The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-07-10
MISS DEXTER'S PUPIL.

u
TEACHING is a thankless calling"
said gentleman standing near me on
the piazza of a popular seaside hotel,
last summer.
THAT is true" replied his compan-
ion, land so is the work of superin-
tending school committee. This deal
ing with ignorant and conceited par
ents who want to dictate what their
children shall study, who often have
some petty spite against the teacher or
committee to crafty, and who would
not stop to break up a school, could
they carry out their miserable schemes,
is utterly disagreeable. No, my friend,
there is not money enough to tempt me
to have anything to do with the man.
agement of the schools in our good
Town of Marshton;" and the two men
descended the piazza-steps and walked
on toward the beach.
A lady near me, with whom l had
formed a pleasant little acquaintance,
looked up and smiled. "The conscien-
tious teacher who loves her work." she
said, "does not always look for imme-
diate fruitiOn of all her works and
hopes: She is sowing good seeds,
knowing not just when or how the har-
vest will succeed. 1 taught school
many years, and am far from calling it
a 'thankless calling meet my old
scholars everywhere, and the thanks
have received from them. orally and by
letter, are the pleasantest spots in my
life-experience.
just then the owner and proprietor
of the great hotel, Landlord Strong,
passed by the bluff before us, glanced
up and smiled and raised his hat. Al
though he was very shrewd business
man, with great executive capacity, he
was at the same time large-hearted,
gentlemanly, and courteous to every
one, and a universal favorite. knew
that this charming woman, who had
been known in her teaching-davs as
Miss Dexter, had the best room in the
hotel. was waited upon with extra at
tention, had the most stylish horses
and carriages at ner bidding, and that
the landlord never passed her without
raising his hat and bowling as if to a
Queen.
The gentle little woman by my side
returned the bow and smiled, and then
turning to me again, said: "You are
gathering facts all the time; let me
tell you story for your notebook, to
be used at some future time-not here,
of course" l thanked her, and she
went on:
Il began to teach when was fifteen,
with great many enthusiastic ideas in
my little head, in regard to my high
and noble calling, which l have kept
with me till this present hour. After
teaching number of terms, was en-
plOyed here in this town to teach the
village school in that very same little
building, around the corner yonder,
now repaired and used for the prim ary
scholars. boarded at this hotel, verv
small establishment then, but well kept
by the Widow Rugg.
1.-The committee had hired me entire
ly from my reputation as teacher in
an adjoining town, and when they came
to see me face-to-face, and noticed my
youthful appearance, they evidently
had some misgivings as to my ability
to manage the larger pupils of the
school whom they designated a hard
Set Now there is Tom Strong said
they, we may as we'll tell you at the
start that you had better let him alone;
get along with him the best way you
can. When you cannot stand it with
him any longer, let us know and we
will send him home. The boy cannot
be taught anything. We have had
conscientious, paiDstaking teachers,
who declared that it was impossible to
teach him to count, spell, or write his
own name, even.'
81 found this lad to be tall and thin,
blue and pinched, with hardly life
enough to do anything in school but
make grotesque faces for the amuse-
ment of the children. put an end to
that at once by making rule that any
scholar who laughed at Tom Strong's
faces should sit with the dirty, rag
ged. unkempt boy, and take lessons
from him as facial contortionist,
while the rest of the school looked on.
1T did seem as if the poor fellow
could not be made to remember any,
thing; but l said to myself, He is not
an idiot, and he shall be taught to read
and spell short and easy words at first,
and to write his name He had beer
laundering along in an advanced read
er. with class Of live bright boys o.
his own age and size. Not wishing t.
humiliate the lad by putting him init
the infant class, where he really be
longed, l had him read by himsel
from my pretty, red morocco-bount
Bible, beginning with the Sermon OF
the Mount. and taking up the parallels
IN good time. So g. ~
" set him easy copies in writing
His indolent and rebellious conduc
over this part of my labor with him at
tracted the attention of one Of the Ode,
girls, who said to me one day at recess
~ don't suppose Tom Strong ha,
strength enough to learn to write
or to apply himself to anything
His folks are very poor and shift
less. and they never have any mea
to eat. nor any good. nutritious food
He never brings any dinner or lunch t,
eat at noon, and never runs and play
with the boys. He is not stron,
enough, teacher
THAT gave me the clew to the secre
OF the strange, wistful, hungry look il
the poor boys eyes. I lay awake an,
thought about it all that night, and il
the morning resolved to act. Ate