Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-30
A QUEER COURTSHR.


You know how it Is in letter began
the little shop-keeper, rubbing her thin
hands together helplessly). [ 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 [ didn't say word one
way or the other about Mr. Steele, for
what did it matter to them whether he
was Il 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
rs [ did to have the chamber idle again,
and nobody about the house but myself,
though she was poor company at the
best, being sickly 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 wick
edness 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 III the way that
he did. She was sure he'd break some
of their bones. | tried to cheer her as
best | could telling her that boys bones
were tough, and the little rascals deserv-
cd to be paid up for some of their devil
try. After an hour or two she'd come
around again and be comfortable, but,
Ia me! what was the use? The next
day, perhaps, she'd be wOrs: than ever,
and the creatures health began to fail
SO, | was glad when she gave up and
went away. She was very doWnhearted,
sam Riley. the stage-driver said, all the
way down to the train, and he gave ii
us his opinion that Mr.. Steele was no
better than blackhearted tyrant
SAINTS 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 | wanted
him to get some little things for me at
Pikeville, and while [ was making out
the memorandum, Sam told me how he
pitled whatever poor body was to take
that poor creatures place.
You can just fancy how [ felt when
Sam drove up to the door that night,
and | went out to get the package, to
see brother Joshua's daughter Jemima
on the seat with Sam, chatting and laugh
ing away as merry as Il cricket. | was
powerful glad to see the child, but dread
fully mortified to find her tucked in
there with the driver l told Sam pref
fiat I,o O,,ol,t TO Ir,,O,,- lotto,
for there was plenty of room inside, and
| didn't know what the boarders over
the way would think of it.
She was bound to ride outside" said
Sam; and willful woman must have
her way"
Why, lis all the fashion up our way"
said Mime. "The summer boarders
swarm all over the tops of the coaches
like so many lovely bees; but if it hurts
any body's feelings, I'm sorry Aschool-
marin must mind her p's and qs"
A schoOl-marm ?" | 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 rs soon as my letter was
read at homo, for she couldn't get along
at the school there.
1t 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" i said, for had known MINES
temper from child. Any body could
see from her hair how fiery she was;
but the dear child was just as the good
Lord had seen fit to make her, and [, for
one, never hold red-haircd people ac-
countable for freaks of temper.
Only you can see how ridiculous it
seemed to me for her to teach under
Mr. Steele. "Out of the frying-pan into
the fire, Mime" | said "The school
master has it all his own way here, and
he's little better than brute. I've seen
under my own ewes Il WOman'S heart al
most broken with him." Then | went
on to tell how he'd tormented that poor
widow woman into giving mp the place,
and how I'd seen her worry and fret till
the skin fairly dropped off her bones.
Poohl pooh!' said my niece; the
skin won't drop off nly bones, aunty."
And | couldn't help thinking what a
pity ii would be if it did, for winter and
finer and wholesomer skin | never did
see. 1t was the kind that so often comes
with red hair, and loveher color never
was in 4 blossom than bloomed in Mines
cheek when she cried out,
Tive got to fight it out somewhere,
aunty; let him mind his own business,
and I'll mind mine"
My heart fairly warmed TO the girl as
she sat opposite me at the table, crunch
ing slice after slice of toast between her
white teeth, and devouring the dainties
one by one. The little widow had been
so finicky, and | had such Il poor appe-
tite myself, that things came and went
upon the table, and were warmed up
and fused over till body got tired of
seeing them. Then she was my own
flesh and blood, and had the Schoon-
maker rose, a little high with Mime, and
freckled over the bridge bit, but she
was Il bonny, blithe, fresh-looking crea-
ture, so different from the wretched lit
tie woman that had just gone away.
| couldn't bear the thoughts of her
spirits and health being broken by that
dreadful Mr.. Steele.
III tell YOU, Mime" | said, as she
dried the dishes for me, "what We'll do.
You shall stay at home with me and
help about the shop; there's bonnets
now and then to trim, and lots of little
knickknacks in worsted-work to be
made"
Now, aunty." said Mime, "a buffalo
would be less clumsy at trimming a
bonnet than | would, and as for worsted-
work."
Il suppose So" said, for l could see
she was determined to teach.
The next morning she went to school,