Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-07-22
Stlttt Storp.
OUR SCHOLARSHIPS,
AN ENGLISH STORY.

Am a middle aged lady, living quite
by myself in the little town OF ST..
Bridgets, where ii happened, and know
the whole story from beginning to end.
and the beginning WAS this:
was paving 4 morning visit To Mrs.
Ambrose. our Wears wife. when the vicar
himself marched into the room with his
wideavake on. and said.-"Bother :"
will do him the justice to say that he
took of bis widoswake as soon as he saw
NE. and met the requirements OF the oc
casion by addressing me-
Mrs. Acton. here's bother :"
What - we exclaimed hurriedly. Tor
we saw there was something serious.
"That-that 'prig' oi an inspector
SAYS we must have a certified mistress" )"
replied the vicar; aud then he sat down.
and we all looked at each otherin sole mn
silence tor full three minutes.
A certified mistress at ST. Bridg II : I,
That meant turning out the dear old wo
man who had kept the school for the last
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, and had taught
our girls TO hem and stitch and darn so
beautifully that they got places as work
women far and wide And she had
taught both girls and boys the best man.
ners of any chi ldren in Soulhshire, and
had trained them up 10 be God fearing
men and women. besides teaching them
some reading and writing, and the first
four rules OF Arithmetic. Nearly all the
children who had stayed long enough at
the school could read easy words in
large print, and several of the clever
ones had been known TO write out the
Lords Prayer from memory, and To say
the multiplication table quite perfectly.
What could anybody want more? No
wonder Mr.. Ambrose called the in
spectCr prig. l called him something
much worse. but as my thoughts were
not put into words they need not be re.
pealed.
"Oh, dear! DEAR cred Mrs. Am
brose. as the full meaning OF the inspoc
tors decision broke upon her. "what
shall we do? Poor Mrs. Todking will
break her heart"
There was no little difficulty in secur-
ing the certified mistress.
III write to Dobson." said Mr.. Am
brOSe 10 his wife.
And he wrote 10 Mr.. DObson the next
morning as soon as he went into his
study.
Mr.. Dobson was the principal of the
great training college at Hatley, and an
old friend of the wears, so he might just
as well have written to him sooner, only
none OF Us think of all the right things TO
be done just at the right time.
IF you want mistress, offer seventy
pounds. said the principal by return post.
And the vicar did offer seventy pounds,
though where the money was 10 come
from could rot tell, and don't think he
could either.
Back came another letter from MIR.
Dobson, to say that he had a mistress
who had just finished training-a widow;
exactly the person TO suit St. Bidgets,
and she would accept the situation on
certain conditions. l dOu't know what
the conditions were, except that her
evenings were to be at her own disposal,
only | know that it seemed to me very
odd to hear of the school l-mistress making
conditions, and accepting such an enor-
NOUS salary, as if she were comforting
favor.
The vicar said it was the result of COM
petition, the supply not being equal to
the demand; but thought it might be
indirectly referred 10 strikes and unions,
though did not exactly see how; but
when there are SO many dreadful things
going on in The country, they work into
each other in a dreadful manner.
1T is a comfort that we are TO have
widow" remarked TO Mr.. Ambrose
she will be staid and respectable. and
not such responsibility as young girl"
"Oh, don't know" sighed Mrs. Am.
brose piteously; ''l think would rather
have Il young person, even if she did
wear chignons and feathers. Widows
are So"