Cheever

“ Under such a régime we can sympathize with Nash's outburst, "Syntaxis and prosodia! you are [134] tormentors of wit and good for nothing but to get schoolmasters twopence a week."
It was said of Ezekiel Cheever, the old Boston schoolmaster, who taught for over seventy years, "He taught us Lilly and he Gospel taught." But he also wrote a Latin grammar of his own, Cheever's Accidence, which had unvarying popularity for over a century. Cheever was a thorough grammarian. ”

“ Old Master Cheever has lived so long, and seen so many generations of school-boys grow up to be men, that now he can almost prophesy what sort of a man each boy will be. One urchin shall hereafter be a doctor, and administer pills and potions, and stalk gravely through life, perfumed with asafœtida. Another shall wrangle at the bar, and fight his way to wealth and honors, and, in his declining age, shall be a worshipful member of his Majesty's Council. ”

“ This entitled them to a triumphant return to New York. And now Peter Cheever had also done the honorable thing. This “honorable thing” business will be one of the first burdens dropped by the men when the women perfect their claim to equality.
In about two weeks a daughter was born to the happy twain. Thanks to Charity's obliging nature, it was christened in church and accepted in law as a complete Cheever. Mr. and Mrs. and Miss Cheever now began to live (more or less) happily ever after (temporarily) . ”

“ When Zada and Cheever had escaped from the Ritz-Carlton they took lunch at another restaurant. Zada was childishly proud of her tact and of Cheever's appreciation. But afterward, on the way “home”—as she called what other people called her “lair”—she grew suddenly and deeply solemn.
“So your wife is with Dyckman again,” she said. “It looks to me like a sketch.”
Cheever flushed. He hated her slang and he did not accept her conclusion, but this time he did not forbid her to mention his wife. ”

“ Once, it was long ago, the shop had belonged to the Egsons, but speculation had swamped them. Then Cheevers. as he occasionally reminded them, rescued them. As the business spread, Mr. Cheevers took himself more and more seriously. He joined every available committee. He spoke in public whenever he had the chance, and sometimes when he had not. The affairs of his suburb were deep in his heart. One day, possibly, he might rise to higher things; but only to his wife, who was a good woman, did he darkly hint of his ambition. ”

“ Cheever's is in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society. It is a book six by eight inches in size, of about four hundred pages, all well filled with Latin dissertations, with occasionally a mathematical figure drawn. One turns over the old leaves with affectionate interest, even if the matter written upon them is beyond his comprehension. It certainly is a pleasure to read on one of them the date May 18, 1664.
Verily, New England should treasure the memory of Ezekiel Cheever, the man who called himself "Schoolmaster," for she owes much to him. ”

“ Cheevers ran his hands through his hair. Even as he spoke he recognised that though he was speaking the solid truth, he was not speaking at all like Cheevers. He said—
"I am going to resign. At these meetings there is so much fuss about quite unworthy objects. So little is said on the things that really do matter. The strained, ugly, distorted face of a man speaking under great excitement over the merest trifle is positively nauseous to me."
"Well!" said Mrs. Cheevers brightly, "you need not lecture me, you know, George. ”

“ His name was Ezekiel Cheever. When a young man of twenty-three years, he came from London—where he was born January 25, 1614—to Boston, seven years after its settlement. The following spring he went to New Haven, where he soon married, and became actively engaged in founding the colony there. Among the men who went there the same year was a Mr. Wigglesworth, whose son, in later years, as the Reverend Michael Wigglesworth, gave an account of Mr. Cheever's success in the work of teaching, which he began soon after reaching the place. "I was sent to school to Mr. ”

“ Egson, she found out that Mr. Cheevers was once more neglecting his business. Once he came down as usual in the morning, remained for ten minutes, and then dashed out of the shop and into a hansom. Egson had actually heard the words "National Gallery" addressed to the driver. As the fascination of the gin-shop for the drunkard, so was the fascination of the National Gallery for Cheevers in his new and absorbing love for beauty. He brought home fresh purchases every night. He broke some really good furniture. ”

