The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-09-22

of times, but somehow they had never
noticed the beauties of the view as they
did that day. The clouds of early morn
ing had broken away and the world was
bathed in sunlight. To the southeast
they looked out over ranges of round
little hills, and beheld the great white
capitol, IA miles away, cleaning in the
blue light reflected from the lakes sur
rounding the city. A few miles to the
north were wild, irregular hills, rising
in sheer, rocky cliffs, and in the imme-
date foreground lay rich farm lands:
shorn grain fields alternated with
groves of oak, ash and maple, dull red
and dull yellow with the hues of late
autumn; long rows of c~orn-shocks
marched across fields to the edges Of
pastures still clothed with green.
This is the place for the school,
house." said Gregory. And it should
be something more than the school,
house. 1t should be the enter of our
social life. the guild-hall or club
house of the district, or of the neigh
boring districts. 1t should contain .
general meeting-room upstairs over the
schoolroom, a small kitchen, a Ii
brary-"
Hold on" said liver Borglum. "How
vas you goin' to pay for all that?"
"Ill tell you how we'll pay for IT,"
said Torgrim Olsen. "We'll pay for it
by buying the lumber and putting up
the building ourselves. Every man here
can give his labor"
whats the matter with building a
big log schoolhouse?' suggested Jens
Shipness. "Anders Anderson told me
that up in Minneapolis some rich peo-
pie built big houses for themselves out
of logs. and they were thought very
stylish"
"Just the thing" cried Torgrim o.
sen. Boys, We'll build a big Norwegian
log house out of squared logs, m just
such as the judge had in our parish. and
I'll tell you it will be a mighty hand
some. as well as strong and warm, build
ing. Every man here can spare some of
the logs that he's been seasoning for
firewood."
The very next day the building be.
gan. and contributions of labor and
logs came from all the surrounding dis
tricts. The logs were hewn square, and
under the direction of Torgrim Olsen
there rose a building that was as much
superior in beauty to the ordinary
country schoolhouse as an old English
stone church is to an American wooden
meeting house.
4 belfry tower, for some future bell.
rose at n side, and gables and peaks
diversified the roof. Logs with the
bark left on formed stripes around the
building at the top of the first story
and under the broad caves. AS the
building was very much larger than
the old one only half of the lower story
was used for a schoolroom. A kitchen
and two dressing-rooms occupied the
rest of this first floor, which was not
plastered, except in the spaces between
the logs.
The reception room in the second
story was ceiled and papered. The
bright, new floor would look well
enough for a time, and the purchase Of
a carpet was postponed.
Almost the whole township was pres
ent at the opening of the new edifice,
and before the assemblage broke up a
to see about Incorporating
Hawthorne society was appointed.
The society had outgrown the limits
of district No. B. 1t was the social or
ganization of the whole township and
must have a legal existence. for it
owned property and intended to &C.
quire more.
Say" said the postmaster at the
village of St. Lombert. where
The people of the township got their
mail. Il want you to tell me. Gregory.
what has got into the people in your
own. 4. lot of them take papers now. |
some of those who took Norwe-
yian and German papers before have
gone over to American"
ID you know, Gregory" said Mr..
Maynard. "there is one important re-
ult of the debates of our society that
have noticed. The men are all trying
o perfect their English. and, positive
v. 1 haven't heard a word of foreign
speech for a month. The society il a
great A~mericanizer."
The meetings of the literary society
with the close of the school in
June, to be resumed again in Septem-
Der. Although he had intended to keep
he place only a year, Gregory applied
or the position of teacher again at the
lose of the term. His surprise and cha.
rim were great when he was told by
he board that he could not have the
,lace.
"We do not think it is best to give it
you" said Mr.. Maynard, "because-
because"
Because" interrupted Henry Trus-
oft. I'VE are going to send you to the
It's our turn to have the
ssemblyman. and I've been talking the
hing up. and you're going to have the
which is the same as cleo
But what am I going to live on?"
aid Gregory, N his return home. when
is father congratulated him upon his
preferment.
Maynard spoke to me about that last
'eek. Pfannakuchen, a German that
as your mothers fathers old farm.
ants to sell put. Maynard will lend
-,z. 49, I'll