Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-07

published. On Friday afternoons, when
all the other work of the week was finished,
the pupils were requested to put away their
books and states, and clear their desk. Of
with which provided them. Each was
then given subject, upon which he or she
was to write composition of no less than
hundred nor more than three hundred
allowed for this exercise, after which I
gathered up the compositions for criticism
and correction. On one Of these Friday
afternoons, little girl, only eleven years
Of age, handed me the following which !
copy verbatim:
EVENING.
By
! .ove to take my little sisters and 60
out on hill when the sun is setting so
red In the west, and the birds are singing
around us, and the cows are coming home
to be fed, and the men are returning from
their days work.
love to play in the evening when the
children are gay and everything around
me Is happy.
Ilove TO zee the flowers closing their
buds when the shades of evening are
may come as quietly and peacefully as the
closing of the flowers in the evening.
May Goth, l6S-
Now doubt very much If there be many
literary or even newspaper men land the
latter are engaged daily in rapid extempore
compositions), who al the close of their
days or nights work--and little Lena did
work in the schoolroom, and hard work,
too--could write in fifteen minutes only
one hundred and three words upon sub
professional writer than my pupil has
done as little schoolgirl. Was it merely
happy hit? might think so were II not
for the fact that Lena did almost II not
quite as well at other times, not on :" COM
position day." and when she could not
possibly have expected such a task. Her
parents were poor, uneducated working
psople, who, to save their lives, could not
have written the most commonplace Of the
compositions little Lena was IN the habit
"To be well favored Is gift of fortune"
says Dogberry, "but to write and read
comes by nature" and we have all been in
the habit of laughing at the poor, blunder-
ing captain Of the watch. But when think
of little Lenas compositions, and those
teen-year-old boys and girls, whose
advantages" were greatly superior to
hers, I feel like "comprehending all
vagrom men, bidding them stand In the
Princes name," and putting 1t squarely to
them whether, after all, In the highest
sense, D0gberry Is not right.
Poor Lena That same summer her
mother died, and the child went to work
Immediately, taking housewives place,
caring for the five younger children and
house, even to the milking of the cows and
the washing and ironing. A brighter,
better child, and one more sensible withal,
have never known. Let us hope also
" that the closing of her life may come as
quietly and peacefully as the closing of the
flowers in the evening"
My school was one day honored by visit
from the Mennonite preacher, who was
known throughout the district as Solomon
Lichliter--the prefix Mr.. " being con-
and Reverend or Father" to be
nothing less than inventions of the devil.
He was quantity serious little man, and !
scarce could repress smile at the grave
and stern decorum Of the countenance he
wore. " His coat, too, was as black as that
of the raven, and he was very careful of
the manner of his speech-served up his
words on silver plate, as II were, and
solemnly presented them for your admir-
ing edifcation. I invited him to address
of manner and voice with which he COM
piled cast graveyard gloom over the little
assembly
"Children, can say nothing to You other
than that you have kind teacher, and that
rs the years may be heaped upon your
to instruct YOU in the good way she now
employs. And that you may always be
AZ good as / see you now--it is my wish.'
Immediately upon concluding his speech
been much pleased" he said, as though re-
citing lesson he had learned by rote. II
am fond of children. l have but the one
son. Absslom by name. After the grand
father"
"Yes, II remember" stammerea,
fdipg of family history.
"And now bid you good morning." he
said gravely extending his hand.
'.Good-by, Mr.. Lichliter," responded.
He gazed at me as if amazed, and for a
moment thought the old gentleman was
of unsound mind. In another moment,
however, l saw where tho trouble lay.
IL have never before been thus address,
ed" said he stifiiy. "In my youth was
called Solomon. Am ! any more worthy
will acknowledge. 1t sounds very smooth,
but it has hollow and vain resound-a
SAVIOR of the world. Nay, Solomon was
in my youth. Solomon I will continue to
be in my age. Please to address me as
Solomon in our intercourse hereafter. And
now, goodmorning. If l never see you
again In this world may we hope to meet in
the world above. Yea, your face seems
very familiar to me-" And with this un-
looked for conclusion, he turned and left
right, downright little man never have
. en-. l watched from the school-room
window, and saw him mount his horse.
He even performed this feat in the same
formal and sedate manner with which he
seemed to conduct every action of his life.
Some days afterwards another little Oc-
currence broke in upon the humdrum of
school life, and served to enlighten it. An
exceedingly uncouth woman called at the
school to complain that her child "wasn't
learned nothin' at all"
"You don't learn him nothin'. Here he's
UOinf an ha can't read the
newspaper, fer all he kin read his primer.
II he kin read his primer, why can't he
read the newspapers? Readin' Is readin',
say, whether It's ON newspaper or on a
primer"
You can't expect child of FIVE to read
the newspaper" l explained.
" But eff he kin read his primer, why
can't he read the neWspapers 2" she per-
sisted. "Readin' is reddin', amt il ? Is it
that he's dumb, or what ?" Dumb in the
language of the country signifies staDid.)
~ suppose it's What," l replied, smiling
In spite OF myself.
An Is'pose it's as you're a moor teacher
a. can't learn ths childrt nothin 7. I'll jes,
take Jacob out o. this here school, an send
him where they's teacher as kin push
him along"
"Why not send him to college, Mrs,
pinkleberger ?" l asked, as sweetly as l
could. You seem to consider him ready
for It,"
But Mrs. Dinkleberger was gone. Her
plan for sending little Jacob to another
school, however, was not carried out She
loo al that t,p1ar ha law ha co,,ll not oS,