“ Once, however, a man-Folk threw me part of a small round, dark roll or stick, such as men-Folks put in their mouths at one end, and send out smoke from the other end.
Boo, bumaloo, what stuff! bitter and horrid! Men-Folks must have a queer taste to enjoy tasting and smoking such black, weedy things. One taste of a "cigar" was enough for me.
I was sorry not to see the boy Roland or the little girl Amy again, but I think they may have gone to some other land-place, and so could not come to the park. But although I saw so many other pleasant young Folks, I did not forget them. ”

“ She is perfectly happy, and has resumed her singing. He has bought her a copy of "Soul of My Heart," and if she likes it, will undoubtedly buy "Heart of My Soul" as well; and the only thing that can really wound Mr. Cheevers is to tell him that he has no love of beauty. ”

“ An’ after that no more shoving the barrow, with rheumatic pains in Cheevers’ joints, but a shaggy willing beast to draw it, not too nice to eat damaged greens or anything else, when they ran short.
While Nick saw to that donkey his own self, and many a time I have sat behind him, as proud and glad, as if he was four bays with rosettes behind their ears, when Cheevers thought a jaunt as far as Kew ’ud do me good, and over them tram-ruts is certainly a stimulant to the liver. ”

“ That it was a pinch, I will not deny, me and Cheevers being but poor folk, when, as I have said, Mr. Rumsey took the roof, or part of one, from the heads of Them Two and let the attic—Cheevers’ tarpaulin included—to a reduced gentlewoman, who sold matches at the corner of Gracechurch-street.
But we had got ’em clean, meaning Nick and Nan, and a few poor decent things upon ’em, and mention of the workhouse seemed cruel, as the boy had that idea in him, that strong about his mother—a pretty mother too! though I never said as much in his hearing—coming back one day to fetch him. ”

“ When the doctor had gone, Cheevers said—
"Thought we should never get rid of him! It 's a long time since we had a bit of a crack, old lady. You don't look a day older, for that matter, than you did when that photograph was taken. And, by the way, where is that photograph?"
Next day Mr. Cheevers went to business as usual. He has explained that there was nothing inconsistent whatever in his attitude regarding the gipsies whose immediate expulsion he now demanded. It took the eloquence and the argument of Cheevers to make this clear; but it has been done. The business is prospering ”

“ And that ain’t enough to grow fat on,” he says, giving me a condescending wink.
“‘Nan’ she has come to be called, because ‘Nan’ was her way of saying ‘No’ when asked if she would like to go away from Nick and be took care of. I have heard, Mrs. Cheevers, that the French are in the habit of employing the same word as a negative.”
Mr. Rumsey was a very superior gentleman in his knowledge and conversation.
“Which shows that nation to be a wasteful nation, Mrs. Cheevers, which takes three letters to spell a word which we can spell with two.” ”

“ It would be immoral to give them away or sell them. We must destroy them."
It was Mrs. Cheevers's opinion that George had excited himself, and she said so. She also said that she hoped he had not been taking anything elsewhere. She further hoped that that day would be far distant.
"When a man 's put out like that," she added, "bed 's the place for him."
And Mr. Cheevers went to bed. His last words that night dealt with the extreme picturesqueness of the gipsy encampment and the fact that the suburb should be glad to have its monotony broken by these beautiful and simple people. ”

“ Ezekiel Cheever, who at that time taught school in his own house, and under him in a year or two I profited so much through ye blessing of God, that I began to make Latin and to get forward apace. But God who is infinitely wise and absolutely soverain, and gives no account concerning any of his proceedings, was pleased about this time to visit my father with Lameness which grew upon him more and more to his dying Day, though he liv'd under it 13 years. ”

“ Thomas Cheever, son of his early teacher, the celebrated New England schoolmaster, Ezekiel Cheever, author of Latin Accidence. These three ministers were all educated at Harvard College, Bunker having graduated in 1658, Blackman in 1663, and Cheever in 1677. Mr. Cheever began to preach at Malden Feb. 14, 1679-80, was ordained July 27, 1681, and was dismissed May 20, 1686.
Wigglesworth, though long prevented by sickness from officiating, never resigned his ministerial charge, as appears from a letter which he addressed to Samuel Sprague, July 22, 1687. ”

