Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-29
A QUEER COURTSHIP.

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 a word one
way or the other about Mr.. Steele, for
what did it matter to them whether he
was 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
as [ 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 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 school-master, 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 hun, do what she
might, and it was running her nerves to
see him beat the boys in the way that
he did. She was sure he'd break some
of their bones. Itried to cheer her as
best | could, telling her that boys bones
were tough, and the little rascals deserv-
ed 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 worse 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 it
as his opinion that Mr.. Steele was no
better than blackhearted tyrant
Sam is 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
pihed 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 cricket [ was
powerful glad to see the child, but dread
fully mortified to find her tucked in
there with the driver / told Sam pref
ty sharply that he ought to know better,
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; land willful woman must have
her way
why, its 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 u.s."
"A schoolmarm ?" | 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 as soon as my letter was
read at home, for she couldn't get along
at the school there.
1t would take a saint to put up with
their airs and their interference, and
you know | like to have my own way
said my niece Jemima.
Yes" 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-haired people &C
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 eyes a 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 TIL
the skin fairly dropped off her bones.
'Pooh! poohr' said my niece; " the
skin won't drop off nay.bones, aunty."
And l couldn't help thinking what a
pity it would be if it did, for whittier and
finer and wholesomer skin never did
see 1t was the kind that so often comes
with red hair, and a lovelier color never
was IN a blossom than bloomed in Mines
cheek when she cried out,
I've 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 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 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.