The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-09-08

| suppose so, l said, for l could see
she was determined to teach.
The next morning she went to school,
and for month or so everything went
right, and | didn't hear word of 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
way, and it was none of her business.
She was getting along splendidly, and
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 | noticed he was quite taken
with Mime. Sam was well to do, and,
outside Mis- line of stages, owned fine
house down on the main road. Sam
did't mind being hit of 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 a
rose" he would say when Mime was out
of the room; and whatheal she's got,
and what spiritsp
could see how things were going.
Dear dearl 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 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 | didn't know one bit of
board from another, l could see by the
way she felt about it that it was great
spite to Mime. "He called them ner-
nicious and exciting to the Imagination,
and injurious to more practical acquire
ments," said Jemima. and | 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 l shall tell
him so if he persists in this notion" said
Mime.
"If he persists" | said, "you'd bet
ter give it up. He's so set in his way,
there's no use crossing him."
81 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
rap at the sitting-room door, and it gave
me quite turn TO see the long bony
figure of the school-master standing on
the threshold.
Mime started up, 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.
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 capa-
bic and efficient she may be, and however
judicious it may seem to retain her serv-
ices, her spirit of insubordination is too
dangerous an example to the naturally
rebellious and headstrong temperament
of youth. She must confine herself
strictly to the rules that govern the
method of instruction. The trustees
"Dont 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, with his long words and
the huster / 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: g 1t is the will of the trustees
that you shall put aside the puerile and
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
with me at all ? 1t is not your class that
is disturbed, Mr.. Steele, it is YOU" The
schOol-master's face suddenly Redeemed,
then grew paler than before; he wiped
the perspiration from his long high fore
head, and his bony fingers actually
trembled on his knees. l 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 can't bear to see knowledge
made easy and pleasant" she said.
You'd like to knock every new idea
into the brain with a sledge-h hammer
you have to look over at the children
and me, and see us making light of our
task-it's gall and NORWOOD to you,
Mr. Steele"
Hush, MimeW | said, forI could see
that he was getting more and more ex-
cited, and / didn't know but what he'd
fling the lamp at her 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
a pencil and made the school-master
take every ridiculous shape that she
could. Her ewes shone and her cheeks