Part 14 (1/2)

Examination-day is an important time in country schools, and it excited more interest seventy years ago than now. Andrew Crawford was always ambitious that this day should do credit to his faithful work, and his pupils caught his inspiration.

There were great preparations for the examination at Crawford's this spring. The appearance of the German school-master in the place who could read Latin was an event. Years after, when the pure gold of fame was no longer a glimmering vision or a current of fate, but a wonderful fact, Abraham Lincoln wrote of such visits as Jasper's in the settlement a curious sentence in an odd hand in an autobiography, which we reproduce here:

[Ill.u.s.tration: If a straggler ^{supposed to understand latin?} happened to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizzard--]

With such a ”wizard” as Jasper in the settlement, who would certainly attend the examination, it is no wonder that this special event excited the greatest interest in all the cabins between the two Pigeon Creeks of southern Indiana.

”May we decorate the school-house?” asked a girl of Mr. Crawford, before the appointed day. ”May we decorate the school-house out of the woods?”

”I am chiefly desirous that you should decorate your minds out of the spelling-book,” said Mr. Crawford; ”but it is a commendable thing to have an eye to beauty, and to desire to present a good appearance. Yes, you may decorate the house out of the woods.”

The timber was green in places with a vine called creeping Jenney, and laurels whose leaves were almost as green and waxy as those of the Southern magnolia. The creeping Jenney could be entwined with the laurel-leaves in such a way as to form long festoons. The boys and girls spent the mornings and recesses for several days in gathering Jenney, and in twining the vines with the laurel and making decorative festoons.

They hung these festoons about the wooden walls of the low building and over the door. Out of the tufts of boxberry leaves and plums they made the word ”Welcome,” which they hung over the door. They covered the rude chimney with pine-boughs, and in so doing filled the room with a resinous odor. They also covered the roof with boughs of evergreen.

The spelling-book was not neglected in the preparations of the eventful week. There was to be a spelling-match on the day, and, although it was already felt that Abraham Lincoln would easily win, there was hard study on the part of all.

One afternoon, after school, in the midst of these heroic preparations, a party of the scholars were pa.s.sing along the path in the timber. A dispute arose between two boys in regard to the spelling of a word.

”I spelled it just as Crawford did,” said one.

”No, you didn't. Crawford spelled it with a _i_.”

”He spelled it with a _y_, and that is just the way I spelled it.”

”He didn't, now, I know! I heard Crawford spell it himself.”

”He did!”

”Do you mean to tell me that I lie?”

”You do--it don't need telling.”

”I won't be called a liar by anybody. I'll make you ache for that!”

”We'll see about that. You may ache yourself before this thing is settled. I've got fists as well as you, and I will not take such words as that from anybody. Come on!”

The two backwoods knights rushed toward each other with a wounded sense of honor in their hearts and with uplifted arms.

Suddenly a form like a giant pa.s.sed between them. It took one boy under one of its arms and the other under the other, and strode down the timber.

”He called me a liar,” said one of the boys. ”I won't stand that from any _man_.”

”He _sa.s.sed_ me,” said the other, ”and I won't stand any sa.s.sin', not while my fists are alive.”

”_You_ wouldn't be called a liar,” said the first.

”Nor take any sa.s.sin',” said the second.

The tall form in blue-jean s.h.i.+rt and leather breeches strode on, with the two boys under its arms.