Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-09-10

work of the family after school hours, and might
snatch moment or two at night for sewing so
she nerved her little heart TO meet the contempt.
uous looks of the bigger boys, and the sullen
behavior Of the younger pupils. Dear Annie,
had she known all she had 10 undertake, she
| would never have undertaken school teaching
Annie was 100 young for her vocation. She
meant WELL and won many to love her, bu, there
were few unruly spirits not 10 be coaxed by
swee, smiles or genlleness, whose rebellious
habits weIe sufficient TO destroy all discipline.
The elders soon found it would not do, and poor
Annie herself feared it. Jaded and fretlul with
the troubles of her school, she returned home
at night to wet her pillow with tears. A, length
the disafecion broke out into open rebellion
and Annie, for once, tried TO enforce obedience.
The result was that The school broke up in dis
order, the bigger boys hooiDg at their baby
mistress" as they called her, and proclaiming
a holiday in derision from her very seat.
Poor Annie wen, home sobbing, for her heart
was breaking All her little dreams Of comfort
were dssipa,ed by this rude termination of her
authority, and she saw i, would be useless 10
persist longer in her present vocation. She had
calculated the salary 10 penny, and arranged
how it was all TO be spent; it would just suffice
with little more she expected to make by her
needle, 10 carry Them through the winter. Blu,
now this bright vision was dissipated. She was
in debt, too; for, relying on the salary, she had
ven,ured 10 purchase one or TWO little comforts
for her mother; and debt was new to Annie,
and in her simple heart, allied with visions OF a
jail. As she turned 10 60 homeward, one or
two Of the younger chlldren-liule girls of six
or seven-clung 10 her gown, and crying as
hard as herself, yet strove to comfort her. So
she struggled TO compose herself, wiped her
eyes, kissed the little dears, and bade them
good bye.
As she went up the road, she had to pass the
farmhouse where her father once I;ved The
memory of the happy days spent there rose up
and choked her; but she resoluIely wen, on,
keeping down her tears by a strong effort
When she reached the main street Of the vii
lsge, she turned aside. l. was the first time
she had ever done so, but i, seemed 10 her as
if everybody knew her disgraceful failure, and
that hundred eyes were on her.
Poor Annie! her mothers cottage was before
her, yet she dared not enter it. Should she 20
home and tell how there was now no refuge for
them but the poor-house? She knew it would
kill her mother, and she had no, the heart to do
SO. Mrs. Lyle had said all along ,ha, Annie,
she knew would succeed as school mistress.
and even been more fertile than her daughter
in picturing visions of returning prosperity
Her little brother and sister, 100, they must Of
ten again be sent supperless to bed. Well
nigh, Annie shrink from entering that cottage {,
She turned aside, sa, down on fallen tree.
and began TO weep pileously. am sure you
would have cried yourself, if you had heard her
hearibreaking sobs
1t was bright, beautiful day in February
one Of those mild, soft days when summer
seems TO have come back into the lap of winter
---but Annie saw not, heard not, the beautiful
things around her. and KEEP, on crying as if eve.
ry sob would tear her young heart TO pieces
She did not even know il was the old button.
wood grove TO which she had unconscio iously
come. She did no, see young man who ar
rived in the Stage. and Immediately wen, down
the village street ill he reached her mothers !;
she did no, see him enter, and re-appear again
after an interval, taking the way that led 10 the
school house she did not see him meet some
of the little scholars who had tried 10 comfort
her, bu, who, with their tears now dried, were
having merry slide; she did not see him stop
and speak TO them, then look all round, and
then re,race his steps 10 the village hastily, pnd
We, with sad coun,enance No, poor annie,
as she sat there crying bitterly, saw none OF
this. She only saw The approaching begsary
of her family: with her oce buried 10 her
hands, and the tears iricklp,g between ,he fn-
gers, she rocked her bod' to and fro.
"Oh! wish wa,a dead" she said. Eve
Fybody will despise me, and mother, ii will kill