The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-03-11


outer edge of a large wood whose widebranch-
sbng trees shaded long stretches of grass, c,lmps
rErowths
Y Across the road, directly in front of the shop
WAS a broad, open field, at the further end of
III which in locust grove, stood the school house
~ u plain, low building of ROOM in which the
boys OF the neighborhood, five days out of
for instruction, or, as they expressed
rs 1t, to say" their lessons.
sgA Traversns the field and nersected by the
u A.reell-over which fallen tree did duty as
81 Y'ridge-was weworn path, made by George
sNtnd Fred WILDER, as, day after day saches swung
Pver shoulder they trudged to and from the school
I'LL house.
aS,I AS the stile but few yards from the
ssssy lnthy. it brought this interesting place in their
M filrec line of march: and it seldom these lit
ssA PIE students passed the wide-open door without
81 peepng in and exchanging salutations with their
Peather-aproned friend. And often, fully often
enough to have Worn out their welcome with
81 less patient man, they made visits, varying in
81 length according they interested. If Mr.
4 eBurrows We're making a ploughshare. how could
they tear themselves away while the redhot metal
was splintering off like shower of meteors; or if
" HE We're shoeing Mr.. Burton's horses Mr.. Hen
4 qeys mules, it was just hard to leave
But the most interesting of all their visits We're
those in which Mr.. Burrows would talk to them
emaybe tell them story, as he sometimes did on a
rainy day as he mended his tools or looked over
the little jobs that had collected in his box
They did not know the value of his words then
aThey listened simply to be entertained, nor once
Thought of him educator, the shop as a
lschool: but years afterward George from the pull
Ipit and Fred from the bench looked back on the
1smithy as the best college they had attended
Stand on the smith their best professor,
n II was after heavy snowfall one afternoon that
Ithe boys came bounding like young hares across
1.-THE traclless field making directly for the forge
Aflow beautiful the old shop ooked--even to them
boys as they were-with its spotess surround
Ainss, the Lombardy poplar at its rear making a
&marbe turret for the roof
1 How brightly glowed the fire in the cavernous
Edepth and how plainly outlined on its glare was
sNr. Burrows, he passed back and forth in front
Eof it.
Mt Can warm, Mr. Burrows?" they cried as
yokthey bounded through the open door and APP
/, 4 preached the forge
:" Il AYE, that you may my lads" he answered. and
y, Slept on with his work and song-teachng uncon-
y 'Rsciousy the good lesson that man can sing while
sShe works.
le5E Simply matter of form had the boys asked
Yhe privilege of warming: for before it was grant
yaHd they had flung themselves on the bench by the
o Mire and begun chattering and wrestling. They
n #lad scarcely got rested from their wrestling and
SETTLED to sen-quiet, before they We're startled
uaM nto activity by slow jingling of bells that
ol Morought them to their feet in time to old Mr.
it WSpruel drive by in very plain Sleigh drawn by
H. very slow horse
There's old Spruell, the miser," cried Fred. 81
Hwsh that old cob he's driving would run off and
iEpill him out! Why don't he drive spanking
team?-he's rich"
II 81 say so too" echoed George 'if | had his
,llmoney I'd go spinnin along in a red sleigh
nlscooped out like swan, with gilt wings at the
and"
o,H Lets snowfall, the old sxnhint," interrupted
t atFred
ri Agreed"
a. They rushed to the door
No no. my young men, not from my shop" and
Mr.