New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-12-28
ca RI 'YLE, S q OR
AMUSING ANEcDoTE OF
GREAT AND GLOOMY MAN.

Against His9Will.
"A writer ia The Scotsman has nn,s
sarthed an amusing anecdote Of Thomas
Carlyle as country dominic d. for.
the accuracy of which he vouches. It
was told in 1853 by a Cupar Fife law.
yer and provost who had been one Of.
5Carlyle's pupils at Klrkealdy TO the
writer and Hugh Miller. The interest
of this gentleman "reminiscences Of
his schoolmaster was heig htened by his
utter Inconsistencies that his old do
mimic was the Thomas Carly le who was,
then beginning to he known to fame.
The old gentleman described the older
race Of Scottish olmasters as always.
during school hours wearing their hats:
-at least keeping their heads covered
and many of the boys, viewing the Pc
cnliar angle at which the hat stood up-
on the head and how near it came to the.
eyebrows, could conjecture if the say s
age mood were to be that day predomi-
nant. ).
& But my teacher" said the provost,
"a strict and gloomy disciplinarians
with the name Of Carly lie, never wore
his hat III the school, and indeed his
brow was so overhnng with dark threat
ening that no extra expression to alarm,
us was needed from his lum hat! He.
did not thrash us either very often or
very severely, but we had a fear that
if provoked, he would go great lengths,
in punishment. have seen his mere.
scowl hush at once the whole school. 9 &
Hugh Miller here interposed BY ask
ing, Did your teacher ever burst into
a strange laugh in school?''
'.That is a very odd question. re-
turned the provost. Why do you ask?
But now that / Der, he had at
times very extraordinary laugh that
made us all stare. It had train of
queer chuckling which exploded in a
succession Of loud and deep outlaws that
shook his whole body and displayed all
his teeth like the keys Of piano. He
then clapped his hands on the book he
held against his knees. Yet none Of as
neye. knew at what he was laughing.
He had grim smile in reproging pupils
and habit Of tapping their heads with
his knuckles as he told them that the
heads would never be worth the price
of hats or the chargeof q barber, though
mammas and aunts had that morning
combed, kissed and blessed them, as if
| they were teeming with the snblimest
inventions and designs Y ss..as
The provost saw that Hugh Miller
and some other guests were listening
eagerly, and he proceeded
Zone morning, few minutes before
the school hour, when most of the pm
pills had arrived, and, as rain was fall
ling, they had gone into the school, a
donkey, which had broken loose from
its tether on grassy spot near, was en-
tering the play round. Bill Hood and
were SO far on our way, and Bill. who
was a stout and frolicsome lad-the
ringleader in many sports and tricks
rushed to mount the animal and began
to guide and force it into the school.
With desperate squirting the donkey
was induced to carry its rider over the
Threshold, and what reception both
Of them got from the Juvenile crowds
/ Bags Of books were at once fastened to
the tail and around the neck Of the ass,
and SO busy vera Bill and half dozen
companions in urging the animal to a
canter around the school and to ascend
4 the short stair of the master s desk that
they did not notice how time was speed.
Ling, and before they could remove the
stranger Mr.. Carlyle appeared.
We expected a tremendous explosion
.I0f wrath, but he burst into a roar Of
Ilaug glitter suchza roar, however, as, in:
stead of tempting us to join in it, pro.
4 duced sudden and complete hush, and
that roar was renewed again and again
when the ass, withdrawing its forefeel
1from the first step of the desk stair and
turning round, took a pace or two slow;
q ly toward the master as If to sal ute him.
That, exclaimed Carly is the
Wisest and best scholar Kirkcaldy hal
i yet sent me. He is fit to be your teach
Ell. He tapped the donkey Is head as he
was wont to do ours aud said There's
4 something here far more than in The
| skulls Of any of his brethren before me
| though these skulls are patted in font
admiration by papas and mammas, anf
/ though that far.p rander headpiece meet.
only with merciless blows. $3.50
He then gave some hard taps OF
3 Bill Hood Is head, and would not allow
& him to dislnount, but for penalty or
4 dered him to ride up and down th,
school fer an hour, " lille those boy
who had been most active in helplns
/ Bill to go through the farce had t
march IN pairs before and behind th
I erple3ed okins, 8 IS. He did tire
B quire the other scholars to attend q
{ their several school lessons, but silentl.
& permitted them 70 stand as spectator
Of the grotesque prooessio on, ,Then b
him Elf. seated WITHIN his pnl pitlik
I desk. surveyed Bill and his comp
ss'. have net for years thought Of thi
Iscene, continued the provost, but st
has now come back to me freshly, an,
Fl remember old master had
L VERY strange laug b. don knew WIa
has become Of him, nor indeed have
liheara Of him since left KirkcaId