The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-08

and blood, and had the Schoonmaker
nose, a little high with Mime, and freckled
! over the bridge bit, but she was a
bonny, blithe, freshlooking creature, so
different from the wretched little woman
that had just gone away.
couldn't bear the thought of her
spirits and health being broken by that
dreadful Mr.. Steele.
"I'll 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 knicknacks
in worstedwork to be made"
Now, aunty," said Mime, =" a buffalo
would be less clumsy at trimming bon
net than l would, and as for worsted-
work"
Il suppose So" said, for could see
that she was determined to teach.
The next morning she went to school,
and for a 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 dozen slashes with that rod of his;
but every one had their own way, and it
was none of her business. She was get
ting along splendidly, and the smaller
children were quite delighted with the
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 time by
scrawling off funny conceits on paper.
Sam Riley began to drop in at nights, and
noticed that he was quite taken with
Mime. Sam was well to do, and, out
side of his line of stages, owned fine
house down on the main road. Sam
didn't mind being hit off himself once in
a while-him and his horses and passen-
gers and all; he used to sit back in his
chair and laugh till the tears rolled down
his cheeks, and look over at me, winking
and blinking, and whispering, under his
breath, what wonderful woman she was.
"She's as fresh and handsome as
rose," he would say when Mime was out
of the room; and what health she's got,
and what spirits~
l could see how things were going.
Dear! dear! used to sit and picture it
all cut 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 be-
gun between her and Mr.. Steele, didn't
SO much mind, for / thought the sooner
she got discouraged the better. Sam
was well on to thirty, and, though Mines
skin made her look younger than she
was, there wasn't as 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 great spite to
Mime. "He calls them pernicious and
exciting to the imagination, and injuri-
GUS to more practical requirements, said
Jemima. And couldn't quite get the
hang of his objections, for every word
of the school-masters was as long as the
moral law, but could tell it was some
imposition of his. Hes a narrow-mind.
ed idiot, and shall tell him so if he per-
sists in this notion" said Mime.
:" If he persists" said, YOU'D better
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 a
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 stoed 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.
81 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; buthowever capable
and efficient she may be, and however
judicious it may seem to retain her serv-
ices, her spirit of INSTRUMENTATION is too
dangerous an example to the naturally
rebellious and headstrong temperament
of youth. She must confne herself strict
ly to the rules that govern the method of
instruction. The trustees-"
Don't put it on the trustees broke
in Mime; and / was glad she took it up.
on herself to answer him, for couldn't
make out head or tail OF what he was
saying, what with his long words and
the fluster was in. 1.-THE trustees are
mere lay figures for you to dress your
petty schemes of conceit and tyranny up
on"
He waved his hand impatiently and
went on: 1T is the will of the trustees
that you put aside the puerile aud repre-
hensible course you have taken in excit-
ing the imagination and creating frivo-
lous and mischievous emotions. The
pursuits Of my own class have been in
terrupted, their attention distracted"
Why don't your class mind their own
business?" said Mime. "Why do you
look at me, or listen to me, or bot II
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 honv fin rers actuallu tram