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VOL. 1.
[Written for the Southern Flehl and Fireside.]
TO COUSIN P.
The gates of Day are closing.
And shutting out the light:
But. tis not twilight's coming.
That makes me sad to night.
This sigh, dear cons, is given to thee;
Swiftly the moments flew,
Like butter-flies on wing,
So sweetly, scarce I knew
What joys they did not bring.
Thou'rt gone—l sigh, and think of thee!
Penses-tu a moi , ires chert amie f
The strangers left behind,
They will—let them! —forget:
But say not, from thy mind
Hath passed thy young friend, yet:
For, by yon star! I say to thet—
«/if t' atlie htoucoup, tree chert amie
The stars begin to peep
From the still depths of blue:
As they smile on the deep,
So, love, would I on you;
Gladness and joy for aye, to thee!
Aime-moi toujour*, tree chert amie !
Emm.
- •
[Written for the Southern Field and Fireside.]
Entered according to the Act of Cong re**. <£c., <tc.,
by the Author.
MASTER WILLIAM MITTEN;
OR,
A YOUTH OF BRILLIANT TALENTS,
WHO WAS RUINED BY BAD LUCK.
BY THE AUTHOR OF THE GEORGIA SCENES, ETC.
They set forward, and at the distance of about
two hundred and Ally yards from Mr. Newby's
premises, they entered a street, shaded by ma
jestic oaks, and composed entirely of log huts,
varying in size from six to sixteen feet square.
The truth of history demands that we should
say, that there was but one of the smallesf size
just indicated, and that was the whimsical struc
ture of a very whimsical fellow', by the name of
Dreadzel Pace. It was endangered from fire
once, and four stout students took it up by tho
corners, and removed it to a place of safety.
The street was about forty yards wide, and
its length was perhaps double its width; and
yet tho houses on either side did not number
more than ten or twelve; of course, therefore,
they stood generally in very open order. They
were all built by tho students themselves, or by
architects of their hiring. They served for
study-houses in cold or rainy weather, though
the students were allowed to study where they
pleased within convenient reach of the monitors.
The common price of a building, on front row ,
water proof, and easily chinked, was five dol
lars —the chinking was generally removed in
summer for ventilation. In the suburbs, were
several other buildings of the same kind, erected
by literary recluses, wo suppose, who could not
endure the din of the city at play-time— at play
time we say, for there was no din in it in
study hours. At the head of the street, east
ward, stood the Academy, differing in nothing
from the other buildings but in size and the
number of its rooms. It had two; the smaller
devoted to a primary school of a few boys and
girls, over which Moses Waddel Dobbins, a
nephew of the Rector, presided. These soon
left, and Mr. Dobbins became assistant-general
to his uncle. The larger, was the recitation
room of Mr. Wadded himself, the prayer-room,
court-room (see infra ) and general convocation
room for all matters concerning the school. It
was without seats, and just large enough to con
tain one hundred and fifty boys standing erect,
close pressed, and leaving a circle of six feet
diameter at the door, for jigs and cotillions at
the teacher's regular soirees every Monday morn
ing.
A delightful spring gushed from the foot of
the hill on which tho school-house stood, and at
the distance of but a few paces, poured its waters
into a lovely brook, which \yound through a nar
row plain, covered with stately beeches. Ven
erable old chroniclers of revered names and hap
py days, where are ye 1 It was under the canopy
of these beautiful ornaments of the forest, by the
side ofthat whispering brook, that wo felt the
first gleam of pleasure that we ever derived from
any thing in Latin. And here are the words
which awakened it:
“ Tityre tu patulee recuban* *ub tegmine fagi.
Silrestrem tenui musam meditari» arena"
Our party having taken a hasty survey of
these things, bent their way to Castle Carberry.
As thej' journeyed on, Mr. Newby pointed out
the ground over which Sam Shankliu and Mr.
Waddell had a notable race. Sam had offended
“ Old Moses" (so he was called, even in his prime,
which he had now hardly left,) and as the
latter approached him whip in hand, Sam, took
to his heels, not dreaming that old Moses would
follow him. But he was mistaken; he did follow
him, and gained upon him at every step—a little
—Sam, finding his pursuer too fleet for him,
j JANES GARDNER, I
| Proprietor. f
sought safety in lofty leaping: so he made for a
brush-heap. Just as he reached it, old Moses
fetched him a wipe upon the legs that energized
his activity to uumatcliable achievement, and he
cleared the brush-heap at a bound. Here the
race ended. The Captain laHghed heartly at
the story; but William saw no fun in it.