“ Bill had a nap, little Jule got easy, and you dozed, then some person led Hotspur away."
Mammy looked carefully around, then said, with a twinkle in her eye:
"Ennyway, I'se glad dat boy get away. Dis yere war won't help de Inglish any. De ole king needn't tink he can put his big foot on de people's neck, and dey not kick back.
"Let Mars' Perc'val and Mistis Gran'son go back to Inglan' ef dey wants to. Dey soon come totin' back 'gain. And Mars' Lion, ef he [Pg 259] is a young man, can run de place all it want to be run while dese times is goin' on." ”

“ Yet, for all of her resolution, Nattie sobbed herself to sleep. Not so easy is it to renounce love, and look forward to a life barren of its best and sweetest gift.
And after this there was a change in her observable even to the undiscerning Quimby. Shadows had fallen over her face, lurked in her gray eyes and around the corners of her mouth. The old restlessness had given place to a settled gloom. ”

“ Slipside Row and meet Mistress Cory Ann, she slid off to Dreamland, her pretty head drooping to one side, her rosy lips parted.
Then as it grew later, but was still quite light, good Parson Kendall walked out in his orchard, and in his walk stopped before the rustic seat under the branching tree.
"What a personable child it is!" he muttered. "Some youthful wayfarer well tired out. I wonder who she may be? ”

“ Jo looked at her, wistfully.
"I know I am homely, Cyn, and I am poor; I have nothing to offer you but an honest, loving and true heart. I suppose a man who is in love is naturally unreasonable—I never was in love before, you know—but an extravagant hope will whisper to me, that even this little might not be unappreciated by you." ”

“ The old restlessness had given place to a settled gloom. She was less often seen among the gay circle that gathered in Cyn's parlor, pleading every possible excuse for staying away, and when with them, to his surprise and delight, and to Celeste's dismay, she devoted herself to Quimby, to Jo—to any one rather than to Clem. For most of all had she changed to him. Afraid of betraying her secret, and unable to control the pain that overpowered her when in his presence, now she knew her own heart, she avoided him in every practicable way, and seldom, even over their wire, talked with him. ”

“ Oh, why must Cyn be given everything, and she—nothing? What kind of fate was it that marked out the broad, sunny road for one, and the somber, uneven pathway for another? Must her life be one of lonely discontent, a telegraph office at the beginning, and a telegraph office at the end? was this to be all?
"No!" thought Nattie, raising her head proudly, and looking at the red and swollen eyes that gazed at her from the opposite glass. "Life shall give me something of its best; if not of love, then of fame! and I will work and persevere until I gain it!" ”

“ So saying, Nattie turned her back, and the owner of the nose withdrew it, its tip glistening with indignation as she walked away. As it vanished, Nattie gave a sigh of relief, and sat down to mourn her ruined dress. Whatever may have been her previous opinion, she was positive now that this was the prettiest, the most becoming dress she had ever possessed, or might ever possess! Only the old, old story! We prize most what is gone forever! ”

“ To this exceedingly novel declaration of love, Cyn responded by releasing the bough she held, and staring at him with distended eyes and a perfectly blank face; for once in her life, speechless.
"I told you I was going to astonish you," said Jo, quaintly, in answer to her prolonged stare, "and I do not wonder that you cannot believe I really love you! I did not myself, for a long time, and I would not after I knew it! But it is a fact. No joke—no mistake, but a sober, serious fact! I love you, love you, love you!" ”

“ If it be but dead ashes, I will thank God for the gift, and perhaps, at some future day, in response to my devotion, even from those ashes shall arise another love, so strong, so intense, that, in comparison, the old shall be but as some half-forgotten trouble of childhood, whose remembrance cannot awaken even a passing pain. ”

“ Of course I am queer! when a man throws his theories and hobbies to the winds, and confesses himself conquered, he is apt to be queer, is he not? Can you not understand, that I, Jo Norton, who have always scoffed at sentiment, and proudly declared myself incapable of being the victim of love, am ready—yes, and longing!—to make as big a fool of myself as the veriest spooniest youth in existence, and all for love of you, Cyn? ”