Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-29


now and then to trim, and lots of little
knickknacks in worsted-work to be
made"
Nov, aunty," said Mime "a buffalo
would be less clumsy at trimming a
bonnet than would, and as for wolsted-
work"
I" I suppose So" said, for could see
she was determined to teach.
The next morning she went to school,
and for a month or so every thing went
right, and / didn't hear a word CT COM
plant from her. She made fun enough
of the schOol-master. and said he didn't
know how to manage the boys, and
made himself more trouble than was
necessary; that a coaxing word of hers
went farther than a dozen slashes with
that rod of his; but every one had their
own way, and it was none of her bust
ness. She was getting along splendidly
and the smaller children were quite de-
lighted with way she had of picturing
out things on the blackboard. Mime
was quite ready with her pencil, and
had made us laugh, Sam Riley and me,
many time by scraWling off funny
conceits on paper. Sam Riley began to
drop in at night, and [ noticed he was
quite taken with Mime. Sam was well
to do, and, outside of his line of stages,
owned a fine house down on the main
road. Sam didn't mind being hit off
himself once liz while-him and his
horses and passengers and all; he used
to sit back in his chair and laugh till the
tears rolled down his cheeks, and look
over at me, winking and blinking, and
whispering, under his breath, what q
wonderful woman she was.
"She's as fresh and handsome as a
rose" he would say when Mime was out
of the room; land what health she's
got, and what spirits"
[ could see how things were going
Dear! dear! [ used to sit and picture it
all out to myself, and think how nice it
would be to have Mime settled near me
for life So when she came home one
afternoon from school, with a bright
spot burning on either cheek, an angry
flame in her eyes, and said to me that
war had begun between her and Mr.
Steele, [ didn't SO much mind, for |
thought the sooner she got discouraged
the better Sam was we'll on to thirty,
and though Mines skin made her look
younger than she was, there wasn't SO
much difference as you'd think between
their ages.
Hes forbidden my illustrations on
the blackboard, aunty," said Mime );
and though | didn't know one bit Of
board from another, / could see by the
way she felt about it that it was great
spite to Mime He calls them PERM
cious and exciting to the imagination,
injurious to more practical require
ments," said Jemima. And | couldn't
every word of the school-master's was
as long as the moral law, but [ could
tell twas some imposition of his Hes
a narrow-minded idiot, and [ shall tell
him so if he persists in this notion, F." said
Mime.
"If he persists" [ said, you'd better
give itup. He's so set in his way, there's
no use crossing him"
Il won't let him cross me-" said Mime,
and she didn't. She went on with her
pictures on the blackboard for full
week or more, till one night there was a
rap at the sitting room door, and it gave
me quite a turn to see the long bony
figure Of the school-master standing on
the threshold.
Mime started up, a hot color leaping
into her face, and stood there confront
ing him like a young Jezebel
The man looked pale enough himself
sinking into the chair [ set for him as if
he was quite worn and spent like, and
he seemed beat out in some way for
though he fixed his eyes savagely on
Mime, there was something in 'em that
looked tired and hunted.
Il have come here to demonstrate
with your niece, madam" he said to
me, though I've found it of very little
use and profit heretofore but however
capable and efficient she may be, and
however judicious it may seem to retain
her services, her spirit of insubordina-
ton is too dangerous an example to the
naturally rebellious and headstrong tenn
permanent of youth. She must confne
herself strictly to the rules that govern
the method Of instruction. The trus-
tees"
Don't put it on the trustees" broke
in Mime and [ was glad she took it
upon herself to answer him, for couldn t
make out head or tail of what he was
saying, what with his long words and
the fuster [ was In. "The trustees are
mere lay figures for you to dress your
petty schemes Of conceit and tyranny
upon
He waved his hand impatiently, and
went on: I" 1t is the will of the trustees
that you shall put aside the puerile and
reprehensible course you have taken in
exciting the imagination and creating
frivolous and mischievous emotions.
The pursuits of my own class have
been interrupted, their attention dis
tracted-"
why don't your class mind their
own business % said Mime "Why do
you look at me, or listen to me, or
bother me at all? 1t is not your class
that is disturbed, Mr.. Steele, it is you"
The schoolmasters face suddenly red
dened, then grew paler than before he
wiped the perspiration from his long
high forehead, and his bony fingers act
ually trembled on his knees I don't
wonder he was mad, for Mime went on
in the most outrageous way. Her spunk
was up, and she wasn't a bit afraid of