The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-07-13
WHAT BECOMES OF THEM?
READ BY MISS NORA JONES, AT THE COM
MENCEMENT OF THE STATE NORMAL

READ BY MISS NORA JONES, AT THE CON
MENCEMENT OF THE STATE NORMAL
SCHOOL.
What becomes of them? do not mea,
the pins, tho what becomes of them, is on,
OF the puzzles Lord Dundreary though
no fellow could ever find out.
1mean the teachers, especially the young
lady teachers.
In this State of Maryland, five hundred
women annually enlist in the ranks Of
teachers, and throughout the country every
year, more than 100, 900 girls rise from the
footstool of girlhood to sway the sceptre OF
teacherhood.
What becomes of them all? But a very
small proportion of them continue to teach.
In the lapse of time as new teachers
take their places, something must become
of the old ones. They are not annihilated
they are too substantial for that, although
you occasionally see some attenuated spec
linens, who look as if strong wind might
bear them along IN it's arms and lodge
them-anywhere out of the way.
But as this sort always manages to cling
to fence or lamp post when the wind
blows, we are sure they are not blown
away.
So what becomes of them?
In a little school-room on the suburbs of
Chill Town, in the District of Marsh Hol-
low, sits a teacher, (of any age you like,
and just behind the straightforward chair
in which she sits is window with three
panes out, the vacuum which nature abhors
being filled with boys hats and girls
aprons.
The chinks in the walls and holes in the
floor, admit frogs and snakes in summer
and purifying rain and ventilating breezes
in Winter.
The Commissioner for that District
comes in-promises to repair the building
goes away and forgets all about it.
Every child in school has a cough, but
youth is on the side of the children, and
they survive. The Teacher has first neur.
algia, then sore-throat, next pneumonia,
and lastly falls into general decline, gives
up her school and disappears.
There is one way our teachers so.
l see before me another picture. A
young girl on the threshold of womanhsod,
whose sunshiny face, radiant with health
and beautiful with the purity of innocence,
proclaimiIg that to her as yet sickness is
stranger. Her every movement displays
activity Of mind and graceful energy of
body, showing that in her case quinine,
calisaya bark, wine bitters, Ayers ague
mixture. and all similar mixtures might be
thrown where Macbeth wanted his physic to
be sent.
She looks out, and seeing the rain pour
ing in torrents, she remembers she must
set out on her daily duties. So starting
with gum boots, and stout umbrella, she
manfully, Tor rather scomanfully, for man
would light his pipe, and wait for clear
weather. wades along to school.
She finds that there is no fire, that all
the wood is wet. Only half the children
are present, and all of them in bad humor
and looking as if they had been tioated
ashore, and into the school room, by some |
friendly river.
In the course of time, they raise great |
deal Of smoke and very small fire. All !
gather round the stove, except the teacher,
who practices decorum, mounts her chair
of state, and shiveriug in her half-dried
garments, puts through the six hours of
labor which the law requires.
Next day she feels as if some evil genius
had packed her in ice, and was endeav-
oring to get up a patent for perpetual
motion. She shakes until all her teeth
are loose, her very ehignon would drop
to the floor but for the aid of few
faithful hairpins,-but still she shakes on.
Grimly grasping the book she hears her
scholars recite, shaking all the while. She
.ries glass of water, and finds herself
colder, and more shaky than before.
She has had lesson in Geography; she
Knows what an earthquake is, she knows it
S one large trem6le, while chill is series
If small ones.
In three or four hours, she becomes a
title warmer, and at length, seems trans
ported from January in the Frigid to mid
ummer in the Torrid.
Her cheeks flush, the blood that seemed
ongealed before, now leaps throbbing .
Trough her veins, and her head feels as if
ono dozen blacksmiths were trying to win
prize with their siedgs hammers, on the
op of her brain.
By dint of quinine and cologogue, she II
artly RECEIVERS her health, but her strength i,
nd good looks are gone forever, and when r
er term is up, she retires from the contest
er movements being accelerated by the
that the same rain storm that ,
isabled her laid up one third of her schol-
RS. and for every absentee dollar was {
educted from the salary she expected to
eceive.
Then there's another cause of disappear
nee. blush to confess it, but alas!
uman nature is weak, and easily tempted.
Notwithstanding the circumstances of ~
others and warnings of grandmothers- S
osing her ears to all voices from matri- n
onial squabbleG, casting aside all G.
loughts of Woman's Rights, and her
,ances for the next Presidency, she DELHI -
'atly gives herself with all her roads ,nd | r,