River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-07-11
ZEPHANIAH EZEKIEL.
His Lengthy and Futile Attempt to
Escape Punishment.

It was eleven o'clock on a forenoon
when our graudiathers we're young.
The scholars I'm Aunt Sally Wood
bridges long diuiug-rcpm knew it was
eleven, because every dag sd that hour
the tin baker went down upou' the
kitchen hearth with a bang, and the
coTee-mill. nailed io one side 81 a win
dow-ca7iur. was heard sending forth
it, periodical chatter.
Ia tho-. days net only did the mas
terog theG.etri,.t school board round.
but the -caoal likewise accompanied
the ma-t. in his pere-rinatiou5 from
house ia Eau-e. in each OF which a
room ard q few chairs. settles or boxes
wore par. fnr thn cause 81 eiuca-
tom
Tho long. oJd-fJshioued dinin--room
of the Woodbridge donicile was at
present given up during few hours
cl each day 10 this excellent use. But
no sooner had the masters stout ferule
raped -marjIr ON his little green
table If twelve O'Clock. than n trans
formation scene took place in the in
terest Of hungry Wood0ridEes
] am au hour ahead Of my story.
however. and must go back. The
bans of the Tin BAKER had just been
heard. ana Aunt S9lly'S hand had now
grasped the handle 81 the c0ffce-mill
with its USUAL vigorous touch when
Zcphauiah Ezekiel Tr;ssl,. "a youth who
frequently varied the mono,ony Of
schoo. life ~ efforts 10 amusc him
self -lvly sHied small wad of paper,
with the evident intention Of lodging
it i'm thu open mouth Of "A member OF
the arithmetic class. who was deeply
absorbed in the interesting process Of
subtractjug uuc-balf from seven
eiEhths
Uuucly .ho,. The paper pellet
went wide 81 liz mark, and glanciGg
from the forehead IF its intended
victim. struck the nose of the diEniiied
but nspUery ma-t"r,
Tie Whole school saw il. -snc .sith
rarvful.v--uaceair glee. and others
with uubuuaded anna cement. n if the
whase fabric is IearniuG had been
msuascd. On ;Ee face of one small
hoy was such 4 mingled look uf fear.
transformation aud despair tnat h.- de-
lection vaz 8u easy matter, although
tile master uls ~curw hat advanced in
years. agd wore huge g0-El,s over his
ewes.
Zcpbauiah E,ckiel" ruarrj the
master. .tsc 1T yoar jacSct and
come here
The oId mans eyes were flashing be-
hind tbrlr Image casing Of glass. while
his hand rIasred firmly the long hard
wood ruler which could boast am iuti-
mate arI1a- ataucc with every boy in
the room
To what extent the walls Of his wrath
would have hcsr poured Out upon the
pre4aut victim. had NOT GooI-fortunr.
in the person ~ Aunt sally, appeared
81 tire door. I am not able 10 state
But certain T. was that while poor
Zcphaniah Er,l5iei stood 10 jacketIess
detection beneath the appraised hickory,
the mistress ~ the kitchen. having
given Il small rap upon the side Of the
mill 70 shake the remaining grains II
coffee dowu. and having -iv-G The last
twirl % the handle. app AIRED ~ the
door. Reckoning the schooI-teacher
into the kitchen. she inquired whether
he preferry : SAGE OF summer sayory n
seasoning in a meat-~tew.
80 important a matter required de
liberation. since a meat-stew improp-
Crly seasoned possesses few attractions
70 a cultivated palate. 4 couSidera-
bic period WIS thus afforded the small
culprit on the other side 81 the door
I'm which 10 do some hard thinking.
Had there been an outside door OF
hand. or "a open window. this story
would never have been written. That
outside door or open window would
have INTRODUCED Zephauiah 70 q long
stretch 81 open country outside. ere
tho saueas o'thc masters retiring foot
steps had die away; but 10 such ave
nue. of escape 4 Nred itself
Tie WOclbriuN house. like many
other early d, 'elllNgs in the state OF
Maine. was bu =, with huge stone
chimueys. and broad hearths formed
OF single slabs Of stone. These open
fre-places had enormous iron cranes