The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-28
THE DISTRICT SCHOOL.

ercnce to the other candidate, MISS Ellle
Onderdonk, was disposed to felicitate it
self upon its ch ice. For Miss Revere
had graduated at Vassar the year before,
was thoroughly Informed, as the compe-
titive examination had shown, On all sub
iccts, and was, besides, the daughter of
one of Nineveh's most esteemed and
wealthy citizens. Efiic Onderdonk, on
the other hand, had grown UP in Nine.
veh, received only a common school and
academy education, and was now the Sole
support of her widowed mother. No
body denied that Effie was a good and
deserving girl, and very intelligent, CON
sidering her opportunities, but then Miss
Revere's qualifications were of such II
high order that there could really be no
comparison between the two. And 50
Miss Kate got the school to her own sat-
isfaction and that of the committee, ex-
cept that certain member had warmly
| taken up Miss Onderdonk's cause, and
seemed altogether displeased with the re-
suit Indeed, he displayed, as Kate
thought, quite an unreasonable degree
of temper over the matter; and this,
with Ellie Onderdonk's sad, disappointed
face, almost took away kate's own ella
ton, and gave her, as she waited by the
door for her ponies to appear, an uncom-
Portable sense of having done somebody
some wrong. But this was only tran
sient feeling. No sooner did Kate find
herself entertaining it than she drove it
resolutely away, reproaching herself with
an angry little blush, for caring about
DR.. Barrow's opinions when everyone
knew how deeply he was interested in
Effie Onderdonk. The doctor had looked
after the Onderdonks ever since Efiie was
a little girl; and why he did not marry
Effie instead Of leaving her to teach
school, was a question which annoyed
Kate, though she was angry with herself
for being annoyed. ... ..-
| bright young woman!" remarked
Lawyer Jenkins to the doctor, when Kate
had driven off, and these two were left
alone in front of the little school-house
"Tell you what, doctor, Nineveh ha
drawn a prize. Have to look out, o.
Babylon Center will get her away from
U.S." .
The doctor shrugged his shoulders.
"If Babylon wants to start college o.
a theological seminary" he said, ''she'I
, DO Well be having one in Nineveh be
fore long" and then the lawyer was lef
to wonder what DIR. Barrows meant.
Now, while Miss Revere had some
G what elevated notion in the matter of ed
r ucation, she certaihy had no intention
of starting either college or a theologi
. cal seminary. Her favorite theory wa
\ that the children ought to be taugh
+ Greek and Latin with their earliest year
t so as to learn the construction of thu
. English language. This theory she die
propose to develop in Upper Nineveh
: Accordingly, before the week was out th
: district school was in progress, Miss Re
: we're installed upon its platform, and tn
d Greek and Latin classes, with another il
e Buffers Analogy" were in successful
= operation. All this seemed to confirm
Z DR.. Barrows in his forcbodings, but tn
rest Of the committee were rs firmly con
vinced i'll their Judgment, and with thei
countenance Kate could afford to ignor
the doctor and indulge her theories t
< the very extreme. The committee, III it
turn, derived some moral support fro1
/ | the fact that Eftie Onderdonk had take
place in the Babylon envelope factory
and having such affinities, could not, q
$ course, be a suitable person for teache
in Upper Nineveh.
el As time went by the fame Of Kate
new departure reached beyond Uppo
. Nineveh. As LAWYER jenkins lid pr
y dicted, the people of Babylon Center b.
came interested; from that thrifty vi
II lage, and from Babylon Bridge and Bah,
lon Lower Falls as well, came curiol
re school committees to see Miss ReveI
and investigate her method More tha
ts this, the Secretary of the State Board
Education appeared one day abo1
., Christmas, heard a recitation from Il
al Greek class made good many inquiri
and afterward gave Kate three comp
d, mcntary lines in his annual report. Ma
urally enough all this attention was fla
t tering to the Ninevites, who felt the
own wisdom in the choice of Miss Reve
l., thereby justified. ~
y "Tell you what!" the lawyer wouldsi
gleefully to his clients. "Got pri
il when we got Miss Revere, didn't we"
And everyone but Dr. Barrows wou
Ii promptly acquiesce. .
At length, when Christmas had go
or by and Washington's Birthday was on
y a recollection, and Fast Day approache
it occurred to the members of the col
IS mittee that public examination mig
be a good opportunity for magnify
q the school and its teacher and exalti
themselves. This idea being suggest
I to Miss Revere was readily accepted, a
~ the proposed event set down for t
"Wednesday preceding Fast Day.
We Well, the day came; and all Ninev
'If and the vicinity turned out TO welcol
TO the occasion. The orthodox church h
he been offered for the exercises, as furni'
ing larger accommodation than
We school-house; and as carriages and peol
nd toiled up the steep hill, on top of viii
is the church was conspicuous landmal
in its capacious pews promised to be W
filled. Inside a platform built up arou
ms the pulpit was banked up to the rear W
nd with scholars; the girls mostly in viii
or. with pink, blue or magenta ribbons;
tb. BOYS in nankeen, with smoothly slick
he hair, freckled faces and amazing blue
red neckties. The side seats to the |
=, were occupied by the committee; ch
o,ii upon the platform was appropriated
IA, na Miss Reveres use, while the amiable '
na m age of Lawyer jenkins, as chairman
'ul the committee, beamed complacen
~ from the pulpit. All the arrangemel