The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-01

standing at one side of the valley with |
in the edge of the wood. The interior
of the building presents scene COM
mon to every country school-house. A
shattered window pane is pasted over
with leaf from an old copy book.
The floor is dusty and Uttered with
scraps of paper. There are two long
desks with benches along them for schol-
ars to sit on while writing. The great
old-fashioned box-stove is not used
during the summer. but is left appar-
emily to mark out the center of the
room. Bare feet are grating over the
floor, and bare toes slyly kicking shins.
In the old arm chair sits the mysteri-
Gus school-master while a class of
Young urchins are ranged in line.
The low murmer of the pupils voices,
coming over their lessons, may be
heard on this drOwsy summers day,
like the hum of beehive; interrupted
now and then by the authoritative
voice of the master, in tone OF COM
mand. The mysterious schooi-master
was as firm as a military officer and
never spoiled the child by sparing the
rod. He was not one Of those cruel
pedagogues who delight in the inflic-
ton Of punishment. The weak falter-
ing urchin who shrank under the birch
he passed by, to lay it with double
force upon the incorrigible and unpen-
itent. 1t was noticeable fact that for
day or two after his visits to Mocks-
vile or one of the other towns where
the school-master imbibed too much
brandy, he was more irritable than
usual. Usually he laid aside the dig
nifty of school-master at recess and,
Notwithstanding his silvered locks,
joined the boys on the play ground.
making one of their number. But
being more morose than usual he sat
alone at his desk when the hour Of
noon came. and burying his face in his
hands, refused to move during the en-
tire hour given to recreation. When
| the time came to resume school duties
the master seemed to brighten up,
and rang the bell bringing in the
boys and ranging them in seats. But
q few moments later he sank back in
his chair and buried his face in his
hands as if he were in confusion and
doubt, or had sunk into an apathetic
state. Suddenly he started, assumed
a military position. much to the aston
ishment of his pupils, and saluting,
shouted:
"Nve la rspublique! Nve pEm-
pereur!"
A moment later he stood proud and
commanding as if he were at the head
of division and the Emperor was in
front of him, and then as the shadowy
visions his memory and imagination
had conjured up faded away. leaving
only a score of astonished boys. he
realized how ridiculous his position,
and sat down.
The school-master got through the
day, but the children had strange tales
of what they had seen, and it only
added one more to the general mys-
teries about the school-master.
He is more than he seems" said
Mr.. Houston TO his wife. /" He may
be" he stopped short; whatever he
was about to say he checked himself
in it, not because he had any thing he
wished to conceal but because he had
nothing to say. What connection had
this country school-master with the
portraits of those two distinguished
men! 1t was riddle he could moi
solve even to his own satisfaction.
A few months later the school
master went to the village where hi
"got on a SPREE" and again was hi
tongue let loose. Mr.. Houston knew
nothing about it until few days latel
when one of the villagers came to hin
and informed him that in boastfu
mood, while intoxicated, the school
master had declared he was Marsha
Ney, Napoleon Bonaparte's celebrated
officer.
Marshal Ney," cried Mr.. Houston
: in astonishment. 1.-The man wa'
: drunk. He can not be Marshal Ney-
Marshal Ney was killed in Paris on tn,
9TH of December, 1875" Then to con
. vince his neighbor of the fact he tool
from a shelf an old history Of France
: in which he read the details in full
of the execution of the great Marshal
There was mystery about the school
master and the le mot d'enigmc was no
, in their reach.
; For eight years the mysteriou
schoolmaster had lived in close inter
! course with the people of Mocksville
Newspapers came to the neighbor
hood which Peter Ney read with avid
! ity. Peter had great scar upon hi
forehead over which he kept his iron
gray locks combed. The good peopl
began searching the history of the de
I funct Marshal of Napoleon, and to thei
surprise found he had q similar scar
the effect of saber cut His feet AM
: legs bore the same scars of wound
! that did the Marshals; many now boldl
asserted that this mysterious man wa
, none other than the materialized spiri
of the Marshal come back among then
to engage in school teaching. The &C
!, cession of Louis Philippe 10 the thron
of France in 1880, was first discovere
: in the papers by the mysterious school
master. His conduct was so strang
u as to brighten and astound even his int
: mate friend, Mr.. Houston. He gavewa
J, alternately to paroxysms of rage an
grief. At one moment he was sweal
J, ing and raging like a mad man, an
u the next he was weeping like a chile
MIR. Houston did every thing he coul
d to console the poor school-master, an
y after time he partially succeeded.
|, week passed and the school-master wa
y a changed man. He had grown MOI
IS haggard and melancholy.
e One day he asked Mr.. Houston If
e did not regard his conduct as strsng'
n Il certainly do" was the answer.
d "U you only knew me and my hi