The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-05-15
THE TWO NOTICES.
BY MARY CECIL.

Then out spake brave Horatius the captain
Of the gate,
To every man upon this earth death cometh
soon or late; r..
And how can man die better than facing fear
full odds,
For the ashes Of his fathers and the temples
of his gods 2"
SO spake the chosen orator at this
first commencement of the new High
School. But the young orator was over
powered by his desire to win laurels as
a member of the first graduating class.
Parents and grandparents who were
Interested in the exercises, grew rest
less and excited, and one old lady seated
on the bench which skirted the gallery
walls, raped her fan vigorously on the
shoulders of a yo ng man standing be-
fore her in the aisle, commanding him
to stand back,--he was so tall she could
not see! Franklin Stark, for that was
the young mans name, complied pc
litely, but his hardened face wore an
expression of more concern than amuse-
ment as he apologized to Matilda War
ner Immediately behind him, for shut
ting off her view of the stage. 1t pained
him to be guilty of the smallest rude
ness to. lady such as Matilda seemed
to be.
I" 1t is impossible" he said, "for me
to see much and conform to the old la
dy's direction, but | have no right to
make my neighbors suffer for that.
Matilda could see better from where he
stood than from her present place.
Wouldn't she change placesP"
But Matilda is even more stranger
to us than to Franklin Stark; and
while the orator is glancing at his notes
of Lord Macauley, rather to recover
from his embarrassment than to refresh
his memory, we note her appearance.
Notwithstanding the thoughtfulness of
her face and the quietness Of her man
ner, it was that of delicate girl Of
eighteen. She wore neat calico suit,
collar tied with drab ribbon and a
straw hat trimmed with drab; the cos
tune relieved by cluster OF pink gera
NUNS worn at her belt. But 1t has ta-
ken longer to write this than for the
orator to resume his really eloquent
rendition of tho lay, than for Matilda
timidly to accept the proposed change.
cit is hard for the teachers" observ-
ed Matilda in reply to some remark of
Franklin's, hard for them to induce
the children to remember their instruc.
tions."
"How do you knowP" he queried,
"have you ever taught9"
"No, returned Matilda, 81 haven't
been to the public schools in five years,
and haven't been anywhere since!"
"Well," responded her companion
with conscious Importance, 81 haven't
been to the public schools for longer
period. / attend the Seminary. Why
don't you go somewherep" he added,
noting that Matilda sighed.
My father keeps root, herb and
flower store" answered Matilda. 81
attend the flowers and care for father"
"Then how do you know about the
troubles of teachersP"
81 suppose feel for them because
intend to teach myself"
sit will be hard for you to become
one with what you are doing now" in
terposed Franklin. 81 don't like work,
My father tells me to go to college; but
us / think the course difficult, have
given the idea up. The same for study
ing medicine. Pll consult ease in re-
gard to what become. If do not of
tend my father, he will make me rich
merchant like himself. 1t Is as well tC
take the goods the gods provide and bC
thankful"
"To me-" Matilda replied, "nothlnG
is sweeter than that which earn by
hard labor. do not think you will
dhoavs be satisfied with doing and be-
ing that which is simply the easiest
but with that which Is noblest and
best"
Franklin was silent long time after
Matilda's earnest words; then he lnquir'
cd with apparent lightness whether hel
geraniums were gathered from her IA
ther's pots, and being answered in the
affirmative, asked where they lived, al
he wished to purchase rootlets for him
self. After the first interview, and not
withstandlng Matilda was some year,
ounger than himself, Franklin offer