The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-11
"TEN GREAT GALS"
journal OF Edueatiop.l

"TEN GREAT GALS"
journal OF Edueatiop.l
At the age of sixteen, before we had
discarded our ''roundabouts," we had con-
tracted to "keep schoo" in District No.
5 for $12 per month and "boarding
round" We knew very we'll the little
red school-house, standing at the exact
center of the district, on the borders of
mighty swamp, the farm-houses scattered
about the hills, and we also knew the
nuisance Of that particular school, a
squad of half dozen rough fellows who
had emerged into "tail coats" and would
hardly relish the discipline Of boy
pedagogue in a roundabout. After the
first flush of elation at our election the
reflection came back like return wave
Of ice-water, that in ali human proba-
bill ty ere our seventeenth birthday
should dawn, we should have been seen
vanishing head foremost out of the school
house window into snow drift, pro-
PEELED by Glass No. Of big boys. In
our anxiety we applied to "Aunt Anna,"
the general oracle of the household.
Aunt Anna was stalwart maiden of so
summers, gigantic in proportions, but
every inch lady in her dear old heart.
She had nursed half the children in town
through measles, mumps and chicken
pox, and was the mainstay in all family
emergencies. There were sly rumors that
the occasional attack Of "fidgets," which
overcame the good old lady at night, had
some relation to mysterious black bot
tie which she always carried in her work
box, but Aunt Anna, plus the "idgets," "
was worth u regiment of ordinary femi-
mines for the homemade uses of country
life.
"Well, now, you are really going to
keep school in District Number Five"
said Aunt Anna, smoothing down her
big checked apron and raising her specta-
cles for good, long look at the incipient
pedagogue seated at the opposite corner
Of the fireplace.
eyes, Aunt Anna, have promised to
keep that school, but, between you and
me, l am dreadfully afraid to tackle that
crov d of boys. You know what a rough
Get they are, and one Of them has already
given out that there will be no board
wanted in District Number Five after
the first week"
"Thats serious matter. Now, let's
see if we can't think of something to
help you. Now, you see I don't known
anything about book larnin'. No doubt
you can cipher that back seat of boys
into the middle of next week. But they
can fling you over the roof of the school
house in jiffy, if they have a mind to.
l know every family in the district. l
have nussed in every house, and taken
the measure of every youngster that will
come to that school. There's one thing
in your favor. There'll be ten great gals
in that school, and most Of 'em are good
gals, too. Now, some are head taller
than you, and two or three of them are
right handsome, too. They can twist
that crowd of great, bashful boys round
their little fingers if they want to. Now,
mind what l tell you; do you 90 right
to work and gain the affections Of
them ten great gals, and they'll manage
the great boys while you keep school"
That sounded we'll, and, armed with
this panacea against rebellion, we
opened school the Monday after Thanks
giving. 1t was rough looking set up
on the high seats-that row of villianous
looking fellows, any one Of them big
enough to throw me over into the big
swamp with one hand. .
Happily our first clearinghouse was
with two OF the "great gals" Never
did we clay ourselves out" to gain the
good graces of the lovely sex as during the
| first week of that boardin' round. We
ride on the front of the sled with the
.tallest girl, played checkers with the
second, got all snarled up in "cat'l
cradle" with the pretty visiting cousin
and put in word of explanation for the
''hard sums" of all in the long evenings
at home. ,.,a.sssi s..-a r.f. ,....
The first crisis came at the beginning
Of the second week, when a big lou1
ssauced" the new schoolmaster. Some.
how it crushed us, and for minute the
school-room swan round, and the idea ol
seizing our fur cap and making for home
fitted across our vision. just then the
patter Of IA light footstep was heard down
the long slope Of the narrow aisle LEADING
up to the seat Of the "ten great gals
The tallest glided down, ostensibly to ask
the explanation Of hard sum; but al
we leaned over the slate, with dimnesI
in the eyes, we heard a whisper in oul
our:
aDon't be cast down! We girls will
shame that seat Of boys into good man
ners before another week" 719 ~ t.e
A light broke in; we were gaining ths
Naffecfionsi of the ten great palan Ht4