to me, an I'll git pains all
ODER me an die.
THAT is all nonsense, my child. God
does not give such power as that to
any one. She can'tdo that to you any
more than you can to her."
"But she glib pennyroy'l tea to
Clarlssy, wild snails' tongues in it, an
she lay q bundle O. crooked sticks at
her do, an Clarissy she neber git we'll
no mo-, " insisted he, his eyes growing
large as he spoke.
''Oh, you must not believe that! She
has no such power"
When Chany saw them coming, she
came out to her door, and greeted the
young lady in the blandest tones.
"Bless your pretty face" said she,
''come in and rest you'se'f. l wonders
do hovyc loY,fA 4