St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-10-22

rough. His hired help say he has a
wonderful staying power in prayer, be-
tween the seasons or on rainy days, but
in haying or sugaring time, if he does
not skip altogether, he makes three
minute prayer SUFFICE" And 80 one
story followed another, but the general
drift seemed to be to show that the
place had been appropriately named:
g half acre ~
The two weeks before the school was
to commence, put in most pleasantly
visiting at Uncle G., orge's. may here
mention that his wife and children were
handsome, intelligent, amiable. and the
whole family in perfect harmony. And
so it should be with all families.
But I was impatient to get at work
in my school and to know. the worst or
best as soon as possible. Indeed 1 made
it point to spend three days in the
district before the school commenced in
visiting about and especially in making
the acquaintance of the bullies afore-
mentioned. 1 fancied 1 might accomp-
lish through a little diplomacy what
might cost broken bones otherwise. At
all events I was determined that the
bad element should both like and re-
spect me. This being accomplished l
felt that the coast would be tolerably
clear. 1t was insisted by the good Un-
Gle George, that l should come to
Scroggs River on every Saturday and
stop over Sunday with him, when he
would drive me out to the school on
Monday morning. This of itself was
delightful to anticipate.
So on the Monday morning after the
Thanksgiving day of that year, was
up betimes and out to Griggsville
school house full hour before it was
time to begin school. In short time
some forty neatly dressed and tidy
looking pupils made their appearance.
But l was not little abashed to find
some grown up young ladies who ex-
pected to receive instruction from the
new school master. One of these in
formed me that she had herself taught
a school the past summer over in New
Hampshire. Another had a school en-
gagged for the next spring, and the third
one "a perfect Amazon) had been an
operative for the past two years in a
Lowell factory. The first named soon
convinced me that she was disgusting
fraud, for she had brought along a copy
of Young's Night Thoughts, and had
the impertinence to ask me to parse for
her personal qualification" a complex
sentence over which other great minds
had tussled. Although felt her mo-
: tive was base one and that her sole
object was to see me miss, so she could
report the same to her affinities, the
rowdies, of whom Der own brother was
one, yet having come forth from the
academy where l had wrestled with
J Young's Night Thoughts, and knowing
myself to be "pat" on that particular
J sentence, and being thus favored by
, luck, l assumed the air of great wisdom
and refreshing innocence Of never hav-
} ing seen that sentence before, ratified
off that "stumper" like one hungry for
, even stronger and more manly intel
lectual sustenance. She expressed
, great admiration, and informed me that
) Mr.. Freddie Augustus Noncombat,
: from Dartmouth college, who had at
= tempted to teach their school the win
: ter before, had parsed it in quite an
, other way; but her pastor, the Rev.
, Mr.. Moral Suasion of Griggsville, an
examining committee man, said Mr..
l Noncombat was wrong and did not
] know his business and Rev Mr.. M. S.
parsed it exactly as "you done it, and
: 1 know you are right" I begged her
' to give my compliments to her honored
s pastor and to congratulate him for me
t Oh the spiritual harvest he was reaping
7 in the sinful village of Griggsville. She
= made a desperate effort for blush
q when she said that would soon come
e to her house to board. 1t is TO my cred.
e it that never gave this female cause
d to think it impossible for her to rise tt
: the dignity of my contempt. Here Mis-
t Mehitable Griggs, the young lady wht
e had a school secured for the spring
: stepped forward with a Greenleaf'
/. arithmetic in her hand and requested
|, me to do certain tough sum near th'
e end of that book. But my dignit,
e would not permit a second dose of sucl
e rudeness.
I went about my school duties with
e brave and resolute heart, and in shor
u time had everything we'll organized AM
II in good working order. As can be wei
: imagined 1 was very happy. knew
i was loved by my school and felt that
Of had won the highest respect of the Who'll
e community, including the little auto
N craJ, Rev. Mr.. Moral Suasion. The lat
t. ter gentleman fairly gushed in his pul
al pit over my success as a moral suasiou
Is ist. On telling Uncle George himsel
Is he said he heartily congratulated m,
l. but added "Don't you count too muc
is on the reform of those scoundrels, for
IT know the breed better than you d.
Id The fact is Zeke A. and his partners al
er only biding their time they have g
IN devils in 'sm bigger than woodchuck
De and they have now behaved themselv,
ID SO long they must just be spelling for