The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-09-06
A QUEER COURTSHIP.

You know how it is in letter (began
the little shop-keeper, rubbing her thin
hands together helplessly). was writ
ing to brother Joshua away down East,
hundreds of miles from here, and hap
pened to tell him, among other things,
that the widow lady that helped teach
school here, and boarded with me, was
going away. didn't say a word one
way or the other about Mr. Steele, for
what did it matter to them whether he
was tyrant or not? only wanted to
tell them I'd been at a good deal of ex-
pense in fitting up the room, and did
not mind her board money so much as
l did to have the chamber idle again,
and nobody about the house but myself,
though she was poor company at the
best, being sickly in constitution and
low in spirits the most of the time, and
after a while nearly driven crazy by the
continued badgering and pickering of
Mr.. Steele. She used to come home at
night that worn out, what with the
wickedness of the children and the eter-
nal nagging of the schoolmaster, that
I've seen her put her head down on the
table and cry fit to break her heart. She
said she couldn't please him, do what
she might, and it was running her nerves
to see him beat the boys in the way that
he did. She was sure that he'd
break some of their bones. l
tried to cheer her as best l
could, telling her that boys bones were
tough, and the little rascals deserved TO
be paid up for some of their deviltry.
After an hour or two she'd come around
again and be comfortable, but, la me I!
what was the use? The next day, per-
haps, she'd be worse than ever, and the
creatures health began to fail so, l was
glad when she gave up and went away.
She was very down-hearted, Sam Riley,
the stage-driver, said, all the way down
to the train, and he gave it as his opin-
ion that Mr.. Steele was no better than a
black-hearted tyrant.
Sam is such a good-natured fellow
that it quite wore upon his mind, and he
stopped bit with me on his way to the
evening train to talk il nlyr. . wanted
him to get some little things for me at
Pikeville, and while | was making out
the memorandum, Sam told me how he
pitied whatever poor body was to take
that poor creatures place. .,--. q.
You can just fancy how felt wher
Sam drove up TO the door that night
and went out to get the package, to
see brother Joshua's daughter Jemima
on the seat with Sam, chatting and
laughing away as merry as a criket.
was powerful glad to see the child, but
dreadfully mortified to find her tucked
in there with the driver. l told San
pretty sharply that he ought to know
better, for there was plenty of room in
side, and didn't know what the board
ers over the way would think of it.
She was bound TO ride outside, >
said Sam; sand willful woman mus
have her way.'' - -.- .
"Why, it's all the fashion up oul
way" said Mime. The summer
boarders swarm all over the tops of tn,
coaches like so many lovely bees; bu
if it hurts any body's feelings, I'm sor
nv. A school-marm must mind her p'
and. q's.o r---- we. a- ZIP
GA school-marm? '' said, wonderins
what the child meant. Then she toll,
me she'd come out to take that poor lit
tie woman's place; that she'd written 4
Mr.. Steele as soon as my letter was rear
at home, for she couldn't get along a
the school there.
/" 1t would take saintto put up wit
their airs and their interference, an
YOU know 1 like to have my OWE way,
said my niece Jemima.
YES" | said, for | had know
MINES temper from child. Any bod
could see from her hair how fiery sh
was; but the dear child was just as th
good Lord had seen fit to make her, an
l, for one, never hold red-haired peopl
accountable for freaks of temper.
Only you can see how ridiculous
seemed to me for her to teach under Nj
steele. "out of the frying-pan into tn
lire, Mime,' l said. ''The school-maste
has it all his own way here, and he
little better than brute. I've seen III
der my own eyes a woman's heart a
most broken with him. y Their Iwer
on totell how he'd tormented that poo
widow woman into giving up the plac,