The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-30

EAe was gtlting along spleHululV, anu
the smaller children were quite delighted
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
a time by scrawling offfunny conceits on
paper. Sam Riley began to drop in at
night, and l noticed he was quite taken
with Mime. Sam was well to do, and,
outside his line of stages, owned a fine
house down on the main road. Sam
did't mind being hit off himself once in
a while-him and his horses and all; he
used to sit back in his chair and laugh
till the tears rolled down his cheek, and
look over at me winking and blinking,
and whispering, under his breath, what a
wonderful woman she was.
"She's as fresh and handsome as
rose," he would say when Mime was out
of the room; 4" and whathealth she's got,
and what spiritsp'
l could see how things were going.
Dear! dear! l 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 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 much mind, for l thought
the sooner she got discouraged the better.
Sam was well 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.
He's forbidden my illustrations on
the blackboard. aunty," said Mime !;
and though L didn't know one bit of
board from another, could see by the
way she felt about it that it was a great
spite to Mime. "He called them per-
nicious and exciting to the imagination,
and injurious to more practical acquire
ments," said Jemima. And l couldn't
quite get the hang of his objections, for
| every word of the school-master's was as
long as the moral law, but could tell it
was some imposition of his. He's a
narrow-minded idiot, and I shall tell
him so if he persists in this notion" said
| Mime.
elf he persists" 1 said, "you'd bet
ter give it up. He's SO set in his way,
there's no use crossing him."
I" / won't let him cross me-" said Mime,
and she didn't. She went on with her
pictures on the blackboard for a 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 young Jezebel.
The man looked pale enough himself
sinking into the chair | set for him as il
he was quite worn and spent like, and he
seemed beat out in some way; fol
though he fixed his eyes savagely OF
Mime, there was something in 'em thai
looked tired and hunted.
81 have come here to demonstrate
! with your niece, madam" he said to me
"though I've found it of very little US
and profit heretofore but however capa
, BILE and efficient she may be, and howeve
judicious it may seem to retain her serv
ices, her spirit of insubordination is to-
dangerous an example to the naturall,
!. rebellious and headstrong Temperament
of youth. She must confine hersel
strictly to the rules that govern tn
method of instruction. The trustees
y "Dont put it on the trustees" brok
in Mime; and | was glad she took
: upon herself to answer him, for
u couldn't make out head or tail of wha
y y he was saying, with his long words an
II the huster / was in. "The trustees ar
{ mere lay figures for you to dress you
e petty schemes of conceit and tyrann
upon"
n y He waved his hand impatiently, an
u went on: " 1t is the will of the trustee
e that you shall put aside the puerile an
II and reprehensible course you have take
l. in exciting the imagination and creatin
Is frivolous and mischievous emotion
u The pursuits of my own class have bee
j interrupted, their attention di
y tracted-"
e "Why don't your class mind the
- own business ?' said Mime. "Why
y y you look at me, or listen to me, or bottle
IN with me at all /? 1t is not your class tn;
a is disturbed, Mr.. Steele, it is you" tt
~ ~ school-master's face suddenly reddene
'o then grew paler than before he wipe
- the perspiration from his long high for
- - head, and his bony fingers actual
% trembled on his knees. I don't wond
if he was mad, for Mime went on in Il
A most outrageous way. Her spunk w
- up, and she wasn't bit afraid of him.
o. You can't bear to see knowled
IS made easy and pleasant" she sal
i io " You'd like to knock every new i'd
~ ~ into the brain with a sledge-hamme
" you have to look over at the childr
~ ~ and me, and see us making light of o
az task-it's gall and wormwood to yo
Al, Mr.. Steele"
W. ", "Hush, Mimew l said, for could s
ID that he was getting more and more e
ii" cited, and didn't know but what he
o,u fling the lamp at her head, or somethiI
IL But he mastered himself, and up he g
w and went away without another wor
~ and pretty soon Sam Riley came in.
,e thought we'd have nice evenir
,le for Mime was in high feather; and S
ting down to the table, she caught
# pencil and made the school-mast
Ir. take every ridiculous shape that s
he could. Her eyes shone and her chez
as glowed, and 1 didn't wonder 81
e's couldn't take his eyes off her face.
EN- "Say the word, Mime," said Sa
al "and Pll punch the idiots head"
mt :" Who are you calling an idiot%' Sc
,or Mime, turning straight upon Sam. &C
ce. you had the hundredth part of his int
tiIl ligence, you might be glad"
thought you called him so yo
he self" said Sam, meekly, for he v
head-over-ears in love with the you
Z q termagant.
nd eff did," said Mime, twas absu
lid and Pll never do it again. No, Sam,
oes beat him with his own weapons. I'll
YER to the trustees myself. If he can whee,
e's and coax them, so can 1 and if he c
bully them, perhaps can do that to-
re. 1" You can do any thing" said p'
' ,ss Sam.
And soon after that Mime said she '
AS tired and sleepy, and sent Sam off,
ch- cool as you please. Then she got uI
her her feet and walked about the floor, a
lies l could see she was terribly put out g
cen excited by the schoolmaster's visit.
tite You'll wear yourself out for no
non ing" l said, for it vexed me to see
Ind all in fret that way from pure sp
of " He'll break your health and spi
,wn like he did with thatpoor little body t
ON was here before you"