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1.
The winds of time blow steady, straight and stronq.
They waft from far-flunq forests of old lands
The falls of leafy years and flinq alonq
Winged seeds in airy argosies to strands
Across the seas to sire new forest stands.
With fresh sprinq rains and free rich soils that
nourish,
The new seeds sprout and root and branch and flourish.
2.
I tell this as that Ancient Mariner told
His tale, compulsed by feelings lonq recalled;
For still I feel my father's fervor hold
Its sway: the tellinq cannot be forestalled.
Its heroine had that boy--and me--enthralled.
Our father told and told what happened when
He was that boy. I tell it here again.
3.
From acorns oaks, from children families qrow,
And planted in new soil younq saplings thrive,
Thus Lárik planned--and sought a time to tow
His wife and nine to where they could contrive Less
serf-like ways, do more than just survive.
A stock-train trek to Bremen from home qround, Then steerage
class they sailed, Chicago-bound.
4.
Far off, the small Czech village they had left;
Here Karly faced a city's great unknown.
Amonq boys of his age he felt bereft,
A fledqlinq not quite ready to be thrown
Down to unfriendly turf to fend alone.
But one there was who chose to ease the stinq
Of strife beneath her kind protectinq winq.
5.
Strange was Chicago, new and strange,
And strange "Throop School" on his initial day,
To this small boy, unready for such change.
He sought to join some boys in soccer play.
But words and acts of insult were their way To show their
mean intent as they refused
And Karly, shoved aside, was hurt, confused.
6.
Younq Karly's shirt and pants were old and patched,
Too lonq, too tight, old-country in design;
His stockings darned, his button shoes unmatched. To pupils
dressed, by contrast, rich and fine,
Poor Karly's clothes seemed somethinq to malign. One bully's
jeers and actions were too cruel,
Which Karly took as challenge to a duel!
7.
Though chores on Papa's farm had made him stronq,
Younq Karel seemed to others short and slight. While
tauntinq coward comrades taqqed alonq,
One Otto, older and of greater weight and height Took
Karly's cap and tramped on it in spite,
Then tripped him down into wet muddy soil.
But Karly spranq into a swift recoil.
8.
His eyes flashed anger and his breath was hot.
A rampant ram somehow within him qrew:
He catapulted his lithe body, shot
At Otto, and as sneered Czech curses flew, Battered the
bully's belly. Then that crew,
Seeinq their startled hero driven back,
Rushed in at Karel in a gang attack.
9.
Disdaininq interference, Karly flailed
His fists, and Otto's lips and nostrils bled,
And while his band, cowardly bold, had hailed Some blows,
still Karly locked onto Otto's head And threw him down. They
fell like lead.
Now Otto's herd became hyena-vile:
Kicked, clawed, swarmed over Karly in a pile.
10.
Their teacher s voice shrilled out: "Oh, no, you brats,
Let bully Otto fight this on his own!"
She pushed, and they slunk off much like scared cats
While Karly, in command, had Otto prone,
Face down in mud, and Karel heard him qroan. Let up, the
bully in a final try
Swunq wild, and caught a fist that closed an eye.
11.
Here Mrs. Hawley came between the two
And spoke: "Well, Charley, that's enough. He's tamed.
The thing I tried to teach was taught by you."
And Otto left, his bullyinq spirit maimed.
New love had Charley, just so, newly named.
For teacher, friend, and angel, ever dear,
A life-lonq love took root that early year.
12.
For this dear teacher, championinq his cause
With ways she had to stem the callousness
Of pupil peers, he spoke lifelonq applause.
She brought to Charley freedom from distress
And made his schooldays seeds for his success. Her teachinq
was a qift of worth untold,
And of that qift she qave a thousandfold.
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13.
When Charley lacked all books and funds to buy them,
Ann Hawley found some "extras" of them all.
"My son outgrew these clothes,
Charley, you try them,"
She said one day, and asked, "Are they too small?" By chance
they fitted--none too tight, too tall.
Those coats, pants, shirts, and shoes all new--new toys,
They seemed, and all the wants and needs of boys! 14.
Did ever any boy have such a friend?
For pens and paper, crayon sets and more
She offered him as qifts. There was no end
To things her "older son" had no need for:
"That ball and bat and qlove came from some store: "So
teachers don't tell lies? Well she told one,"
My father said. "She never had a son."
15.
With holy Hawley help how Charley's lot
Went burgeoninq! His learninq progress flared.
With teacher turned to principal, he qot
Her tutorinq. His age-nine skills compared
To twelve-year-olds'--so well he fared.
She wisely had him do things in return:
Some chores she paid for--coins he loved to earn.
16.
Early and late before and after school
That boy and angel-teacher-friend would sit,
He learninq English, she some Czech.
They'd pool Their interests; and how great the benefit:
The boy's speech clear: Czech accent. Not a bit! Czech
parents called or wrote, and she would ask The boy
translating help. He loved the task.
17.
The winds of time, whirlinq through autumn's trees Whip free
the red-, brown-, yellow-tinged remains On stubborn oaks and
maples. As they wheeze Through twiq and branch and bough,
nostalgic strains
Of springtime birdsongs sound, and memories
Of early seasons mix with leaves that blow
Across the mulch of years of lonq ago.
18.
Aqe twelve. By family need the boy was forced to look
For week-end work, but he could scarcely earn Enough to
help. His father Larik took
Him out of school. Well taught in ways to learn,
His three years equalled six. He didn't spurn
A menial print-shop stint where he was paid
Four cents an hour--but learned his pressman s trade.
19.
The winds of changinq time brought qoals achieved:
Charley-the-man's career success qrew fast.
He found his niche, made qains because he heaved His mind
and soul into his trade, and vast
Steps upward came with moves he made...
He passed From press-room boss to partnership acquired.
He printed, published, prospered... Then retired.
20.
Not every teacher could be so revered---
As you, qood Mrs. Hawley, by one cowed Immigrant boy--the
one you cheered
Aqainst that bully and his jeerinq crowd.
Through you my father's life grew full and proud.
All through his manhood years he spoke your name.
Good angel, here you hold a quiet fame!
21.
My aging father had such tales to tell.
"You told that all too many times before,"
We younger ones would say, but nom know well Those stories
strinq a chain of precious lore.
We'd like to hear them all again, and more.
So now I feel this force that brings these rhymes
To make again alive my father's times.
22.
Though he can never tell it all again,
I find these fallen leaves all album-pressed.
Each page reveals a new "remember when".
This one unfolds. Can I hold back the rest?
With Father's tales our family feels blessed. Exhuminq
lonq-lost vital memory,
I hope to keep alive a legacy.
Charles J. Prazak senior was born in Divtice,
Czecho-Slovakia, in 1874, died in Berwyn, Illinois, 1959. He
succeeded with a mere sixth-grade education in a fine
career, achievinq the vice-presidency of the National
Printinq and Publishinq Co., Chicago, and he credited Mrs.
Hawley for his success through the great start she qave him.
Karly is short for the Czech name karlicek, meaninq "Little
Karel" by Charles L. Prazak 7/2/1912-3/1/1997,
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