by Jacob Abbott
CHAPTER VII.
A FIRE
The last of February drew nigh, which was the time fixed upon for Joseyto go home. He had remained with his uncle much longer than his fatherhad at first intended; but now they wanted him to return, before theroads broke up in the spring.
The evening before Josey was to go, the farmer was sitting by the fire,when Jonas came in from the barn.
"Jonas," said the farmer, "I have got to write a letter to my brother,to send by Josey to-morrow; why won't you take a sheet of paper andwrite for me, and I'll tell you what to say. You are rather handier withthe pen than I am."
Jonas accordingly brought a sheet of paper and a pen and ink, and tookhis place at a table at the back side of the room, and the farmerdictated to him as follows:
"Dear Brother,
"I take this opportunity to inform you that we are all alive and well, and I hope that you may be the same. This will be handed to you by Josey, who leaves us to-morrow, according to your orders. We have been very glad to have him with us, though he hasn't had opportunity to learn much. However, I suppose he'll fetch up again in his learning, when he gets home. He has behaved pretty fair on the whole, as boys go. He will make a smart man, I've no doubt, though he don't seem to take much to farming.
"We hope to have you, and your wife and children, come and pay us a visit this coming summer,--say in raspberry time, which will be just after haying."
"There," said the farmer, "now fold it up, and write my brother's nameon the back, and to-morrow morning I'll look it over, and sign my nameto it."
Jonas accordingly folded the letter up, and wrote upon the back, _JosephJones, Esq., Bristol._ When it was done, he laid it on the table.
Amos came and took it up. "Jonas," said he, "I wish I could write aswell as that."
The farmer had a daughter whose name was Isabella. She was abouteighteen years old. She was at this time spinning in a corner of theroom, near a window. She came forward to look at the letter.
"Yes, Jonas," said she, "you write beautifully. I wish you'd teach me towrite like that."
"Very well," said Jonas, "that I can do."
"How can you do it?" said Isabella.
"Why, we can have an evening school, these long evenings," repliedJonas. "You get through your spinning in time to have half an hour forschool before bed-time."
"Half an hour wouldn't be enough," said Amos.
"O, yes," replied Jonas; "half an hour every day will amount to a greatdeal in three months."
"Yes," said the farmer, "that's a very good plan; you shall have anevening school, and Jonas shall teach you;--an excellent plan."
"What shall we study?" said Isabella.
"Whatever you want to learn," replied Jonas. "You say you want to learnto write; that will do for one thing."
"And I want to learn more arithmetic," said Amos.
"Very well," said Jonas. "We'll have an evening school, half an hourevery evening, beginning at eight o'clock. Have you got any school-booksin the house, Isabella?"
Isabella said there were some on a shelf up stairs.
"Well," said Jonas, "bring them to me, and I'll look over them, and forma plan."
Isabella brought Jonas the school-books, and he looked them over, butsaid nothing then about his plan. He reflected upon the subject untilthe next day, because he did not wish to propose any thing to them,until it was well matured.
The next evening, at eight o'clock, Isabella put up her spinning, andtook a seat by the fire, to hear Jonas's plan. Amos sat by a table atthe back side of the room. The farmer's wife was sitting upon thesettle, knitting; and the farmer himself was asleep in his arm-chair, atthe opposite corner.
"Now," said Jonas, "I like the plan of having an evening school, and Iam willing to be either teacher or pupil; only, if I am teacher, I must_direct_, and you must both do as I say."
"No," said Isabella, "you mustn't direct entirely; we'll talk over theplans, all together, and then do as we all agree."
"No," said Jonas, "I have no idea of having all school-time spent intalking. I'm perfectly willing that either of you should be teacher, andI'll obey. I'll set copies, or do any thing else you please, only Iwon't have any responsibility about the arrangements. Or, if you wish,I'm willing to be teacher; but then, in that case, I must direct everything, just as I think is best,--and you must do just as I say."
"Well," said Isabella, "what are your orders? We'll obey."
