The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1879-11-29
TEN GREAT GALS.
An Amusing Story of Teacher, Told by
Rev. A. ID. Mayo. I'm the journal of Ed

v. 4.
ucati0n.
At the age of Is, before we had discarded
our "roundabouts," We had contracted to
"keep school," in District No. for sl2 per
month and "boarding round" We knew
very well the little red school-house, stand
ing 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 schools squad
of half dozen rough fellows
who had emerged into 'tal coats" and
would hardly relish the discipline of a
boy-pedagogue in "A roundabout. After the
first flush of elation at our election, the re-
Election came back like "A return wave of ice
water, that in all human probability, ere our
seventeenth birthday should dawn, we should
be seen vanishing head foremost out of the
schoolhouse window into a snow-drift, pro-
PEELED by class number one of big boys. In
our anxiety we applied to "Aunt Anna" the
general oracle of the household. Aunt Anna
was stalwart maiden of 60 summers,
gigantic in proportions, but every inch n lady
in her dear old heart. She had nursed half
the children in town through measles, mumps
and chickcn-pox, and was the mainstay in
all family emergencies. There were sly
rumors that the occasional attacks of "idgets"
had some relation 10 a mysterious black
bottle which she always carried in her work.
box, but Aunt Anna, plus the fdgets. was
was worth a regiment of ordinary feminines
for the homemade uses of country life.
"Well, now, you are really going to keep
school IN District No. s." said Aunt
Anna, smoothing down her big checked
apron and raising her spectacles for good,
long look at the incipient pedsgogue seated
at the opposite corner of the fireplace.
"Yes, Aunt Anna, have promised to keep
that school, but, between you and me, am
DREADFULLY AFRAID TO TACKLE
that crowd of boys. You know what rough
set they are, and one of Them has already
given out that there will be no board
wanted in District No. after the first
week."
s'That's serious matter Now let's see
if we can't think of some way to help
you. Now, you see don't know 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 a
jiffy, if they have a mind TO. / 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 10 great gals in that school, and most of
EN- 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 tell YOU do you go right to
work and gain the affections of them 10 great
gals, and they'll manage the great boys while
you keep school,
That sounded well, and armed with this
the Monday after Thanksgiving. 1t was
rough looking set up on the high seats-that
row of Misunderstanding fellows, any one of
them big enough to throw me over into the
big swamp with one hand.
Happily our first boarding-place was with
two of the "great gals" Never did we "lay
ourselves OUT to gain the good graces of the
lovely sex as during the first week
of that boardin' round. We rode on
the front of the sled with the tallest girl,
played checkers with the second, got all
snarled up in seats CRADLE with the pretty
visiting cousin, and put in word of expla-
nation for the "hard sums" of all in the long
evenings at home
THE FIRST CRISIS CAME
at the beginning of the second week, when
big lout "sauced" the new schoolmaster.
Somehow it crushed us, and for minute the
school-room swan round, and the idea of
Selling our fur cap and making for home
fitted across our vision. Just then the patter
ola light footstep was heard down the long
slope of the narrow aisle leading up to the
seat of the 10 great gals" The tallest
gLded down, ostensibly to ask the explana-
ton of a hard sum; but as we leaned over
the slate, with a dimness In the eyes, we
heard whisper in our ears:
Don't be cast down We girls will shame
that seat of boys into good manners before
another week"
A light broke I'M we were gaining the ''af-
fections of the 10 great gals
| So things drifted for six weeks, when
dawned the judgement day. We had gone
to board with good, motherly
woman, who loved US as her own
son. A big fire in the parlor greeted our
arrival, and a supper fit for the parson him.
SELF After tea our hostess appeared in her
black silk, in her hand a mighty black ruler,
and set down before us with the air of a
Minerva
Now matters have come to point in
! your school; you have been trying to govern
that crowd of rascally boys by love, but that
|
to put YOU out Take this ruler, and don't
come home tomorrow night unless you have
used it UP over the head and shoulders of
| somebody"
There was no appeal from that. A greater
than the whole class of 'ereat gals" had spok-
en-, and we felt in our souls that fate was stand
ing in the school-house door.
Were we endowed with the epic rage of a
Homer or Pope, we might possibly depict
the scenes of the coming day. How the
| ugliest boor, in frock coat,
KICKED IN THE DOOR AT RECESS;
how, when the trembling young master asked
"Who did that?" the big loafer lifted
his thumb to his nose, and execut-
little finger which would make a savage
of ST. John himself; how. fired with the cour-
age of despair, and a vision of farm
house Minerva, we seized the big oaken ruler
rushed up the inclined plane, upsetting sew
eral small children, on the insolent scoundrel,
tore the collar off his frock coat, snaked
him down the area before the fireplace,
and beat him over the head and shoulders
until he roared for mercy; how, at intervals,
he cast a glance at his accomplices and took
in the situation; the 40 great gals" had
spiked the guns of all but this wretch, who
skunk and begged under our hand-how WE
wound up with an eloquent address, and
gave the whipped ruffian his hat, with in
structions to go home; how his sensible
father took off what remained of his dilapi
dated frock coat, and trounced him until h,
yelled again, and sent him to school the fol
lowing day with compliment to the p,ucky