Castle Carberry stood on the highway leading
from Augusta, Georgia, to Abbervillo Court-
House, South Carolina, and about equidistant
from Mr. Newby’s and the Academy. By whom
it was erected, we are not informed; probably,
by Samuel Shields, an assistant of Mr. Waddel,
who had occupied it for two years previous to
the time of which we are speaking, and who was
just now gathering up his goods and chattels for
his final departure from the place, and for a much
more interesting engagement.* Its name was
doubtless derived from Maria Roche’s novel—
The Children of the Abbery, which had a
great run in that day ; but to tell wherein
the two Castle Carberrys were alike, would puz
zle the greatest eonm indrum-solver that ever
lived. Upon the retirement of Mr. Shields, Al
exander B. Linton succeeded to his possessions,
and James L. Petigru to his office (not as some
have most'orroneously supposed, the Mr. Penti
gall,of the “Georgia scenes,’) though it was in this
very' castle that the great question was dis
cussed : “Whether at public elections should the
votes of faction predominate by internal sugges
tions or the bias of jurisprudence ?” Mr. Peti
gru had been in Columbia College, a year or more
before the discussion came off.
Some two or three students always boarded
themselves at Castle Carberry. It served as a
nucleus around which other edifices of like kind
and for like purposes gathered, all built of the
common material.
At Castle Carberry the promenaders re-entered
the big road which they had left at Newby’s,
having now seen all of Willington proper ; Wil
lington common embraced every house within
three miles of the Academy. As they entered
the road, a messerger called for Mr. Newby to
return home on some special business. He gave
the Captain directions to Mr. Waddel’s, and re
turned. The directions were simply to keep the
road to the next house. A walk of a quarter of
a mile, or a little over, brought the Captain and
his charge to the residence of the renowned
teacher. It was a comfortable, framed building,
two stories high, neatly, but plainly paled in—
very rare things in that vicinity.
Some six or eight more boys, like the Newby -
ites, were differently employed about the prem
ises.
“Do you know, my son,” said the Captain, ad
dressing one of them, “whether Mr. Waddel is
at home ?”
“ Yes sir,” said the youth, springing to the
door, and opening it, “Walk in, take seats, and I
will call him.”
He disappeared, and in a moment returned
with Mr. Waddel.
“Mr. Waddel, I presume,” said the Captain.
•‘Yes, sir.”
“Thompson, sir, is my name, and this is my
nephew, William Mitten, whom I have brought
to place under your instruction.”
“It is rather chilly, here,” said the teacher,
shaking their hands cordially, “walk into my
study, where I have a good fire.” Wont yon go
in, David ?” added he to the guide, who was
about retiring.
“No, I thank you, sir,” said David.
“That’s a sprightly youth,” said the Captain,
as he moved towards the study, “and he is a
namesake of mine.”
“Y.es,” said the teacher, “he is a clever boy—
the son of the celebrated Doctor Ramsay.”
“ What! Doctor Ramsay, the patriot, states
man, and historian —who married the accom
plished daughter of the renowned Henry Lau
rens, President of the first Congress of the Unit
ed States, Minister to Holland, and father
of the gallant John Laurens, the beloved of
Washington?”
This was a clear splurge- f- for William’s ben
efit.
“The same,” said Mr. Waddel.
“Well, I feel myself honored in bearing the
boy’s name.”
Before this conversation ended, all were seat
ed in the teacher’s study. It was crowded
with books—partly, the teacher’s private library
—partly, books laid in for the students, which he
furnished at cost and charges on Philadelphia
prices.
“Have you studied Latin. William?” enquired
Mr. Waddel.
“Yes, sir.”
“llow far liavo you gone ?”
“I was reading Virgil, when I quit school.”
“Well, I have a large Virgil class, which will
be divided on Monday. I have found that some
of them are keeping others back ; and I have or
dered them to get as long a lesson as they can
for Monday morning. Those who get the most,
and recite the best, will be put in one class
and the rest in another. Now, yon can take ei
ther division of this class that you may be found
•He soon after married a young lady of Vienna.
tA splurge is a moral cavort Bath are embraced in
the generic term, cutting shines. Ga. Vocab.
AUGUSTA. GA., SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1859.
qualified for, or you may enter the Selects e
Veter i\ class, which will commence Virgil in two
or three months. Meet me at the Academy on
Monday morning, and we will see what will be
best.”
‘•How many pupils have you, Mr. Waddel ?”
inquired the Captain.
“About one hundred and fifty.”
“Where do they board ?”
