The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1860-11-08

anu VI tlc proper framing o.
children. % $50 : III III oa5.@ -
My words took immediate effect. A
little flash of color appeared suddenly
upon the gentleman's face, and spoke
palmer than words could have done.
Seeing my advantage I continued in
tantalizing way.
People tell me that this Eldridge
boy has not known a mothers care
since his earliest infancy. This is self
evident. [ have been more lenient,
remembering this. But if it is a moth
er's care that he needs, I would advise
his father, most heartily to make an at
tempt to secure to him the care of some
good true woman. "
IS s"You would" TO-.
lie looked me full in the face as he
asked me the question. I was not equal
to the ordeal,
grew suddenly confused, and trying
to answer him, stumbled upon two or
three answers at the same time.
"Your advice is most excellent, Miss
Lakin, hope the unfortunate gentle
men will be able to act upon it,
$50 do ], most sincerely" I answer
ed, blushing beneath his strange
questioning glance. ''For the boys
sake, he would do well to make the
matter one Of Importance until he sue
ceeds,' [ added, more because [ would
not allow myself to be silenced, by his
gaze, than because I cared to speak.
sPerhaps you would be willing to
aid the gentleman in question, since
you were the first to suggest the idea?
Would you?" ,tIlL1fIs<z#
Il am no philanthropist," l answered
CURLY, believing he was attempting to
quiz met think too much of my
! life sgr7 sr,t vsr,.-
hesitated !; / saw that / was going
too far. The gentleman smiled. We
were close by the school house door,
and the conversation could 20 no far
ther. With a "good- morning'' he
turned away, while I entered the
school room. @#.
"Who was that gentleman?" I asked
Of child standing at the door.
"Dr. Eldridge. Frank Eldridge's
father" was the reply. 500 1874. as.
knew that we'll enough before, but
hearing Inverted by the child's lips,
sentmy blood throbbing and beating
TO my heart. a.s.
The day that followed that morning
was not pleasant one to me; not that
my scholars We're unusually rude or
boisterous-on the contrary, they We're
quieter than had ever known them /;
but somehow conscience troubled me.
Thinking of the motherless one before
me, saw taat in dealing with him |
put away from my heart that precious
charity, which sufereth long and is
kind. / had called anger Justice, and
by 1T dealt with him. had forgotten
how warm human words sing through
the congeniaI surface of the heart,
touching and striking upon its purest
depths. ..91
had blamed the father. And there
L was wrong again. OF the world, |
as woman, had the best right to look
straight through his indulgence, to the
tatherly tenderness that could not give
birth to reprimand or rebuke; to the
love that could not, because of the
mother resting in the grave, meet out
the justice that the child merited.
How the tender hand Of pity brought
the overlooked truths before my eyes,
until blinded by tears could not see.
The next morning | met DR.. Ed
ridge again, and again he kept me
company to the very door Of the school
room. His tantalizing humor had not
left him, and with a sly look in his clear
grey eyes, lie assured me that the faith
er my unruly pupil had, indeed, taken
my sage advice to heart Was glad
to hear it?
!" o, yes" answered in quiet, sober
way.
Let one fact console you, Miss La
XII" he said earnestly, "you have sue
ceeded admirably with your school, and
quite to the satisfaction Of the villagers.
There is talk of having the summer
term continued into the fall, since there
is stout fund of school money on
hand"
dear heavens" 1 said, Il shall go
crazym
No, I hope not, unless you will
consent beforehand to engage me as a
medical adviser'''
did not answer him. | was in a
poor mood to bear his teasing. Indeed,
l could hardly keep back the tears at
the thought Of the many weeks torture
they were planning for me. For six
weeks (halt of the summer term) | had
been trying to keep down rebellion, and
had hoped to worry through the rest
of my allotted time without a serious
outbreak. But now | could not hope
for it. War was inevitable, it must
come" Before the thought, my good
resolutions Of the day before, vanished
like empty air. III, to be mistress of the
schoolroom, | must use stick, whip and
rule, then I would WELD them. would
conquer or be conquered. | did not
resolve fully upon this until was in
formed that the school would be length
ened out six weeks into autumn, allow
ing a vacation OF one week in the
meantime.
So the days dragged along, not one
passing without Mr.. Eldridge making
his appearance somewhere in my way
Sometimes | was pleased to see him,
perhaps always but he had a strange,
mischievous way about him that works
ed against my temper constantly. |
think he liked my little fits of passion,
however, or he would not have provok
ed them continually.
And the school! Dear me, what a
school it was The trial of it wore me
thin as shadow. But affairs came to
a climax one day. This was the way it
was brought about. While hearing a
recitation, one hot, sultry afternoon, |
drew my chair into the middle of the
floor, where there was faint show of a
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