San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-06-01
BELOW THE STANDARD.
BY DOLORES.
From the Huntsville Item.

From the Huntsville Item.
The fire burned low, and the rain
beat slowly, softly on the roof. A clock
somewhere chimed out single stroke
one, and the weary teacher lay down
her pen and pushed back the pile of
exercises with a sigh. She was too
weary to rise, so she leaned back and
watched the fire with half-closed eyes.
Presently it began to flicker strangely
and then died out, and for moment
all was gloom. Then she heard n bun It
of music, and found herself in famil-
lar building, surrounded by a group Of
bright-faced, white pobed maidens, ell
of whom she knew years ago, and she
hears u strong young voice speaking
words which she had spoken years ago,
and her eyes fell upon the speaker. 1t
is herself as she was then-bright, beau
tiful, talented; and as she looks she
hears the closing words of her own val
edictory:
And with Gods help, we will do our
duty in the life allotted to u.s."
Then she knows it to be the old col
lege where she graduated, the valedic.
torian of her class. These old walls
had rung many time with her praise,
and now she was bidding it goodbye
and going forth into the world, rich in
talent, strong in power, brave in con-
scious excellence teacher.
Then the bright throng fades, and
she finds herself in little rude room,
her first school room. She sees the
long lines of little eager faces looking
trustingly III hers, and she sees her own
face as it was then, bright and proud,
and she reads her own heart and finds
nothing in it except pride and ambi-
ton; no love, no charity.
Suddenly everything grows dark, and
she seems awakened as from dream,
and finds herself in her own room, with
the rain pattering on the roof.
But she is not alone. Strange, shad-
owy forms are moving about her and
regarding her with mysterious, but each
with different expression some with
sorrow, some with anger, some with in
difference, and two pair OF eyes beam
upon her with affection. They are her
children. whom she had taught, grown
to manhood and womanhood.
One by one they approach her and
speak: -
"Do you know me?" asks the first, a
dreary, shabby looking woman; Il was
discouraged, ~ wn-trodden and crushed
in your school, simply because l was
shy and slow. l have never COTTON over
il. oh had you been kind to me. But
YOU were not, and look at me now, and
with bitter laugh she passed on.
"You know me, said another voice.
81 was bold and snowy, and You loved
TO exhibit me. was inclined 20 van
ity. and Tor the sake of your own vanity
YOU confirmed mine. and my whole bite
has been blasted thereby And with a
bitter frown, she passed on.
A pale, weakly man, with hacking
cough, came next. i was the juvenile
prodigy OF whom you were SO proud,
and whom YOU melted to new feats Of
mental endurance and strength. Well,
NV life has to pay the penalty. Under
humane treatment l might have become
great, affiueut, wise; but me life has
been burnt out at the altar Of your am
bition.r And with q smOthered groan,
he disappeared.
The unhappy teacher vrung her
hands. Heaven forgive mel she cries.
i am indeed -vretched.
Then the next came "A calm-eyed
woman, and she took her hand You