Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-04-06
THE ELDER BENNETT.
ONCE A HUMBLE MAINE SCHOOL
MASTER.
MARX LEIGHToN's STUDIoUs YOUNG
MAN BOARDER-EARLY EXPERT
ENCE OF NEW YORK HER
AIDS FOUNDER.

dropping caves and antique gables. There
is no other house near it, and its loneli-
ness might impress any stranger looking
upon it for the first time. 1t is a rudely-
fashioned and plainly constructed house
without bay windows to adorn or porticos
to give it additional beauty There is a
small ell or shed attached to its eastern
end, and the house looks as II it might
have been painted red sometime, but
storms and old age have we'll nigh oblit-
Grated the paint, and one can only perceive
its color by close observation
This quaint old editice, monument to
the generous hospitality of the past, is
clapboarded on the front and has two
straight. narrow chimneys on either end
OF the roof, and has front door in the
centre between its two front windows,
facing the country road. was the style
in sYe olden tyne. 1t is a story and a
half building, with rooms only on the
ground floor.
There is no OF her house like it in all the
country road. No grassy lawns make its
I grounds attractive, no towering elms or
shady oaks adorn and beautify the place.
Built among rocks or stubble in the first
place, but very little improvement has
ever been made ON its natural surround
ings. Nature has done all that she could
for the place from the material supplied
her, but the hand of man has done COM
paratiyely nothing.
So there is nothing particularly attrac-
.,...t..,.:-.,., -. - t...I.
1lNe "oout MS "'o uo"2e' a'i' ''ul''i gus u
people pass IL by daily without helhS al
all IMPRESSED by its appcarancc. and but
few ever notice it at all
That this old house contains a history is
certain. Mark Leighton. its builder.
was not a farmer but Tor many wears Of
his life he kent A country hotel or wayside
inn He VA. the fat her of the late. y arren
! iie,hfan of uiIbridgr and ha. TWO
,,randchiidren foXy living there t;.o NJ.
I .,i,yhton and Lincoln II i,eightop.
Marx Iciphton kent the only puhlic
tavern in th,7s,. DAYS II wa. a. hasnitahle
an inn a. ihere VA. in the country. and
hardly a NIGHT nas.ed without seeing
numerous guests COSTLY seated before the
hiazin,, hesrfb snoting their ,,ipes and
summing their tal,. af adventure and
army life since he second war with Great
RritIin had scarcely closed These quests
,,,,r,. ,,,arI, All kni-hi erraut. who had
tasted hoth the hitter and sweet of
,fnnr,.r American life This was about the
var 1s1N
~, a.. ,..,,,,,,= l,,.ast,r came "a
Nr& ItsiTht5nss To.t5jce and applicd for
E,ard -rbnnip,ast.r. uSed l., hoard
,.,,,,,i L., hos g. I'm, tiis yooug man
+ 5,,,i,rr.d t,,,r sftrt arran,,Sp,nuf Hr
ti,,,f ,ii ,,,9i,,i,. fid In, com
,,,ftfa.. Nal .itybt1n received I'M
Iii 49, ,,5Iil,f, mar, and b. soon became
"a, ,+isti,,t,t3i.ft ,,n4.t ~ nj n,,,rtar
bnteI
Tn. s.h,,l3,a.t.r ,-,s=said IN he a very
tbnn,,ht him an ei,tttra bur lanes Cor
don Rrnnptfz all aid was a schoolmaster
win, knew hi. business. Nounp Brnnltt
va. a I'M in advance, Of his host and his
nsigbhors and MAS divnir,ed and reserved.
" mai people would call NOWADAYS a re-
cluse
When he, came to StcubeD the village
district stood in need Of a teacher. a Young
man Who had nlentv Of ..,ddvcation and
Inc right kind of muscle to back up his
instrnctions" Youth in those DAYS often /
dafied and ontgrew mentally AT least
manhood Country lads grew up in the
shade and were often as large as the
schoolmasters who came to teach them,
" hen the school committee were rack
ing their brains. puzzled to know where
they could find the man adapted for this
school MIR Bennett nui in appearance
and made applicatidn. None knew
whence he had come None inunir,d
The applicant was a man of good address
and manners and looked as if he pos
sf..sed he real ginger in hi, congestion
H.. was asked few Questions. whether
the earth was round or fiat accented by +
the committee. and the next dav took his
place in the Steuben school house to MI
he vacancy caused hv the heys' sudden
emulsion of the last master through the
back window And AZ Inc school mouse
then sat en- the very edge of the little
river lust above tGe present bridget I
,,,,,, IL, ,,r.aup,e3 ,b,t a.. ..b,,Iu,l,-,.-
in addition To petfinv tred migbt have
tasted cold water thnnrh water was MOI
the beverage usually dealt out to men in +
the dawn OF our nineteenth century. New F
England rum and dish OF biz APPLES US
uaIiy sal on the dining table and every
hodt- vas welcome To al tbares,f infInd
ins, the pastor and the bnrpoma.ter
During this term Of school youno Ben
nett boarded With Marx Leighton. and f
the room, h.. ncc,ii,jad ,..itttsf.sd ia ~.