Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-01-26

soitly INTO inc peDDly De0ch OF 'OlU
Ontario"-nnd on the other rose, crest
on crest, MS fnr rs tho eye could see.
One building alone gladdcned my eyes
"A large red bnrn half milo away.
Before the school house lay the broad
meadows belonging to the owner cfthe
barn, while behind it n tangled thickot
of bushes and slender second growth
trees almost brushed the low roof.
My scholars-with one exception
were the usual assortment of freckled,
tanned, frowsly, barc-footed boys and
girls usually found in a country school,
This notable exception was Sam
Sharp, an exceedingly bright, dull
boy. For though fourteen years old
and scarcely keeping his place in n
class of children not much more thnn
half his age, he was yet the quickest
wltted, the most observing and the
handiest boy l ever knew. Add to
this that he was good-natnred, truth
full and fearless ana exceedingly
hnndsome-the accusation that ''the
teacher favored Sam Sharp" was not,
perhaps, entirely without foundation.
When first came to the little hill
schoolhouse tho children entertained
me with many gruesome tales of the
wild animals which sometimes came
down from the North Woods, and were
apparently particularly partial to that
locality.
'Why," said Sam Sharp, Fright
here, on this very spot, in the bushes
back of the schoolhouse, they killed n
bear last year. You ought to have
seen his claws; and there wasn't n
thing in his stomach! If school had
kept then likely 'nough he'd n made n
meal of some of u.s. Wouldn't Minty
Smith made him good square one,
he's SO fnt?"
Hero Minty set up wall, "I won't
be ct by bear if nm fat ;" the other
children shouted with laughter, and
such tumult prevailed was obliged
to ring the bell and thus shorten the
noon intermission by ten minutes.
But l did not forget tho bear, and
many wero the uneasy glances 1 cast
toward the thickot behind my rustic
temple of learning. But no fiery-oyed,
red-tongned black head ever peered at
me from its green depths, and I for
got the bear in the still moro blood
curdling tale of the panther, told me
by no less an authority than the school
trustee.
1.-TWO years ngo," he said ga
painter came down from the woods and
commenced rampagin 'mong the ami
mails. One night he killed calf of
mine and three days after two sheep
over on the turnpike, and mono 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 Hemlock Lake swamp
cryin' like baby, the next night my
boy Bill heard him over on the Peter
boro road ten milo from here, where
he'd been to n dance, and he was fin'ly
shot by Mike Mullen not forty rod
from your schoolhousc door"
Then for several weeks I heard
stealthy steps and fclt hot breath on
my neck, half dozen times at least,
during my mile walk through the
thick September mists to the school
house. And, surely, those were the
thickest mists that ever wrapped any
hills, they blotted everything from my
sight but short stretch of road be-
fore me.
The lowing Of cattle, the neiehing
of horses, the voices of people, came
to me from them with the weirdness
and unreality we feel when dog barks
ut midnight. And as, with ears
strained in listening and cold chills
traversing my spine, walked the
lonely road, many queer fancies came
to me torn of my loneliness and 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 shivering, backward looks +?
And would she wear frizzles, and
carry a tin dinner-pail2 AS this or
some other ridiculous conclusion came
to me I would laugh, and in revulsion
of feeling come, out of the lifting
mists. into spicy odors and merry
child-life
September mists gave way to bright
October-a veritable golden month
the late frosts, which had delayed al
most to its beginning, glorifed the
hillsides into such wonderful beauty,
/ seemed to be living in new world.
No monster had come from the thicket
mo dark form had bounded, with
child-like cry, from the mists.
October was almost gone, vacation
was only month away, in the pleas-
ant present, and anticipated future, I
had forgotten my fears. One day,
shortly after the beginning of the
afternoon session, saw Sam Sharp's
nplifted hand AS he never asked un-
necessary questions broke the rule
mo questions during recitations" and
asked, "What is it, Sam?" There was
something besides mischief in the
bright black eyes raised to mine, rs he
said: There is new scholar in the
schoolhouse yard. He seems to be r
little bashful about coming in. He's
eating his lunch now. Shall 90 out
and ask him to come in when he is
throngh?"
Certainly. SAM" / said, Ego end