• Just where they please, among the neighbors
around. They all take boarders, and reside at
different distances from, the academy, varying
from a few hundred yards to three miles.”
“Have the students to cut and haul their own
firewood, and make their own fires ?”
“ Not always. At some of the boarding
houses the landlords have these things done for
them, aud at all, they may hire servants to per
form them, if they will, or, rather, if they can;
but, as at every house there is at least a truck
wagon and horse at the service of the students,
and wood is convenient and abundant, and to
be had without stint or charge, they generally
supply themselves, and make their own fires.”
During this conversation, which, from begin
ning to end, was of the most alarming interest
to William, his eyes wide open, were fixed on
Mr. Waddel, who was ait object of still more
alarming interest to him. He had never seen—
we have never seen—a man of sterner features
than Mr. Waddel bore. From the time that
William entered the house to the time that he
left it, “shadows, clouds, and darkness” werogn
thering and deepening upon his mind; relieved
only by one faint gle;u>jf light from young
Ramsay', whom he regarded as the concentrated
extract of all that was august, and great, and
gifted, and good in the United States, if not in the
world: avd an ample verification per .se of all
that his uncle had told him about “ big men’s
sons.”
William was entered in due form a student of
Mr. Waddel’s school; and the Captain having
enquired of the post office at which the students
received their letters, and pressed Mr. Waddel
to give him early information of William's con
duct, standing, and progress, he left with his
charge for Mr. Newby’s. A long silence ensued.
At length, it was broken by William.
“ Mr. Waddel is the grummest looking man I
ever saw.”
“Pretty sour,” said the Captain. “But I
don't reckon he is as bad as he loeks to be. The
boys seem cheerful around him; and David
Ramsay seemed perfectly easy in his presence.”
The truth is, the Captain was sore pressed for
encouragements himself, and it vas the luckiest
thing in the world for him that he happened to
fall in with young Ramsay just when he did.
“ I had an idea,” continued the Captain, “of
proposing to Mr. Waddel to take you to board
with him; but it occurred to me that you might
prefer to board somewhere else; and lam per
fectly willing to accommodate you in this mat
ter.”
“ Uncle, I wouldn’t board with him for five
hundred thousand dollars 1”
“ Well, my son, I will not place you with him.
I think the best way will be for you to board
at Mr. Newby’s, for the present. After you be
come acquainted with the other boarding houses,
you can take your choice among them.”
Silence ensued, which we will fill up with a
more particular account of Mr. Waddel. As he
was made a Doctor of Divinity soon after the
time at which we are speaking of him, we wil[
anticipate a little, and call him henceforth Doctor
Waddel.
He was about five feet nine inches high; of
stout muscular frame, and a little inclined to
corpuloncy. In limb, nearly perfect. His head
was uncommonly large, and covered with a thick
coat of dark hair. His forehead was projecting,
and in nothing else more remarkable. His eyes
were grey, and overshadowed by thick, heavy
eye-brows, always closely knit in his calmest
hours, and almost over-lapping in his angry
moods. His nose was bluntly aquiline. His
lips were rather thick, and generally closely
compressed. His complexion was slightly adust.
His tout ensemble was, as we have said, ex
tremely austere; but it was falso to his heart;
for he was benevolent, affectionate, charitable,
hospitable, and kind. He was cheerful, and
even playful, in his disposition. Good boys felt
at perfect ease in his presence, and even bad
ones could, and did, approach him with the ut
most freedom. He never whipt in a passion—
indeed, he seemed to be in his most pleasant
moods when he administered correction; and
hence, a stranger to him would naturally sup
pose that he took pleasure in flogging. It was
not so, however. He hardly ever whipt, but
upon the report of a monitor; and after a year
or two from Master Mitten’s introduction to him,
very rarely, but upon a verdict of a jury of stu
dents. His government was one of touching
“moral suasion;” but he admonished in a new
way. Instead of infusing it gently into the head
aud heart, and letting it percolate through the
system, and slowly neutralize the ill humors
with which it came in contact, he applied it to
the extremities, and drove it right up into the
head and heart by percussion. Ho sCemed to
regard vices as consuming tires, and he adopted
tSelectio e Vetcri Profanis Sortptoribus Hi storin'.
