A FIRE
The last of February drew nigh, which was the time fixed upon for Josey
to go home. He had remained with his uncle much longer than his father
had at first intended; but now they wanted him to return, before the
roads 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 and
write for me, and I'll tell you what to say. You are rather handier with
the pen than I am."
Jonas accordingly brought a sheet of paper and a pen and ink, and took
his place at a table at the back side of the room, and the farmer
dictated 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 name
on the back, and to-morrow morning I'll look it over, and sign my name
to it."
Jonas accordingly folded the letter up, and wrote upon the back, _Joseph
Jones, 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 as
well as that."
The farmer had a daughter whose name was Isabella. She was about
eighteen years old. She was at this time spinning in a corner of the
room, near a window. She came forward to look at the letter.
"Yes, Jonas," said she, "you write beautifully. I wish you'd teach me to
write 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," replied
Jonas. "You get through your spinning in time to have half an hour for
school 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 great
deal in three months."
"Yes," said the farmer, "that's a very good plan; you shall have an
evening 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 learn
to 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 hour
every evening, beginning at eight o'clock. Have you got any school-books
in 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 form
a plan."
Isabella brought Jonas the school-books, and he looked them over, but
said nothing then about his plan. He reflected upon the subject until
the 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, and
took a seat by the fire, to hear Jonas's plan. Amos sat by a table at
the back side of the room. The farmer's wife was sitting upon the
settle, knitting; and the farmer himself was asleep in his arm-chair, at
the opposite corner.
"Now," said Jonas, "I like the plan of having an evening school, and I
am 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 the
plans, all together, and then do as we all agree."
"No," said Jonas, "I have no idea of having all school-time spent in
talking. I'm perfectly willing that either of you should be teacher, and
I'll obey. I'll set copies, or do any thing else you please, only I
won'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 every
thing, 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. Jonas
then consented to take the station of teacher, and he proceeded to give
his directions.
"I have been looking at the books," said he, "and I find we haven't got
but 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 the
arithmetic and the slate, and cipher, while Isabella writes, and Oliver
studies a good long spelling lesson. Then, the second evening, Amos
shall study the spelling lesson, and Isabella cipher, and Oliver write."
"But I don't want to cipher," said Isabella. "I don't like arithmetic; I
never 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 the
spelling 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 same
evening. 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 have
his 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 have
the power too."
"Well," said Isabella, "I suppose we had better submit."
"But what's the reason, Jonas," said Oliver, "that you ain't willing
that we should all have writing-books of our own?"
"There are two or three reasons," said Jonas. "But it is very poor
policy for a schoolmaster to spend his time in convincing his scholars
that his regulations are good. He must make them obey, and let them see
that 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 you
mean, by arbitrary, determined to have my own way. I won't _usurp_ any
power; but, if you put it upon me, I shall use it, you may depend upon
it."
Jonas had two good reasons why he wanted to have only one writing-book
for all his scholars. One was, that he thought it uncertain how long
their school plan would last, and he did not want to trouble the farmer
to look up some paper, and then make a parade of preparing so many
writing-books; and then, perhaps, the whole plan might be abandoned,
when they had written four or five pages in each. And, therefore, as he
found one old writing-book of Oliver's, half full, he determined to make
the blank leaves of that answer for all.
But he had another reason still. He thought that, if all his scholars
should write, in succession, in the same book, their writing would come
into such close juxtaposition and comparison, that each one would be
stimulated to write with greater attention and care; as each one would
wish his or her own page to look as neatly written as the rest. He knew
that 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 her
page would probably be written better, in consequence of her criticism
upon his.
Thus, though Jonas had good reasons, he chose not to give them. He
preferred, if he was going to be teacher, that they should not be in the
habit of expecting him to give reasons for all his directions. So he
simply expressed his decision upon the subject, by saying,--
"You may do just as you please about making me teacher; but, if you put
me into the office, you must expect to have to obey."
"That's right, Jonas," said the farmer's wife: "I am glad to see you
make 'em mind."
It was settled, without any further discussion, that Jonas's plan in
regard to the writing should be adopted, and that his scholars would
obey his directions in other things, whatever they might be. Jonas then
proceeded as follows:--
"Now, you see that, if we go on so three evenings, you will all have got
three lessons, and the fourth evening we will have for recitation. I
will hear you spell, and examine your writing, and see if your sums are
done right."
Jonas's exposition of the plan of his school was here interrupted by the
farmer's wife, who, as she sat at the end of the settle towards the
fire, had her face somewhat turned towards the window, and she saw a
light 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 of
bay, beyond which there was a long point of land,--the one which the
boys 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 it
out."
"It is several miles off," said Amos.
"Yes, but put Kate into the light sleigh, and she'll carry you there
over the pond in twenty minutes.--Here, husband, husband," she
continued, 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 what
was the matter.
"Here's a fire," she repeated, "over in the village; hadn't the boys
better go and put it out?"
The farmer rose, walked very deliberately to the window, looked a minute
at the light, and then said,--
"It's nothing but the moon."
