Frostburg mining journal., 1881-12-31
Selett Storp.
DORA'S IGNORAMUS

1t was lovely June morning in the
country; the air redolent with the scent
of myriad blossoms and musical with
the songs OF as many wild birds, when
Dora Glade stepped over the threshold
of her rustic school house to encounter
surprise not altogether pleasant.
Since the first OF May Miss Glade had
been teaching this school of perhaps
two dozen urchins, whose ages ranged
all the way from five to fourteen years.
On this particular morning, however,
there sat within the schoolroom, pa
tiently waiting for the arrival of the
teacher, tall, well-built young man
who was certainly several years her
senior, and whose appearance indicated
that he had come to stay.
The teacher herself was just nineteen,
slender and graceful as willow, with
q charming admixture of womanly dig
nifty and girlish shyness in her manner.
She did not always know exactly what
to do even with some of the rough
youngsters already in her charge, and
now her fair face darkened with look
of undisguised dismay, as she stopped
short in the doorway, regarding this new
specimen with a private conviction in
her soul that she should never prove
equal to the task Of managing him.
She looked upon his intrusion into
her little fold much as some peaceful
shepherd might at the sudden appear
ance CT mountain lion among his inno-
cent flock. Mastering her chagrin as
best she could, Dora called her school
together, and soon after approached
her unwelcome visitor with q very evil
dent air of embarrassment.
"Do you intend to remain in the
school, sir?"
For the life of her she didn't know
how she ought to address him.
"Yes'm," answered the newcomer,
with a meekness which, contrasted with
his fine, powerful phyaique, made her
strongly inclined to laugh in his face.
81 calk'ste to come afternoons. Can't
come much mornin's, bein' as I hev to
help Uncle Jake with the crops"
"ohp said Dora, gently, suppress
ing a smile, "your name, pleaseP"
LARRY Farnsworth. Squire Jake
Farnsworth over yonder," with an awk-
ward nod OF his handsome head in the
direction of the squire's mansion,
"wbere Tn gtayin', is my uncle"
EYES," said Miss Glade, with polite
interest. "And now please tell me
what you wish to study, Mr.. Farms
WORTH"
"'Spose ye call me Larry, Miss" said
this great, fine-lookins fellow, with the
basbfulness of child "I amt much
used to bein' Mustered, an anyhow I
reckon I'm one of yer scholars, jist like
the rest"
Certainly" said Dora, somewhat re-
Iieved, and determining TO put bold
face upon the matter at once. "And
now, Larry" with rose blush, in spite
of herself, "let US proceed to select
your studies"
But the verdant young gentleman
soon disclosed the fact that what he did
know of books might be comprised
within very small space, indeed, while
model list Of what he didn't know
would form record as voluminous as
that q the Whitaker testimony.
Days passed on, and Miss Glade
found them passing. very pleasantly.
Her new pupil, though extremely igno-
rant, evidently did his best to improve,
and was otherwise a model OF perfect
good behavior. The younger boys,
also, gave far less trouble than at first.
Whether he issued private orders to
them outside, or whether it was q
threatening glance from those com.
manding bright gray eyes whenever any
inc'pient rebellion arose against the
teacher csrtain it was that the trouble
some urehins behaved much better than
before. the advent of the "big scholar"