Amos and Oliver also agreed that they would obey his directions. Jonasthen consented to take the station of teacher, and he proceeded to givehis directions.
"I have been looking at the books," said he, "and I find we haven't gotbut one of each kind."
"Then we can't have any classes in our school," said Oliver.
"Yes we can," said Jonas. "The first evening, Amos may take thearithmetic and the slate, and cipher, while Isabella writes, and Oliverstudies a good long spelling lesson. Then, the second evening, Amosshall study the spelling lesson, and Isabella cipher, and Oliver write."
"But I don't want to cipher," said Isabella. "I don't like arithmetic; Inever could understand it."
"You promised to obey my orders," said Jonas.
"Well," said Isabella, "I'll try; but I know I can't do the sums."
"Then, the third evening," said Jonas, "Isabella shall study thespelling lesson, Oliver the arithmetic, and Amos take the writing-book."
"What, ain't you going to have but one writing-book?"
"No," said Jonas; "one is enough; because you won't all write the sameevening. So you can write one page, Oliver another, and Amos the third."
"No," said Isabella; "I don't like that. I want every scholar to havehis own book."
"If you'll be the teacher," said Jonas, "you can have it so."
"But I want to have it so, and you be the teacher," said Isabella.
"No," said Jonas; "if I have the responsibility of teacher, I must havethe power too."
"Well," said Isabella, "I suppose we had better submit."
"But what's the reason, Jonas," said Oliver, "that you ain't willingthat we should all have writing-books of our own?"
"There are two or three reasons," said Jonas. "But it is very poorpolicy for a schoolmaster to spend his time in convincing his scholarsthat his regulations are good. He must make them obey, and let them seethat the regulations turn out to be good in the end."
"But it seems to me, you've grown arbitrary all at once," said Amos,with a smile.
"Yes," said Jonas, "I'm always arbitrary when I'm in command; if youmean, by arbitrary, determined to have my own way. I won't _usurp_ anypower; but, if you put it upon me, I shall use it, you may depend uponit."
Jonas had two good reasons why he wanted to have only one writing-bookfor all his scholars. One was, that he thought it uncertain how longtheir school plan would last, and he did not want to trouble the farmerto look up some paper, and then make a parade of preparing so manywriting-books; and then, perhaps, the whole plan might be abandoned,when they had written four or five pages in each. And, therefore, as hefound one old writing-book of Oliver's, half full, he determined to makethe blank leaves of that answer for all.
But he had another reason still. He thought that, if all his scholarsshould write, in succession, in the same book, their writing would comeinto such close juxtaposition and comparison, that each one would bestimulated to write with greater attention and care; as each one wouldwish his or her own page to look as neatly written as the rest. He knewthat Isabella, when it came to her turn to write, would naturally,without any thing being said, look at Amos's work on the page before,and that she would observe its excellences and its faults, and that herpage would probably be written better, in consequence of her criticismupon his.
Thus, though Jonas had good reasons, he chose not to give them. Hepreferred, if he was going to be teacher, that they should not be in thehabit of expecting him to give reasons for all his directions. So hesimply exp
ressed his decision upon the subject, by saying,--
"You may do just as you please about making me teacher; but, if you putme into the office, you must expect to have to obey."
"That's right, Jonas," said the farmer's wife: "I am glad to see youmake 'em mind."
It was settled, without any further discussion, that Jonas's plan inregard to the writing should be adopted, and that his scholars wouldobey his directions in other things, whatever they might be. Jonas thenproceeded as follows:--
"Now, you see that, if we go on so three evenings, you will all have gotthree lessons, and the fourth evening we will have for recitation. Iwill hear you spell, and examine your writing, and see if your sums aredone right."
Jonas's exposition of the plan of his school was here interrupted by thefarmer's wife, who, as she sat at the end of the settle towards thefire, had her face somewhat turned towards the window, and she saw alight at a distance near the horizon.
"What light is that?" said she.
Jonas and all his school rose, and went to the window to see.