"The moon?--no, it can't be the moon, husband," said she. "The moon
don'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 rise
now till midnight."
He turned away, and walked slowly across the room, to where the almanac
was hanging. He seemed very sleepy. He turned over the leaves, and then
said, "Moon rises--eight hours and fifty minutes; that is,--let's
see,--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 a
little out." So he returned to the chair, sat down in it, and put his
feet out towards the fire.
"Well," said his wife, "we shall know pretty soon; for, if it is the
moon, it will soon rise higher."
So they all stood a few minutes, and watched the light. It seemed to
enlarge a little, and to grow somewhat brighter; but it did not move
from its place.
"It certainly must be a fire," said the farmer's wife again; "and I
wish, husband, that you'd let the boys take Kate in the sleigh, and go
along the pond and see."
"I've no objection," said the farmer, "if they've a mind to take that
trouble; 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 can
put in two seats. There are no hills, and Kate will take us all along
like 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 he
could not tell what, came out from his place, leaped about, and
indicated, by his actions, that, wherever they were going, he meant to
go too.
The sleigh was soon harnessed. They drove up to the door, and found
Isabella and her mother all ready. They took their places upon the back
seat, while Amos and Jonas sat upon another seat, which they had placed
in, before. Oliver came running with a bucket, which he put in under the
forward seat, and then he jumped on behind, standing upon the end of the
runner, and clinging to the corner of the sleigh, close to Isabella's
shoulder.
Kate set off at a rapid trot down the road, which led to the pond. The
sleigh went very easily, for the road was smooth. There had been rain
and thaws lately, and cold weather after them, so that the surface of
the road had melted, and then become frozen again; and this made it
icy. They found the ice of the pond in the same state. The rain and the
thaws had melted the snow, upon the top of the ice, and made it a sheet
of water. Then this had frozen again, so that now the surface of the
pond was almost every where hard and smooth; and when they came down
upon it, and turned to go across the bay, the horse being at his full
speed, 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. It
seemed 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 end
of the point of land; but Kate carried them over this space in a very
few minutes. As they drew near to the point, they watched the light. It
did not rise at all.
"It cannot be the moon," said Jonas, "for it is now full a quarter of an
hour 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 was
plainly a large fire, though the distance made it look rather small. It
was very bright, and it flashed up high; and a cloud of illuminated
smoke arose from it, and floated off to the northward. The party in the
sleigh could soon perceive, also, a number of small, bright spots near
it, which seemed to be in motion about the fire. They looked like the
moons 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 a
fire 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 upon
their faces."
As they rode on, it became gradually more and more evident that Jonas
was right. The forms of the skaters, as they stood before the fire, or
came wheeling up to it, became more and more distinct, and, in fact, the
ringing sound of the skates soon became audible. The horse, in the mean
time, went on, with great speed, directly towards the fire. When they
arrived near the fire, the skaters came around them in great numbers,
wondering who could have come. Jonas asked them where they got the wood
to 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 our
fire."
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 the
fire, the light glared brightly upon their faces and forms, but they
soon disappeared from view in the darkness beyond; only Jonas could
hear 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't
see how they got all the wood."
"I suppose," said Jonas, "that they got out the wood from the forest,
along the shore, and threw it out upon the ice, before they put on their
skates, and then they could easily bring it to the fire. But hark! they
are coming back again."
The fire was so bright where they were, and it flashed so strongly upon
the ice around, that they could not see the skaters until they came
pretty near. The dark figures, however, soon began to appear. The
foremost was a tall young man, who came forward with great speed,
pushing before him a long and slender log, half decayed and dry. One end
he held before him in his hands, and the other glided along upon the
smooth ice towards the fire.
There followed close behind him another skater, with the fragment of an
old stump upon his shoulder; then several others, with branches,
sticks, dry bushes, and fragments of every shape and size. These they
piled upon the fire as they swept up alongside of it, and then wheeled
away 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, but
it was really not very heavy, as it was hollow and decayed. They hove it
up, with great effort, upon the fire, and its fall upon the heap threw
up a large, bright column of sparks and flame. Another boy had the top
of a young spruce, which he had cut off with his knife, by dint of great
labor; it made a great roaring and crackling when it was put upon the
fire. And, finally, behind all the rest, there came a little boy not so
big as Oliver, tugging away at a long branch, which he dragged behind
him, and put it upon the fire too.
"Well," said the farmer's wife, after a little time, "we mustn't stay
here 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. The
skaters went with him on each side of the sleigh. Then they turned
their course towards home again. The light of the fire shone upon the
distant point of land, and illuminated it faintly, but in a very
beautiful manner, and showed Jonas which way to drive.
Isabella turned back her head repeatedly, to look at the fire, as they
rode on and left it far behind them. It seemed to grow smaller and
smaller, as they receded; and at length, when Jonas turned around the
point of land, it disappeared entirely. In a few minutes afterward, the
moon arose, and lighted them the rest of the way home.
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