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1Dark and tempestuous was night. Around the throne on high not a single star quivered; but the deep intonations of the
2heavy thunder constantly vibrated upon the ear; whilst the terrific lightning revelled in angry mood through the cloudy
3chambers of heaven, seeming to scorn the power exerted over its terror by the illustrious Franklin! Even the boisterous
4winds unanimously came forth from their mystic homes, and blustered about as if to enhance by their aid the wildness of
5the scene. At such a time, so dark, so dreary, for human sympathy my very spirit sighed; but instead thereof, 'My
6dearest friend, my counsellor, my comforter and guide-- My joy in grief, my second bliss in joy,' came to my side. She
7moved like one of those bright beings pictured in the sunny walks of fancy's Eden by the romantic and young, a queen of
8beauty unadorned save by her own transcendent loveliness. So soft was her step, it failed to make even a sound, and but
9for the magical thrill imparted by her genial touch, as other unobtrusive beauties, she would have glided away
10unperceived--unsought. A strange sadness rested upon her features, like icy tears upon the robe of December, as she
11pointed to the contending elements without, and bade me contemplate the two beings presented. This nightmare occupied
12some ten pages of manuscript and wound up with a sermon so destructive of all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the
13first prize. This composition was considered to be the very finest effort of the evening. The mayor of the village, in
14delivering the prize to the author of it, made a warm speech in which he said that it was by far the most "eloquent"
15thing he had ever listened to, and that Daniel Webster himself might well be proud of it. It may be remarked, in
16passing, that the number of compositions in which the word "beauteous" was over-fondled, and human experience referred
17to as "life's page," was up to the usual average. Now the master, mellow almost to the verge of geniality, put his chair
18aside, turned his back to the audience, and began to draw a map of America on the blackboard, to exercise the geography
19class upon. But he made a sad business of it with his unsteady hand, and a smothered titter rippled over the house. He
20knew what the matter was, and set himself to right it. He sponged out lines and remade them; but he only distorted them
21more than ever, and the tittering was more pronounced. He threw his entire attention upon his work, now, as if
22determined not to be put down by the mirth. He felt that all eyes were fastened upon him; he imagined he was succeeding,
23and yet the tittering continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. There was a garret above, pierced with
24a scuttle over his head; and down through this scuttle came a cat, suspended around the haunches by a string; she had a
25rag tied about her head and jaws to keep her from mewing; as she slowly descended she curved upward and clawed at the
26string, she swung downward and clawed at the intangible air. The tittering rose higher and higher--the cat was within
27six inches of the absorbed teacher's head--down, down, a little lower, and she grabbed his wig with her desperate claws,
28clung to it, and was snatched up into the garret in an instant with her trophy still in her possession! And how the
29light did blaze abroad from the master's bald pate--for the signpainter's boy had gilded it! That broke up the meeting.
30The boys were avenged. Vacation had come. [*] NOTE:--The pretended "compositions" quoted in this chapter are taken
31without alteration from a volume entitled "Prose and Poetry, by a Western Lady"--but they are exactly and precisely
32after the schoolgirl pattern, and hence are much happier than any mere imitations could be.
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