The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-12-31
THE VILLAGE sCH00LMIsTREss.
OR THE WAY ARABEL sTELLAND LOST HEI
LOVER.
BY ALLIE VERNON.


CHAfThh l.
Introduces the aeio iSch0otRltstTeeSs.
"Wall, kinder reckon she amt coming to
night" said Farmer Merry to his wife, as he
stood in the doorway Of the farm house, look
ing up the road, his large, black hand shading
his eyes from the last brilliant rays Of the set
ting sun. -,
dame, 'for We done my best to make things
look nice. The eggs are as white as snow,
the butter yellow as gold, the strawberries red
as red can be, the milk sweet as rose, the
cheese but the old lady paused, either
for want of breath or lack Of SMILES, | don't
exactly know which. But sne mad spoken the
truth; the little old-fashioned round table,
covered with the whitest Of cloths, was very
daintily set out with fresh churned butter, new
laid eggs, with milk Just from the COW, home
made bread and ripe strawberries. Besides
this, milk-pitcher, tea pot and sugar bowl, all
made of metal, were polished and frightened
to such degree, that you could have, with
ease, made your toilet by the aid Of any Of
them. And all those preparations had been
made because the new. schoolmistress was
coming to the village that evening, and Dame
Merry's, both parties being agreeable, was to
be her residence as long as she filled the above
mentioned capacity.
The children, with neatly patched aprons;
hair curled smoothly, and faces shining from
the united effects Of spring water, brown soap,
and a coarse towel, were standing silently be-
side their parents, impressed with due reve-
renee and awe OF the parsonage about to honor
them with her presence.
There were three OF them-two stout boys
and healthy, rosy-cheeked girl; and well
they might dread the approach Of new ty-
rant, for Dame Birch, their late instructress,
had been gifted with peculiar talent and a
liking for handling the rod, and upon none
were her favors bestowed so plentifully as up
on the little Merrys, for UnIuekily their ma
lures were like their name" Merry"
So one afternoon, when Dame Birch, fully
impressed to the last with a sense Of her many
virtues, died, the youngest congratulated
themselves upon their freedom, little think
ing, poor misguided ones, that the funeral Of
the defunct teacher was scarcely over, when
messenger was despatched to town, from
Sweet Blossom Village, for another.
The gentleman soon succeeded IN obtaining
lady qualified in every way ''tO tea"h the
young idea how to shoot and it was in hon
or Of her arrival, as | said before, that Far
mer Merry, his wife and children, were array.
cd with such scrupulous neatness, and Dame
Merry's garden, parlor, and tea-table, were
so clean and neat they always were ''clean
aud bright as apin, but on this occasion "a
thing that seemed impossible befOre) they
seemed brighter than ever.
"Hist! father" at length said Tom, the
eldest Of the young Merys, 81 hear the noise
of the stage wheels" and leaving his fathers
side, he ran down the little path that led tc
the gate followed by his brother and sister
and flinging it LOpen, made haste along the
road whence the sound proceeded.
''Tom, Harry, Jennyl' screamed the moth
or, ''come back here. Don't 60 romping down
the road as il you were wild. Come back,
Say"
The children slowly Obeyed, Tom breath
lessly exclaiming meanwhile, ''She is coming
mother-the stageis at the hill"
Harry's and Jenny's faces began to length
en-. The vivid recollection Of their numerous
chastisements came with redOubled torce up
on their minds:
''Why need she come hereG" muttered Har'
nv. "Why Conduit she 90 to some Othei
place and liveI Wen have enough Of her at
school, ugly old thing"
The young hopefuls speech was cut short b.
asmart slap on his cheek from his materna
parent, which sent him blubbering into th'
house, followed by his sister, who acted th'
part Of comforter.
BY this time the stage had stopped OF tn
gate, aud the farmer fastened 70 meet the new
conner, whilst his wife, Tor the hundredtl
time, smoOthed down her white apron, an'
gave an extra jerk to queer little curl on ne
brow, the only vanities she ever INDUCED In.
"Isn't Miss Lee hereP" asked the old man
as "a fragile-looking creature descended IN
stage steps.