The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24

and Georgia characters. even in their bud
dings and at this early date. What you
think, pa said he, "Zeph Pettibone went
and got his uncle Zach to turn him a
wooden egg, and he won a whole hatful
| o. eggs from all us boys fore we found
| 1t out; but when we found it out maybe
| John Brown didn't smoke him for 1t,
! and took away all his eggs, and give EN-
| back to us boys; and you think he didn
go then and git a guinea-egg, and win
| most as many more, and John Brown
| would O. give it to him agin IL all we
| boys hadn't said we thought it was fair.
| never see such a boy as that Ieph Pet
| tibone in all my life. He don't mind
| whipping no more an nothing at all, If
he can win eggs"
This anecdote, however, only fell In by
accident, for their was an all-absorbing
subject which occupied the minds of the
| boys during the whole evening, of which
| | could occasionally catch distant hints
| In undertones and whispers but OF which
| could make nothing, until they were
afterwards explained by the captain him
| self-such as "I'll be bound Pete Jones
and Bill Smith stretches him.: by Jock
ey. soon as they seize him, you'll see me
down upon him like duck upon a June
bug: "By the time ne touches the
ground he'll think he's got into hornets
nest" etc.
.sThe boys" said the captain, as they
retired, "are going to turn out the school
master tomorrow, and you can perceive
| they think of nothing else. We must go
| over to the schoolhouse and witness the
| contest in order to prevent injury to pre-
ceptor or pupils; for though the master
is always upon such occasions glad to be
| turned out and only struggles long
enough to present his patrons a flar apol-
ogy for giving the children holiday,
which he desires as much as they do, the
| boys always conceive holiday gained
| by turnout as the sole achievement
| of their valor and in their zeal to distin-
grish themselves upon such memorable
| occasions, they sometimes become too
| rough, provoke the master to wrath, and
| a very serious conflict ensues To pre-
| vent these consequences, to bear witness
| that the master was forced to yield be-
| fore he would withhold a day Of his
promised labor from his employers andtto
| act as mediator between him and the
boys in settling hte articles of peace, al
ways attend and you must accompany
me tomorrow" l cheerfuly promised to
| dc SO. -
The captain and rose before the sun,
but the boys had risen and were off to
| the school house before the dawn. After
/ an early breakfast, hurried by Mrs. G.
| for our accommodation, my host and N.Y.
|
| the schoolhouse We reached 1t about
| half an hour before the master arrived
! but not before the boys had completed
| It's fortifcations. 1t was a simple log
pen, about 20 feet square, with door
way cut out of the logs, to which was
| fitted a rude door made of clapboards and
! swung on wooden hinges. The roof was
covered with clapboards also, and re-
! tanned in their places by heavy logs
placed on them. The chimney was built
| of logs, diminishing in size from the
| ground to the top and overspread inside
| and out with red clay mortar. The classic
hut occupied lovely spot, overshadowed
| by majectic hickories. towering poplars
| and strong armed oaks. The little plain
| on which 1t stood was terminated. at the
distance of about so PAGES from its door
| BIZ the brow Of hill, which descended
| rather abruptly to a noble spring, that
! gushed joyously forth from among the
roots of a stately. beech at its foot. The
stream from this fountain scarcely burst
| into view before it hid itself beneath the
| dark shade Of a field of ca ne. which over
spread the dale through which 1t flowed
| and marked it's windings until 1t turned
| from the sight among vine-covered hills
/ at distance far beyond that to which
/ the eye could have traced 1t without the
help of its evergreen belt A remark OF
! the captains as we viewed the lovely
| country around us. VIII glVt the reader
my apology for the mnuteness of the
| foregoing description These lands,'
he said. twill never wear ont. Where
they lie level, they will be as good sc
years hence as they are now Forty-twc
| years afterward ] visited the spot on
| which he stood when he made the re-
mark The sun poured his whole strength
upon the bald hill which once supported
the sequestered schoolhouse; many a
daen- wa shed el111v met at a Sickly hog
where gushed the limpid fountain; q dying