Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-03-05
CHADTED VI

The Elder township school house, a
rylce, rOOmy log structure, surrounded by
large maple trees, stood at the forests
edge, on one of the hill slopes swelling
-eUly up from the RaccOon Creek Val
ieT, opposite the Devils Backbone. That
location had been selected for It, simply
Gcc8Use it was central and consequently
equally convenient for the twenty-five or
Chirty scholars who came to it from. all
directions. But the choice had been a
uost fortunate one, since it had far more
ca 90 than the school board ever Imagined
Uith getting and keeping there a mode!
schcolmaster. Mr.. Clinton V. Parsons.
TIE master in question, was "a singular
man." in the eyes of the entire commu-
nifty. Nobody ever heard him avow n
llke or a dislike. OF even express a pref-
,erence He was Indifferent to everything.
n,1cjd under all circumstances, interested
IN nothing, notwithstanding such scrupu-
llUs fidelity in the discharge Of his duries
as might only have been naturally expect
- from one mastered by an enthusiasm
or having an ambition 10 serve. An i'm
pressiOn prevailed in the minds of those
.vbG knew him thar he lust loved the
-rountain." So he did.
He had all the furniture OF the school
room shifted about, so that at his desk
Ae commanded view of that majestic
rocky cOunteuanee and could admire the
v%rioGs masks il assumed. Sometimes.
When the scholars had gone home, he
yTould sit on the doorstep smoking his
VSPr and gazing ut the cliff. watching
ccs beauties glow in the strong light Of the
setting sun and fade rs darkness fell.
AID in the mornings he was often seated
-Ee-e at dawn, hours before school time.
ssEceIy for no other purpose than to see
rte sun rise beyond the great hill, first as
a v0Seate SoftneSS in the gray of the
eastern sky, next rs an auriferOuS glory
EcSting upon the summit, while the vast
mass in shadow beneath frowned Sarkly.
SyiN he was never betrayed into saving
that he liked it.
Three springs the master had seen the
h0crEeoning of the shrUtS and trees that
masked The StupendouS wall Of rock. and
CsIs was the fourth year in which he had
&sEcld them assume their brief autumnal
<PlendorS. STILL the ever-changing yet
gever-loSt loneliness OF the prospect con-
15Eued to faScirate him. He could have
set a larger salary in either OF three ad-
.folEing townships than he was paid here,
s0r his fame as an educator and trainer.
particularly in competitive photography,
Oss widespread. But. year after year,
he csme around for the school season in
E1der township, and nobody could think
sf any other possible attraction for him
chan the Devils Backbone. There were,
each season. three or four. at least, and
ssmetimes seven or eight, big girls in at
<sEdsnee at the schoolgirls old enough
- be married; handsome, roSy-cheeked,
Ce5-lipped, bright-eycd, lsrge-limbed
girls, upon whom few bachelors could
have gszed without interest. But Mr..
Parsons, as they themselves said, mind
cd them no more thar il they were BUMPS
% log. Certainly he was "A singular
znau," and he looked il. His eves were
large and very black. his complexion q
dad white and his hair long. straight and
black as his eyes. In repeSe. his face
would have been pronounced by the cas-
G<l observer. absolutely expreSsiouless.
&1t careful DhySioSuomist would have