The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-05-18
A Missouri schooIma'am.


same quaint, curious, tender-hearted
soul she once was in New England; nor
Is she at all like her fellow-cOmpatriot,
the city teacher.
Evolution BY that name Is unknown TO
the Missouri schoolma am, although she
is an earnest believer in the principle.
She Is very practical, too, in her belief.
Her present condition being only the
chrysalis state, she looks TO matrimony
~ the perfection Of existcncc--the but
terily state. Accordingly she Is impa-
tientto be butterfly married woman.
The Missouri schoolma am often wears
a semi-sentimcntal air, and sometimes
carries book in her hand, thereby Civ
ing literary impression. But If any
poetic youngster thinks 10 find in her a
chord In unison with his own gush, he
will be certainly and sadly disappointed.
She Is sensible. She is practical and
matter of fact, because IL Is her nature to
be so, and because all her life and sur
roundings have been so. too.
One might be tempted 10 question the
real strength Of affection Of this school
ma am, from her odd, earnest view Of
the tenderer side Of life: but under the
dross she is pure gold.
On the banks Of the Usage River are
more log school-houses than one. But
in not more than one did the genuine
gold shine forth as in this truthful mar
rative.
1t was the common log house with
two windows and door. II was in
summer and the MONDAY sun scorched
the grass along the roadside. The high
way was a long line Of feathery dust, so
light that a passing rider or vehicle was
like miniature comet--a small head
with an enormous tail of dust
Great cottonwood trees shaded the
school-house and the bright but not
pretty face of the schoolma am. For
when the primitive mail-coach, called
hack, came slowly down the highway,
the lady Just named was leaning out Of
her school-house window watching the
coming vehicle.
The one solitary passenger in the hack
had been watching curiously the move
ments Of the driver for some time past.
He was working hard to put on gem
teller air than was to be expected in or
binary from son Of the whip And he
succeeded very well, only there didn't
seem TO be any good reason for it.
Now, when he drove past the school
house, he made his best bow to the young
schoolma am there leaning out the win
dow. 1t was for her that all this brush
ing and polishing had been done. And,
poor fellow. had been done in vain.
Instead Of returning his bow and
smile, as was to have been expected, she
walked away from the window. II was
as plain a cut as could be.
The driver looked down and sighed;
killed gadfly on his off horses neck
with his whip, and then fell 10 whistling.
But il was sorry, discordant kind Of
whistle. There was no tune TO IL.
mister, that thar girl, the school,
ma am, j. peart rs she can be; but she's
gittin' powerful kind Of airy. You see,
she don't notice common folks any more
when they speak TO her. But, mister"
and he said It sadly. s.she's as nice girl
as thar i goin', if she has gone back on
me-
perhaps you have not been as attent-
i've to her as you ought to have been,"
suggested the passenger.
Perhaps have, mister. When Bar
NUNS show came round. didn't take
her? and when the Georgia Nigger min
strels exhibited, didn't l take her again?
And, then, lots o. times 70 parties and
common doin's? Iallowed to marry that
schoolma am onct, but hit don't look
like il now, does it''
"Why don't you 90 and see her, and
learn just what the trouble is2''
whats the good Of going TO see her
xx~l..x don off
.Oh, well, ii she don't want you, YOU
had better give her up and get another
one. There must be other school
ma'ams in this Usage country"
q But, then, | never knew nary anoth-
err one like her. And l don't reckon
thar Is another one, not in these parts;
no, sir. But, you bein' a stranger,
don't mind telling what : the matter with
that thar girl. You see. | spanked her
regular till she found II out on me that
was like most other drivers-rathcr
too fond of the rcctified. Then she
scolded, and promised would quit;
and meant To quit--short of. y
''And You broke your promise?"
:. That was when the trouble com
menced. was to blame, Of course;
but it was the boys done II. | felt 50
mean that allowed she'd never speak
to me again; but she did. And what
do YOU reckon she made me do?-but
you'd never guess it. Mister, she made
inc give myself the durn'dest cowhidin'
for gittin' tangled that time. 1t was
mighty rough, but done il like little
man, because she told me 10. And she
bought the cowhide herselfto do 1t with.
Then promised her never would get
fun again-neycr, as long as l lived.
And meant it--honeSt Ingin, II was
the boys made me do II again"
..And what did she say thcng'