the engine process of extinguishing them. One
would suppose that moral reforms, so hastily
produced, could not last; but we have living
cases to prove that they have lasted for fifty
three years, and are still fresh and vigorous. It
is a very remarkable fact that Doctor Waddel
never flogged a boy for a deficient lesson. To
be “turned off,’’ as it was called —that is, to
have to get a lesson over a second time, was
considered such a disgrace by the students, that
if this did not cure the fault, whipping, he well
knew, would not. He woidd often mount his
horse at eight o’clock at night, aud visit the stu-
dents at their boarding houses. Sometimes he
would visit them incognito , and recount his ob
servations the next day to the whole school,
commending such youths as he found well em
ployed, and censuring such as he found ill em
ployed. And what were the fruits of this rigid,
but equitable discipline? From under the
teachings of this man have gone forth one Vice
President, and many Foreign and Cabinet Min
isters; and Senators, Congressmen, Governors,
Judges, Presidents, and Professors of Colleges;
eminent Divines, Barristers, Jurist!# Legislators,
Physicians, Scholars, Military and Naval officers,
innumerable.
Captain Tlmmpson returned to Mr. Newby's.
His namo hau been made known to the boys
during his absence. One of them introduced
himself to him os the son of Doctor Hay, a near
and dear friend of the Captain, in times gone by.
The youth was made acquainted with William—
offered him a part of his bed aud study, which
were accepted. Before retiring to rest, the
Captain paid u hasty visit to William’s new dor
mitory. He found him at a table, with three
others, who were studying their lessons before
a rousing tire. They seemed very cheerful and
happy. After a few questions, he withdrew,
and left them to their studies. An early hour
the next morning found him on Ids way home
ward.
chapter IX.
The first ilay of Master Mittens pupilage with Dr.
Waddel—Astounded at the capabilities of the
Waddelians, and a little more astounded at the
capabilities of their Teacher—Strikes a streak
of splendid luck.
Monday morning came, and William moved
sadly to the Academy. Soon the students of
every size began to pour in from every quarter;
and soon the whole school was in commotion.
George Cary had got a thousand lines in Virgil!
He was to leave his class, of course ; for such
a lesson had never been heard of before, even
in Doctor Waddel's school, where the students
seemed to take in Latin and Greek by- absorp
tion.} "As his classmates came in, they com
pared notes, and not one of them had got more
than three hundred lines. “ I didn’t get but two
hundred and ten,” said one; “1 didn’t get but
two hundred,” said another. “Well, I’m at the
foot of all,” said a third, “ I didn't get but a
hundred and fifty; so I'm double distanced, and
left, of course.”
William heard these reports with overwhelm
ing amazement. The largest lesson he had over
recited was thirty-five liues, and the largest he
had ever heard of being recited was one him-.
dred. He had been led to believe that his native
village was the very focus of intellectual illumi
nation and mental vigor, and that he himself
was the centre-beam of the focus. He did not
suppose that Latin and Greek were made for
country-folks at all, much less for poor folks;
and behold, there stood before him homespun
clad, •jUilbo-shod, potatoe-fed chaps, even small
er than himself, who had mastered one huudred
and fifty lines in Virgil, acknowledging them
selves the fag-end of their class, and “double
distanced!” His mind was immediately made
up to take the selocta class, mortifying as it was
to a gentleman of his calibre to have it known
at home that he had retrograded; but could he
keep up with this class? He had little hope of
doing so; but so shocking was the idea of fall
ing two classes below his home stand, that he
resolved to try it at all events. He had one con
solation, at least, and that was, that none of the
school-boys knew of his advancement before he
came hither. Withal, he concluded that there
must be a something about Doctor Waddel’s
school that made all the boys who came to it
smart, and whatever that sometliing might be,
he surely would catch it in a short time. The
Doctor soon made his appearance ; and William
signified to him his choice of classes.
The school was summoned to prayer, and at
the conclusion of this service the monitors' bills
were handed in, aud the dancing room cleared.
The Doctor read over to himself the bills, with
an affected seriousness, while a death-like
lOcorge McDuffie afterwards overtopt Cary, for he,
recited twelve hundred and twelve lines for a Monday
morning's lesson.
#We give this name as it was pronounced. W e think
it was spelled Uuilleboiilt lie was shoemaker-general
for the se'hool, and one of the best that ever lived. The
soles of his shoes were about half an inch thick, and
the heels, three-quarters. The upper-leather in exact
proportion with the soles. In short, they were brogans in
all respects, of the stoutest sort. It took them about a
month to show outward signs of an inward foot Then
they began to wrinkle down to something like foot-shape;
with only a tolerable greasing, they were good for a year,
certain.
I Two Dollar* Per Annum, I
) Always In Advance. (
silence reigned around him; his countenance
meantime assuming all varieties of expressions.
