The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-02-02
Ghildreu's Column.
The School-House Angel and the
School-House Goblin.
BY NETTIE F. BEARCE.

mJsell WueTe Iuey SCdy between school
hours-perhaps the Angel goes home
with the teacher and the Goblin hides
away in the belfry Be this as it may,
when the bell rings out in the morning
and the boys and girls begin to flock into
the schoolyard, right there, in midst of
them, are the Goblin and Angel
How they watch and listen Some
times when the children quarrel good
deal or use bad words the Angels face
will get very ad-looking, and he will
murmur to himself:
I" / don't know as there's any use in
my going into school-room day I'm
afraid the Goblin will have it all his own
way" But because he is an Angel he
never quite gives up, but when the last
bell rings and the children enter and take
their seats, both Angel and Goblin go in
with them.
Once upon a time, little red school
house away off in the country, there was
Just the incest little school one can i'm
agine. Such perfectly splendid teacher
The scholars all said so, and of course
they knew. When they saw her com
ing over the hill, such running as there
was, and such squabbling to see who
should get her hand first. But Miss
Gray, for this was the teachers name,
was very wise little body, and always
managed so that there were no heart
burnings, and no little jealousies any
where.
molly and Sue can each have a hand
this morning, and the rest run on behind
and before. Isn't this nice day? l
think this bright sunshine must have
been made on purpose for little boys and
girlsl'
Then they'd go to dancing and skip
ping along toward the school-house.
If you could only have seen that
school-room, little boys and girls To
be sure, the desks were not so nice as
yours, but then the beautiful oak chap
lets the children had made and Miss
Gray had helped festoon on the walls
Then there were bright pictures peeping
out here and there-the children had
brought them from home How nice it
all was to be surel You'd hardly have
thought a goblin would have tried to
find Perching place in such beautiful
school-room. But he did, and every
morning when these little country boys
and girls came into the school-yard
with their books and dinner-pails both
Angel and Goblin would be there before
them.
One morning in July, Miss Gray came
to school looking very sad The children
didn't know what to make of it. They
were so used to seeing Miss Gray smile !
Bessie and Polite quarreled over her
hand and she never noticed it-never
kissed any of the bright faces Really,
such thing was quite unheard Of Was
Miss Gray going to be cross, like their
old teacher, Miss Jones? The little
girls didn't dance one bit, but just went
slowly along behind the teacher. "Hal
ha" chuckled Goblin, there's Sallie
White lost her skip. I'll just whisper a
word in her ear. 1t was your turn this
morning, Sallie, to have the teachers
hand" he whispered, "and she's been
and let Polite Clarke have it. She's
showing partiality."
Sallie's face got very long, and she
loitered behind then the other loitered
too. Even Polite and Nellie dropped
the teachers hand before she got to the
school-house door, and began kicking up
the sand with their feet. Miss Gray
went slowly in not bit as if she wanted
to; took off her hat, hung it on the peg
with sigh, took her bell in her hand
and went to the door. She had to ring
two or three times before anyone started.
Hal hal chuckled Goblin again.
won't have gay time today
At last the scholars began to take their
seats. "Going to rain, l do believe,
said Tom Brown, and those strawber-
ries will be just spoiled before night.
You see, Tom had been strawberrying
that morning, and left thick place to
go to school. Last term he wouldn
have done it; for Tom had been called
bad boy in Miss Joness time; but some
how the thought Of Miss Gray's grieved
face when she learned he had been play
ing truant had made him turn away,
with his pail only half filed, and march
bravely toward the school-house.
"Wish I'd stayed, he was saying as
he took'his seat. "How dismal it does
seem here"
"Hal hal chuckled Goblin once more
Perhaps the Angel will have a chance
to try the corner to-day"
"What hateful old geography les
son, said Carrie White. cts 80 long
there's no use trying to get it." And she
commenced playing "Tick, Tack, Two
with her seat mate, and never noticed
tho Goblin rerched IN bar deek ond