The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-08-31
A QUEER COURTSHIP.

You know how it is in n letter (began
the little hop-keeper, rubbing her thin
hands together helplessly). l 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. l didn't soy 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 good deal of ex-
pense in fitting up the room, and didn't
mind her board money so much as | did
TO have the chamber idle again, and no.
body about the house but myself, though
she was poor company at the best, being
sicky in constitution and low in spirits
the most of the time, and after a while
nearly driven crazy by the continual
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 eternal 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 he'd break some of their bones.
L tried to cheer her as best could, tell
ing 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 he comfortable, but, la me what
was the use? The next day, perhaps,
she'd be worse than ever, and the
creatures health began to fail so, / 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 opinion
that Mr. Steele was no better than a black
hearted tyrant.
Sam is such 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 it over. L wanted
him TO get some little things for me at
Pikeviile, and, while / was making out
the memorandum, Sam told me how he
pitied whatever poor body was to take
that poor creatures place.
You can Just fancy how ] felt when
Sam drove up 10 the door that night, and
/ went out 20 get the package, to see
brother Joshuas daughter Jemima on
the seat with Sam, chatting and laughing
away as merry as cricket. / was pow
erfui glad to see the child, but dread
fully mortified to find her tucked in
there with the driver. / told Sam pretty
sharply that he ought to know better, for
there was plenty of room inside, and ]
4. l. Il.
way would think of it.
"She was bound to ride outside, " said
Sam: 81 and a willful woman must have
her way"
why, it's all the fashion up our
-vay." said Mime. "The summer board
,ers swarm all over the tops of the coaches
like so many lively bees; but if it hurts
anybody's feelings I'm sorry. A school
marin must mind her p's and a
"a schoolmarm ?" | said, wondering
what the child meant Then she told
me she'd come out to take that poor little
woman's place; that she'd written to Mr..
Steele as soon as my letter was read at
home. for she couldn't get along at the
school there.
cit would take saint to put up with
their airs and their interference, and you
know like to have my own way" said
my niece Jemima.
:" Yes" said, tor l had known Mime
temper from child. Anybody could
see from her hair how fiery she was; but
the dear child was just as the good Lord
had seen tit to make her, and |, for one,
never hold red-haired people accountable
.for freaks of temper. -,
Only you can see how ridiculous 1t
seemed TO me for her to teach under Mr..
Steele. "Out of the frying-pan into the
Gre, Mime, said. "The schoolmaster
has it all his own way here, and he's
little better than a brute. I've seen un-
der my own eyes woman's heart almost
broken with him" Then / went on to
teIl how he'd tormented that poor widow
into giving up the place, ana how Ia
seen her worry and fret till the skin fairly
dropped off her bones.
I" Pooh pooh r. said my niece; the
okin won't crop off Diy bones. aunty.
And couldn't help thinking what