The window looked towards the pond. They looked off across a sort ofbay, beyond which there was a long point of land,--the one which theboys had had to sail around when they went to mill. Just over this land,and near the extremity of it, a light was to be seen, as if from a fire,beyond and behind the land.
"That's exactly in the direction of the village," said Amos.
"It is a house on fire, I know," said Oliver,--"or a store."
"It looks like a fire, certainly," said Jonas.
"Yes," said the farmer's wife; "and you must go, boys, and help put itout."
"It is several miles off," said Amos.
"Yes, but put Kate into the light sleigh, and she'll carry you thereover the pond in twenty minutes.--Here, husband, husband," shecontinued, calling to the farmer, who was still asleep in his chair,"here's a fire."
The farmer opened his eyes, and sat upright in his chair, and asked whatwas the matter.
"Here's a fire," she repeated, "over in the village; hadn't the boysbetter go and put it out?"
The farmer rose, walked very deliberately to the window, looked a minuteat the light, and then said,--
"It's nothing but the moon."
"The moon?--no, it can't be the moon, husband," said she. "The moondon't rise there."
"Yes," said the farmer, "that's just about the place."
"Besides," said she, "it isn't time for the moon to rise. It don't risenow till midnight."
He turned away, and walked slowly across the room, to where the almanacwas hanging. He seemed very sleepy. He turned over the leaves, and thensaid, "Moon rises--eight hours and fifty minutes; that is,--let'ssee,--ten minutes before nine."
"Well," said his wife, "and 'tisn't much past eight now."
"It's the moon, you may depend," said the farmer; "perhaps our time is alittle out." So he returned to the chair, sat down in it, and put hisfeet out towards the fire.
"Well," said his wife, "we shall know pretty soon; for, if it is themoon, it will soon rise higher."
So they all stood a few minutes, and watched the light. It seemed toenlarge a little, and to grow somewhat brighter; but it did not movefrom its place.
"It certainly must be a fire," said the farmer's wife again; "and Iwish, husband, that you'd let the boys take Kate in the sleigh, and goalong the pond and see."
"I've no objection," said the farmer, "if they've a mind to take thattrouble; but they'll find nothing but the moon, they may depend."
"Let's go," said Amos.
"Very well," said Jonas; "I'm ready."
"We'll go too, boys," said the farmer's wife, "Isabella and I. You canput in two seats. There are no hills, and Kate will take us all alonglike a bird. I never saw a fire in my life."
The boys hastened to the barn, and got Kate out of the stall. Franco,who knew that something extraordinary must have taken place, though hecould not tell what, came out from his place, leaped about, andindicated, by his actions, that, wherever they were going, he meant togo too.
The sleigh was soon harnessed. They drove up to the door, and foundIsabella and her mother all ready. They took their places upon the backseat, while Amos and Jonas sat upon another seat, which they had placedin, before. Oliver came running with a bucket, which he put in under theforward seat, and then he jumped on behind, standing upon the end of therunner, and clinging to the corner of the sleigh, close to Isabella'sshoulder.
Kate set off at a rapid trot down the road, which led to the pond. Thesleigh went very easily, for the road was smooth. There had been rainand thaws lately, and cold weather after them, so that the surface ofthe road had melted, and then become frozen again; and this made iticy. They found the ice of the pond in the same state. The rain and thethaws had melted the snow, upon the top of the ice, and made it a sheetof water. Then this had frozen again, so that now the surface of thepond was almost every where hard and smooth; and when they came downupon it, and turned to go across the bay, the horse being at his fullspeed, the sleigh swept round sideways over the ice, in a great circle,and made the farmer's wife very much afraid that she should be upset. Itseemed as if the sleigh was trying to get before the horse.
However, Amos, who was driving, contrived to get the horse ahead again,and then they went on with great speed. It was a mile across to the endof the point of land; but Kate carried them over this space in a veryfew minutes. As they drew near to the point, they watched the light. Itdid not rise at all.
"It cannot be the moon," said Jonas, "for it is now full a quarter of anhour since we first saw it."
