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


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. l didn't say word one
way or the other about Mr. Steele, for
what did it matter to him whether he
was tyrant or not? I only wanted to
tell them I'd been at a 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 no.
body 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 continued
badgering and pickering of Mr.. Steele.
She used to come home at night that
worn out, what with the wickedness 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 him, 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 that he'd break some of their
bones. / tried to cheer her as best |
could, telling her that the boys bones
were tough, and the little rascals de-
served to be paid up for some of their
work. After an hour or two she'd come
around again and be comfortable, but, la
me! what was the use? The next day,
/, perhaps, she'd be worse than ever, and
the creatures health began to fail, so l
was glad when she gave up and went
away. She was very down-hearted, Sam
Riley, the stage driver, said, all the way
down to the train, and he gave it as his
.arHyon that Mr.. Steele was no better
'sshafa black-hearted tyrant.
Sam is such goodnatured fellow that
it quite wore on his mind, and he stopped
bit with me on his way to the evening
train to talk it over. l wanted him to
get some little things for me at Pike
vile, and while / was making out the
memorandum Sam told me how he pitied
whatever poor body was to take that
poor creatures place.
You can just fancy how I 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 a cricket. | was
powerful glad to see the child, but dread
fully mortified to find her tucked in
there with the driver. | told Sam pretty
sharply that he ought to know better, for
there was plenty of room inside, and l
didn't know what t, e boarders over the
way would think of it.
"She was bound to ride outside" said
Sam; land willful woman must have
her way"
"Why, it's all the fashion up our way"
said Mime. 1.-THE summer boarders
swarm all over the tops of the coaches
like so many lovely bees; but if it hurts
anybody's feelings Pm sorry. A school
marin must mind her p's and q IS"
"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 as soon as my letter was read at
uOulC, III SnC COuloA SCO dlOHS dI bAO
school there.
at would take a saint to put up with
their airs and their interferences, and you
know like to have my own way" said
my niece Jemima.
EYES," said, for had known Mines
temper from child. Anybody 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 accounta-
BILE 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 woman's heart almost broken
with him." Then went on to tell how
he'd tormented that poor widow woman
into giving up the place, and how I'd seen
her worry and fret till the skin fairly
dropped off her bones.
"Poohl peohr' said my niece; " the
skin won't drop off my 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 lovelier color never
was in blossom than bloomed in Mines
cheek when she cried out:
"Ive got to fight it out somewhere
aunty; let him mind his own business
and I'll mind miner
My heart fairly warmed to the girl as
she sat opposite me at the table, crunch
inc slice after slice of toast between hel
white teeth, and devouring the daintie'
one by one. The little widow had beer
so finicky, and 1 had such a poor appe
tite myself, that things came and wen
upon the table, and were warmed up anC
fused over till body got tired of see
ing them. Then she was my own flesl