The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-11-16

l.IE--f seL IH wv NCFut va luN
VlSIfI II daily labors in n
SSs.---.-r tiny schoohousp
w among the Boyls-
- ton hills
II was lovely.
though lonely place. On one side the
hills, III gently slopiug descent melted
softly into the pebhly beach of "Old
Ontario and on the other rose. crest
on crest, ~ far N the eve could see.
Ono building alone giaddened my eyes
"A large rel barn hlii mile AWAY.
Before the school hpu-r lay the broal
meadows belonging to the Owner otthe
barn, while behind 1t "A tangled thlriiet
or bushes aud slender second growth
trees almost brushed the low roof.
My scholars-with one exception -
were the usual assortment of freckled,
tanned, froNsly, bare-footei boys and
girls usually found IN a country school.
This notable exception was Sam
Sharp, aa exceedingly bright, dull
boy. For though fourteen years old
and scarcely keeping his place in II
class of children not much more than
half his age, he was yet the quickest
witted, the most observing and the
handles, boy | ever knew. Add to
this that he wns gOod-nutured, truth.
full and fcarless-anl exceedingly
handsome -- the accusation that "thr
to"cher in orel SGm SHARP was not
perhaps, ,itire,y 9ithout foundation.
When ! irst ca To the little hill
me with many Gruesome' tales of the
wild animals which someNmes came
down from the Forth WoodsAand were
apparently particularly partial to that
locality.
why sal Il Sam Sharp, Fright
mere, on this vS ry spot, in the bushes
back of the scltoolhouse, they killed n
bear last year You ought to have
seen his claws; and there wasn't
thing IN his sty1mach If schoo had a
kept then like rorll Ne Re de a
omItn VIII i.
he's 80 fat?" 'lueuI lvaie o"'
Here Minty set II A waa, .u NON,
be ct by bear if Lam fat :" I. "t,ar
children shouted with hught.,-, na
such tumult prevailed | was obliged
tu ring the bell and thus shorten the
noon intermission by ten minutes.
But / did not forget the bear, and
many were the uneasy glances cast
toward the thicket behind my rustic
temple of learning. But no fiery-eyed,
red-tongued black head ever peered Mt
mo from its green depths, and | for
got the bear in the still more blood
curdling tale OF the panther, told me
by no less an authority than the school
trustee.
1.-TWO years ago" he said "a
painter came down from the woods and
commenced rampsgin 'mong the ami.
mails. One night he killed calf OF
mine and three days after two sheep
over on the turnpike and none knows
how many other critters he killed We
never heard of, for he was all over.
like bad weather. One night we heard
him over in Hcmloch Lake swamp
cryin' like u baby, the next night my
boy Bill heard him over on the Peter
boro road ten mile from here, where
he'd been to IA dance, and he was tin'ly
shot by Mike Mullen not forty rod
from your schoolhouse door.
Then for several weeks [ heard
stealthy steps and felt IA hot breath on
my neck, half dozen times at least.
during my mile walk through the
thick September mist, to the school.
house. And, surely, those were the
thickest mIsts that ever wrapped any
hills, they blottcd everything from my
sight but u short stretch of road be-
fore me-
The lowing of cattle, the neighiug
OF horses, the voices of people, came
to me from them with the weirdness
and unrcality we feel when a dog barks
at midnight And as, with ears
strained III listening and cold chills
traversinB my spine, | walked the
lonely road, many queer fancies came
to me forn of my loneliness aud fears.
If the panther should devour me,
would my wrath haunt the road?
Would travellers, walking through the
mists, be startled by pale-faced
woman passing them with hurrying
steps, and shiyering, backward looks?
And would she wear frizzles, aud
carry tin dinner-pail? As this or
some other ridiculous conclusion came
10 me | would laugh, and inn revulsion
of feeling come, out of the lifting
mists, into spicy odors and merry
child-life
September mists gave way to bright
October--a yeritable golden month
the late frosts, which had delayed al
most to its beginning, glorifed the
hillsides into such wonderful beauty,
l seemed to be living in new world.
No monster had come from the thicket
no dark form had bounded, with
ohild-like cry, from the mists.
October was almost gone. vacation
was only month away. in the pleas
ant present, aud anticipated future,
had forgotten my fears. One day.