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* 60 TURN WOLD, GA„ NOVEMBER 17. 1862. THE OLD PLANTATION : A POEM. The Wanderer describes the School—The School boys and the Cows—The School-master described —Tricks ol the Boys—Their sports at Play-time— Episode concerning a Yankee Teacher. Soon as the morning lent its rosy ray, To yonder grove the children held their way, Where, hid in shade, the ccnsecrated hall, To learning sacred, reared its humble wall. In neat attire, from many a happy home, Along yon lane the smiling youngsters come, "Where browzing cows obstruct the narrow path, Fit objects for the dir<5 destructive wrath, That rages in these heroes’ mighty breast, With gallant thought, and high resolve op-* pressed. Their kindling wrath desires some good excuse, Ere they shall turn their heaving anger loose, And easy ’tis a good excuse to find, For doing that to which the heart’s inclined : Lo ! ’tis enough ! the cows that dared to cross The path they tread, turn, in the air to toss Their harmless heads, as on the youngsters go, In eager search for cause to strike a blow. The girls shrink back with trembling and dis- m ay, And beg the boys to drive the cows away, When on they rush, responsive to the call, With eager feet, upon the foe to fall. Down on the cows with cruel charge they bend, And dust and carnage on their steps attend, While lifted clubs, and clouds of volleyed stones Storm round the citadels of flesh and bones. Soon routed in the most unequal fight, With safe, albeit with ignoble flight, The „ows avoid the missiles flying round, And spurn behind them the receding ground. The foemen vanquished, wi h endearing wiles The girls the gallant heroes load with smiles. Happy the heart that woman’s smiles shall cheer, In age mature, or in the opening year, Man’s best reward in bo' hood’s early spring, Or when his years makehasteonwinter’swing. Upon the green, -which spreads around the door, The gathering crowd of hoys begin to pour, Upon their arms the burnished bucket hung, Around their necks the tattered satchel swung, "While merry laughter rends the morning sky, And drives the circling purple bounding high. The teacher comes—with merry, tinkling call The silvery hell-notes on their clamor fall, Call them to books, and hid them cease their sport, To wait attendance on their master’s court. High on his throne, with proud disdainful eye, The monarch sees his subjects passing bv, With rude turmoil crowd in the narrow door, And hurry striding o’er the trembling floor To where the greasy water-bucket stands, And grasp thegourd with soiled and eager hands. Now on the floor the liquid store they waste, Large draughts # now swallow with indecent haste; THE COUNTRYMAN. Not that they’re thirsty, but because they think’ As one has drunk, they everyone must drink. The master chides the loiterers to tlieir scats, And oft his fiery, threatening words repeats. He’d flog them all, but that with eager zest, Some favorite child is sinning with the rest, And for whose sake is spared the pushing crowd, With less of fortune and of rank endowed. With growling grand, the tyrant master reigned, The sceptre swayed, and matchless grandeur , feigned, Some vagrant from New England with his rod, Forcing each child a weary way to plod, Save when some favorite found a golden path, And thus escaped the master’s direful wrath. On benches low, the pupils ranged around, The scowling teacher many a terror frowned, Yet on his wealthy patron’s darling smiled, But flogged the shoulders of the humbler child, Or pulled his ears, or boxed his glowing jaws, The little trembler dreaming not the cause, Knowing not yet how sinful to be poor, And not possessed of mammon’s magic store. With angry brow, and pompous, high demean, The master drove all pleasure from the scene, Befogged the pupils with the Rule of Three, And mystified them all from A to Z. The birch applied with many a zealous hit, lie sought to burnish every dullard’s wit, Thinking to learning that the nearest track Was that which lay across an urchin’s back. But truth to say, this generous trait he had, To fear the youth, and domineer the lad ; And when the large hoys angry grown amid, He flogged the small for what the larger did. But sweet revenge the watchful boys enjoyed, And many a joke the tyrant’s peace destroy ed, And oft as some annoying trick was played, What was design to accident they laid. Now would they munch, from pockets slyly drawn, Their thefts from trees upon the neighboring lawn, Hold up their books to hide the stolen fruit, A nd let their neighbors bite to keep them mute. With pins they filled the master’s cushioned chair, And rubbed molasses where ’twould smear his hair; With paper stuffed, to silence thus, his bell, And bribed the little fellows not to tell. Some fastened placards on his coat behind, With stones and rubbish all his pockets lined ; Some bolder hoy would draw his homely face, And post the picture in some public place, A horrid thing, a wonder in its way, With ears prolonged, and open mouth to bray. And now the master to his neighboring home, For dinner gone, the laughing roisterers roam O’er field and wood, with free and happy air, Searching each scene for pleasure’s daintiest fare. Some press the maids, who rudely snatch away, Yet manage for one moment to delay, Covly enraged that one should dare to taste Of willing lips, or zone the anxious waist. Now ’neath the shade they spread the ampla store, Their buckets cleared Of good things running o’er; The nice broiled bam, the biscuit crisp and brown, The hard-boiled oggs, all swiftly swallowed down ; Fried chicken too, the savory breast and wing, And hutter-millccooled in the neighboring spring, V hose w aters gurgle to supply the school, And keep the bottled snowy fluid cool. Their meals despatched, to various sports they rise, And merry voices rend the ringing skies ; Their trundled hoops yon youthful party trace, Tn prison base those smaller fellows race; Beneath yon tree, some sprawl upon the ground, While marbles shoot, and tops are spinning round. Yon party rear their kites upon the wind, With boisterous pleasure bubbling from th« mind', Here round the house these wantons chase the P'gT In yonder field, those filch the blushing fig; Some toks the ball, then rally for the chase, With eager feet, and smiling, glowing face; Those little boy s, the saplings bending down, Call them their horses that they ride to town, Which rear and curvet as tlier riders spring, Am! up and down w T ith fiery motion swing, ffhe-girls, confined to fewer sports than these, Play with their dolls beneath the shady trees, While one, perforce, with ctinning steals away, \V heie yonuer youthful lover ieigns to play, Till hid the blooming hawthorn bush behind, A moment’s fond delay the couple find, Exchange a kiss and think themselves unseen, But hear the jibe, and blush with bashiul mien, For yonder group upon the covert steal, And jeer the pleasure they would like to feel. A beardless youth, with boyish griefs forlorn, His heart, perchance, by sad misfortune torn, Forsook the snows that bound his frigid home, Amid the flowers of milder climes to roam. The stranger youth, received with open arms, Here, in this vale, enjoyed its rustic charms ; Here taught the youth committed to his charge, ’Mid favors many, aud a bounty large, Since generous people heeded want’s demand, And blessed the stranger with a liberal hand. At all their hoards he shared the social cheer, With all the pleasures friendship fostered here, And boundless favor smiled his leet around, While ready welcome aye his coming crowned. But time rolled on, the youth a man became, And won his way to fortune and to fame, With hatred every act of kindness paid, And rabi I hosts against our homes arrayed ; Did all he could to wound the friendly hand, And hurl the robber on our Southern land. The viper warmed, the warming bosom bites, And in abase ingratituue flights; But surely man his high estate degrades, When from his bosom grateful memory ades— When he ungrateful, wounds the friendly heart, And stoops to act the hateful viper’s part.