"Yes," said the farmer's wife, "I knew it couldn't be the moon."
Just at this moment, the sleigh came around the point with great speed,and brought into view a very bright but distant fire, far before them.
"It is a fire!" they all exclaimed.
"But it isn't in the direction of the village," said Jonas.
"It must be some farm-house," said the farmer's wife, "on the shore."
"No," said Jonas, "I think it is on the ice."
It very soon became evident that the fire was upon the ice. It wasplainly a large fire, though the distance made it look rather small. Itwas very bright, and it flashed up high; and a cloud of illuminatedsmoke arose from it, and floated off to the northward. The party in thesleigh could soon perceive, also, a number of small, bright spots nearit, which seemed to be in motion about the fire. They looked like themoons about the planet Jupiter, seen through a telescope.
"I wonder what it is," said Isabella.
"I presume," said Jonas, "that the boys are out skating, and this is afire on the ice, which they have built."
"And are those the boys moving about?" asked Oliver.
"Yes," said Jonas. "When they are near the fire, the light shines upontheir faces."
As they rode on, it became gradually more and more evident that Jonaswas right. The forms of the skaters, as they stood before the fire, orcame wheeling up to it, became more and more distinct, and, in fact, theringing sound of the skates soon became audible. The horse, in the meantime, went on, with great speed, directly towards the fire. When theyarrived near the fire, the skaters came around them in great numbers,wondering who could have come. Jonas asked them where they got the woodto build their fire.
"All along the shore," said a large boy, with a long stick in his hand."Let's go and get some more, boys," he added, "and brighten up ourfire."
So saying, he wheeled round and skated away, the whole crowd of skaters,small and great, following him at full speed. As they swept round by thefire, the light glared brightly upon their faces and forms, but theysoon disappeared from view in the darkness beyond; only Jonas couldhear the sound of their skates, ringing over the ice, as they receded.
"What a great, hot fire!" said Oliver.
"Yes," said Isabella, "I never saw such a large fire on the ice. I don'tsee how they got all the wood."
"I suppose," said Jonas, "that they got out the wood from t
he forest,along the shore, and threw it out upon the ice, before they put on theirskates, and then they could easily bring it to the fire. But hark! theyare coming back again."
The fire was so bright where they were, and it flashed so strongly uponthe ice around, that they could not see the skaters until they camepretty near. The dark figures, however, soon began to appear. Theforemost was a tall young man, who came forward with great speed,pushing before him a long and slender log, half decayed and dry. One endhe held before him in his hands, and the other glided along upon thesmooth ice towards the fire.
There followed close behind him another skater, with the fragment of anold stump upon his shoulder; then several others, with branches,sticks, dry bushes, and fragments of every shape and size. These theypiled upon the fire as they swept up alongside of it, and then wheeledaway back from the heat which radiated from it. Two large boys came on,bringing a long log between them, one at each end. It looked large, butit was really not very heavy, as it was hollow and decayed. They hove itup, with great effort, upon the fire, and its fall upon the heap threwup a large, bright column of sparks and flame. Another boy had the topof a young spruce, which he had cut off with his knife, by dint of greatlabor; it made a great roaring and crackling when it was put upon thefire. And, finally, behind all the rest, there came a little boy not sobig as Oliver, tugging away at a long branch, which he dragged behindhim, and put it upon the fire too.
"Well," said the farmer's wife, after a little time, "we mustn't stayhere much longer."
"We'll drive around the fire, in one great sweep," said Jonas.
So he started the horse on, and took a great circuit about the fire. Theskaters went with him on each side of the sleigh. Then they turnedtheir course towards home again. The light of the fire shone upon thedistant point of land, and illuminated it faintly, but in a verybeautiful manner, and showed Jonas which way to drive.
Isabella turned back her head repeatedly, to look at the fire, as theyrode on and left it far behind them. It seemed to grow smaller andsmaller, as they receded; and at length, when Jonas turned around thepoint of land, it disappeared entirely. In a few minutes afterward, themoon arose, and lighted them the rest of the way home.