Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-09-23


looked down upon this boy. 1t was
plain that they did not regard him as
.'first-class,p but this only caused her
to feel a deeper interest in him. There
was "Chloe," "Phebe," "Til-
lab, a ''Viney" and Lilly Dale;" a
Patience ar'Phyllis," penny"
Nero" and a Julius Cesar" also
a flames 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 I'll 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 ID"
well, den, it's b."
r"No, it is not b."
''Den it's g."
The teacher shook her head.
''Ef it amt q, l knows it's p,"
said Chloe, lighting up again. Dem
letters certainly does bodder me, some
O dem handles s-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 60 to
sleep, 'cep when she's playin'.
Nanny can't glib her a candle to hold
widout she drap it to de TO, an most
set de house atire. -
As the days became weeks, she found
that 1t 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 sconfounded her, and
that was how to fill up the number Of
hours she was required to spend with
them. At last she took new depart
ure. She dropped books for one-hal
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
sthem to- ask-her questions about any
thing they did not understand. Their
she brought large doll of her own tC
school, with what scraps of cloth sh,
could find, the gayer the better, ant
taught the girls how to cut and max.
clothes for it, offering the doll and hel
4 trousseas- -as.ra reward ste~'thes bes
scholar at the end of the term. Chloe
afterwards won this prize, for wher
she once grasped those handles to tn,
DIS and BIS, p's and as, they turned ,
crank in her brain that never stopped
again.
One day Christmas came to her will
a grievous complaint against Syphax.
"He done stole my snack, teacher.
what makes you think so, Christ
masp Take care how you accuse hin
of such a dreadful thing"
II hab cheese an sicafree (fricasseed
chicken for my snack. an he smell oil
cheese; he didn't have nothin' but hoe
cake for his snack. cause l seen hin
when he open de paper. You jis' lool
in his basket
4 sSyphax denied the charge, but tn
circumstantial evidence was so stron!
against him that Greta requested hin
to remain after school.
i -"Syphax," she began solemnly, whel
they were alone after the other schol
airs had gone, don't you know God j
looking at you when you steal an,
liep"
Lay Uet) Him look, den!" ex
claimed the offender, defiantly. ..
amt feared O. Him as | is OBJ Aun
Chany; done it to please her. Sh
say. she whip me eff sdon't bring he
somethin' cherry day, now she spare m
to go to school.
4 Ibid she say thatp Then I'll 2
home with you to-day, and see tina
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 b
gave the promise she asked. Forgive
ness and help were so new to him b
could not fully understand them, bu
he felt their Divine influence. "Aun
: Chany" was an ancient negress VIII
: lived in a miserable hut in . barrel
field. She was held in awe by tn
negroes on account of her pretension
as ''conjure woman" and her supel
r stitious practice of charms and phi
tiers. ..
"Ef she don't whip me, teacher,
: said Syphax, as they drew near tn
9 house, he holding on to her dress fc
protection, Use feared she'll put
a spell on to me, an I'll git pains a
ODER me an die"
d That is all nonsense, my child. Go
, does not give such power as that |
: any one. She can'tdo that to you an
7 more than you can to her"
7 "But she glib pennyroy1 tea
Clsrlssy, wild snails' tongues in it, al
she lay bundle o. crooked sticks ;
3 her do, an Clarissy she neber git we
no mo" insisted he, his eyes CROWN
3 large as he spoke.
''Oh. you must not believe that ST
has no such power"
When Chany saw them coming, 81
came out to her door, and greeted ii
young lady in the blsndest tones.
{ BLESS your pretty face" said sh
{ ''come in and rest yeu'set Iwoade