It was very easy for those well acquainted with
him, to collect from these indications the general
Character of the bills in hand; and the signs
this morning were of things grave, novel, funny,
and common.
The reading finished, the Doctor began:
" Pretty heavy bills 1 somethings new even to
me. Garritt Sandige, go and get the change to •
settle off these bills, and see that it is such as has
the genuine ring!'' To a correct understanding
of tlie first case on the docket, it is necessary to
premise a little. John Freeman had been ex
alted for the first time to the dignity of Monitor
on the preceding week, and he had over-acted his
part a little; he was rather too vigilant and au
thoritative.
To economize time, while Garrett Sandige
was collecting the change, the Doctor sounded
the docket in humorously emphatic and pomp
ous style:
Austin Ji. Overstreet, f<rr being idle npteatedly !
What say veu, Austin?"
‘‘l deny it, sir," said Overstreet.
‘•Monitor, speak!”
“ Doctdt Waddel, almost every day in the week
he follows me all about with his Greek gram
mar in his hand, and goes on in this way: tupto,
tupteis, tujitei, (of all the monitors) tuptekm, tupte
ton, (that ever I saw in my life) tuptomen, tuptete,
(John Freeman takes the lead) tuptousi, (rather
rousey). I told him I’d spunk him, (report him)
if he lU'lft't quit it, and he wouldn't, so I spunk
ed MfiOjf
■WurifijWhese pleadings the Doctor's face put
on all sorts of expressions; to maintain the digni
ty of the Monitor's character, it was of the first
importance that he should hear him with the
profouudest respect and gravity; and yet there
was something so novel and farcical in this
case, that he could with difficulty suppress open
laughter. He drew his eyebrows to their clos
est, pressed his lips forcibly together for a mo
ment, and then passed judgment:
“ This is a new case—l confess it perplexes
me not a little. It seems to be a case in which
study and idleness are so equally and intimately
blended, that you can’t hit idleness without at least
grazing study, nor indulge study without indulg
ing idleness. If, as soou as Overstreet began to
make up his compound, you had informed me,
Mr. Monitor, of his experiment, I could have
given you a recipe that would have precipitat-,
ed the feculent matter so entirely from the
pure, that we might have dealt with it this morn
ing without danger of disturbing the pure; but
as it is, with no antecedent law to meet such a
case, and under the maxim that it is best to err
on the snfe side—the side of mercy—if we err
at all, I will let the matter pass for this time;
but if you come up again, Austin, with such a
mixture of Greek and English in the presence of
a monitor, I'll teach you the first future tense of
your Greek verb in such a style that you’ll
never think of mingling English with it again
while you live, unless it be the true English.”
Before this case was disposed of, Sandige hod
returned with about a half dozen hickories beau
tifully trimmed. The Doctor took one, drew it
through his left hand, found it knotless, gave it
an exjierimental flourish, liked the ring, and pro
ceeded :
11 Garry- Osko-Sapling.for being idle repeatedly f’
Garry ’ stepped into the ring without defence.
The Doctor gave him one cut and paused—
“ Garry, said he, very good humoredly, “that
doesn't sound right. My ear don't often deceive
me.” So saying he stooped down and raised
up the pants of the left leg, pulled down
the stocking, and discovered a tasteful and
most artistic binding of the calf and its appur
tenances, with long narrow strips of old shirt.
The Doctor manifested not the least surprise at
this, but very deliberately commenced unwind
ing. At about every yard detached, he would
pause and look up to the school with an expres
sion of countenance which seemed to say, "boys
needn't try to fool me.” Having unrolled about
four yards and a half of swathing from this leg,
he proceeded to the other, and did the like.
During the whole process the school was in a
roar of laughter.' and few laughed more heartily
than Gam- himself Having returned the stock
ings and pants to their places. “ let us have fair
play, Garry," said the Doctor! “Fair play’s a
jewel. No"’ stockings are fair, and pants are
lair thick or thin. If I can’t get through them,
why. that’s my fault, not yours.” So saying, he
let Garry have the regaining six with a bril
liancy that fully compensated for the lost pleiad.
(to be continued.)
mm i»i '
A little boy called upon one of our citizens
last week and offered some berries for sale.
“Well, my son,” said the citizen, “are there not
worms in them?” The little boy frankly re
plied, “I think there are some.” Our citizen
then said, “I don’t want the berries, but as you
are an honest boy. and tell the truth, I will
give you a dime.” The boy retorted, “ I don’t
sell my honesty.”
-
Gaming, like a quicksand, may swallow a
man up in a minute.
NO. 8.