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

bled on his knees. 1 don't wonder he
was mad, for Mime went on In the most
outrageous way Her spunk was up,
and she wasn't bit afraid of him.
"You cant bear to see knowledge
made easy and pleasant" she said.
"You'd like to knock every new idea
into the brain with sledge-hammer
YOU hate to look over at the children
and me, and see us making light OF our
task-it's gall and NORWOOD to Won, Mr..
Steele"
Hush, Mime |" / said, for 1 could
see that he was getting more and more
excited, and didn't know but what he'd
fling the lamp ather head, or something.
But he mastered himself, and up he got
and went away without another word;
and pretty soon Sam Riley came in.
/ thought we'd have nice evening,
for Mime was in high feather; and sit
ting down to the table she caught up
pencil and made the schoolmaster take
every ridiculous shape that she could.
Her eyes shone and her cheeks glowed,
and / didn't wonder Sam couldn't take
his eyes off her face.
"Say the word, Mime," said Sam,
"and I'll punch the idiots head.
"Who are you calling an idiot p said
Mime, turning straight upon Sam. Ii
you had the hundredth part OF his in
telligence, you might be glad"
81 thought you called him so your
SELF" said Sam, meekly, for he was
head-over-ear in love with the young
termagant.
"lf did," said Mime, " it was alb
surd, and I'll never do it again. No,
Sam, I'll beat him with his own weap-
ons. I'll go to the trustees myself. If
he can wheedle and coax them, so can L;
and, if he can bully them, perhaps can
do that too"
"You can do anything" said poor
Sam.
And soon after that Mime said she was
tired and sleepy, and sent Sam of, as
cool as you please. Then she got upon
her feet and walked about the floor, and
/ could see she was terribly put out and
excited by the schoolmaster' visit.
you'll wear yourself out for moth
ing" / said, for it vexed me to see her
all in fret that way from pure spite.
"He'll break your health and spirits like
he did with that poor little body that
was here before you"
81 don't believe all those stories about
that woman, aunty. I've found out she
had heavier troubles than those put
upon her by the schoolmaster You
mustn't believe all that you hear"
That was the way with Mime-she was
that contrary when she was vexed that
she'd swear black was white, and take
the part of the Evil One himself.
She began from that time out to fight
hard for her own way, and it got to be
pretty well known that she was winning
over the trustees. The children never
liked anybody as they did Mime, and
little Bill Pritchard that used to play
truant half the time, and would rather
take beating any day than be pent up
in school, went there as regular as clock
work now, and began to mark out horses
and dogs with a stump of pencil him.
self; and Mr.. Pritchard he was one Of
the trustees, and he thought the world
and all of my niece Jemima.
But somehow or other, just as l said,
the continual worriment of it fretted
Mime, and she got thin, and lost her
pretty color; and the night she came
| home and said she had got the best of
the schoolmaster, and the notice had
been served on him that day that he was
to let her have her own way of teaching,
that night / made up my mind that it
was about time that it was settled in
some way, for Mime was more fidgety
and contrary than ever; and / don't be-
lieve everything would have turned out
as it did if Mime had been in her sober
senses. The girl was about half wild,
and / don't believe she knew what she
was about; for it stands to reason that
she must have hated the schoolmaster,
and yet when 1 began to glory over his
defeat, and say how glad Sam Riley
would be, she shut me up in minute.
"Sam Riley and Mr.. Steele" she said,
care two very different men,"
81 should hope So" 1 said.
"Sam is made of a different stuff, I"
she went on to say. 1.-THE little pricks
and torments that sting the soul of Mr..
Steele to madness would be utterly I'M
felt by Sam. Sam is good fellow"
"Thank you for Sam" L said, for she
was enough to provoke saint.
But he has not the capacity for suf-
fering that Mr.. Steele has; and oh,
aunty, he does suffer
serve MIN rlBnt, lne monster, l.
said and had scarce got the words out
of my mouth when there was rap at
the door. | went over, thinking it was
Sam Riley, when there was the thin,
gaunt face of the schoolmaster again.
He came in and bowed as grave as an
owl, and sat down on chair by the door;
his cane rolled down beside him on the
floor, and for full minute or so he
couldn't find word out of that long die
tionary in his head.
L was glad to see that Mines spunk
came back at the sight of him. Her
eyes were as bright as they could be,
and her cheeks like the heart of holly
hook.
my errand here, Miss Jemima," he
began, is altogether friendly one
You have so much spirit and determine
ton that / think your present subordi-
nate position is unfit for you. know
of one that will be shortly vacant, which
You can fill with great credit to yourself
and all concerned"
I'm much obliged to YOU" said
Mime her Inns bepinninO to onrI o,J