Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-12-09

I
when that We name as love shall bloom
A little while above our tomb.
For fame hope thou-leaf of to-day
soon swept away,
4 TALE TOLD our OF SCHOOL.
"Ffrst person ] love, second person
thou lowest, third person he loves" )"
drawled the head boy in the class
The next, a little girl, took il up
promptly. "Plural-First person
we love, second person You love,
third person they love"
.And we all love"
The interruption came in a whis-
per loud enough to be heard all over
the room. causing the older boys and
girls to giggle; and the teacher, Miss
Olive Burnett, looked up quickly,
glancing along the row Of scholars
on the back seat-yOung men and
women-for this was a country
school, and in the winter. She had
come to look for trouble in that
quarter. Every day some fresh ag-
gravation, some new infringement
of the rules and ofi'ense against the
discipline, made it hard work for
her, a girl of eighteen, to maintain
her authority over forty turbulent
spirits, constantly melted 10 insub-
ordination by their acknowledged
leader. Scott Goldrick.
He sat there, at the further end OF
the bench, quite in the corner, a good
looking Young nan Of twenty, with
curly chestnut hair, aud mutinous
curve of the lip, with head bent low
over his slate, and fingers busy IN
figuring out some difficult problem
in arithmetic. But Miss Burnett
was not deceived by the apparently
studious air. And there was an I'M
dertone of determination in her
voice as she said, looking quietly
over the forty faces before her.
E'Theso interruptions must come
to an end at once. There is a point
where forbearance ceases 10 be a
virtue, and / think il has passed.
From this point shall enforce every
rule of the school. The penalty for
the next interruption of this kind
will be twelve strokes of the ruler"
carelessly balancing the slip of cher
ry wood in her hand. -t
The clear bright face in the corner
] MAN aklLEu lOA n AAAl val
| hazel ewes looked steadily into Miss
Burnett's blue eyes; only for a mo-
ment, the space of a breath; then
! the head went on Sgain steadily with
1 that endless maze of figures, and
Miss Burnett went on with her
work.
Hard work il was, especially hard
work to-day. All day long the vivid
scarlet had burned in her cheeks,
making her passing lovely, while
her temples thTObbed with paiu, and
one of the children, feeling her fe-
verish touch, wondered "what made
Miss Burnett's hand so hot" She
must not give up though. There
was too much depending on her for
that. a helpless mother and two
little sisters, hardly more than ba-
bies vet, all dependent for the bread
they ate upon the overworked young
teacher. Truly failure here would
be her disaster.
But she must not fail, Would
these interminable lessons never
cease? She wanted to go home and
rest.
Two hours of .tolerable quiet and
order and the days work was near
Iy ended. when in the midst Of the
| last recitation came that interrupt
ing whisper, plainly heard all over
the room
For an instant Olive BuFnetts
/ heart failed her. Could she muster
courage enough to feruie Scott
Goldrick, the oldest and largest boy
| i'm the school, a man grown! The
| thought came at once that il was un-
manly for him to try her so. But
| right or wrong, her word was passed
and must be kept; her authority was
assailed, and must be maintained
now or lost altogether. To fa'ter
| now was to give up all. So calling
uD all her nerve, though her head
tbrobbed crafty, she closed the
/ book quietly and dismissed the class,
and faced the school as she said:
The scholar who whispered that
! last time will please step forward" 4"
There was a dead silence for an
instant: then Scott Goldriek left his
| seat and walked up TO where the
vouug teacher stood. 10 boyish
! mischief was in his manner now, no
mOcking Difference, Eo shade OF de-
! fiauce, but. instead, a quiet manli-
I ness LluL " aA1 AA4A W AAAe-AA
| anv bravadO would have been.
! @You can understand, Mr.. Gold
rick, that this is not pleasant duty
! TO me-" her voice steady, but lower
than usual, so low that some who
were listening did not catch the
word at all.
s'You can understand that IL is not
pleasant for me TO do this, but my
rules must be respected
For an answer he bowed and held
out his hand. They were counted
out faithfully-twelve strOkes-nO
more. no less. Did he know how
every one hurt her? Perhaps he
did, for his eyes were on her face all
! the while, and when the last one was
/ given, he walked back to his scat, a
little graver than before, that was
all. And the rest OF the scholars
looked on in amazement. They had
expected hard words aud open def
ilnce from the first. This new gen.
tleness was not fear: they knew that
/ well. Fear and Scott GOldrick' {
name never went together. If il
was voluntarily submission to dis
cipline, why they might as well all
yield, too.
Miss Burnett heard him talking
TO some of the older scholars outside
the door after the roll was called
and the school dismissed. "What
resist a school lady? Eou'll never
see me do that. Besides, | deserve
the feruling for breaking the rules
didn't mean to interrupt the las
time, though. I'm going away to
morrow TO my uncle's counting
house in C-' Then the dool
closed. and Miss Burnett heard nC
more.
"Going away!' she said the word
over and over to herself, sitting
there with her head laid down OF
the table before her, Going awav,'
What would she do missing day b,
day he bright face in the corner, anC
the voice that in spite Of aggraya
tions without number, was still thi
lpleasauest voice in the world 3.
heri What should she do:
The great pile OF cOpy-boOks ther,
on the table were still untouched
when, half an hour later some on,
opened the door and came in-som,
one whose step she knew so WELL
/ Scott Goldrick had come back fol
his books and slate. But she die
not Eft her head He stood beror,
her presently with the books on hi
arm and his hat in his hand
Il am going away, Miss Burnett
to stay. VIII you bid me good-bv?'
Still she did not look up or speak
lie persisted gently.
..lIave I offended YOU bevond aI
hope of forgiveness
She gave him her Hand at that.
NO, but-'
But You are sick, Miss Burnetf?'
a. hc saw in her face plainly. "YoI
are really sick. What can do foI
! you:"
She tried TO smile.