The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-04
MIRIAM'S MISTAKE.
BY FRANCIS Z. wADLEIGH.

One OF the scholars had been very inatten
tive and somewhat insubordinate; the unusu
al heat perhaps, had soured her temper; 81
the weary governess had been compelled Il
detain her IN the schoolrOOm during the shor
afternoon recess, and thereby punished herself
more than she did the sullen girl.
The warm May sun streamed IN at the Ions
uncurtained windows, bringing into full relic
the dusty floor and highly.yarnished desks
tho grimy blackboard at which score O
school girls had recently been busy with CHALK
and string, the more or less shabby books care
lessly thrust into their racks, and the tagged
look on the young teachers face.
"How tired you look, dear Miriam ex
claimed Rhoda Crosby, gOverness in thu
same school, as she languidly entered the
room what ashame to have kept one OF the
girls in! came to ask you to take little
walk with me, just round the block; we have
plenty of time"
Not to day, thank YOU" returned Miriam
though should like some fresh air Oh
Rhodas don't you wish that we could go ia
the sea this vacation ?" she added, earnestly.
Both Miriam and RhOda had spent theil
childhood IN pretty little town on the Allan
tic coast, not far from Boston, and after gradu
ating at one of the Massachusetts normal
schools, according to the American custom
had journeyed together to the inland town
where they were now teaching.
Their salaries we're not large, as both were
young and inexperienced, and would not per
NIT any long or expensive trips during the
md summer vacation; so the two summers
that they had been in Plainford they had con
tented themselves with three or four weeks In
farmhouse, where the highest attainable hill
had an elevation of scarcely eight hundred
feet.
1.-THE sea? Oh, to hear the waves come
in after storm to see them break
gently IN a calm day; to drink in the pure air,
that hasn't seen land since It left Ireland "
answered RhOda.
ireland! Would not the south of France
answer your purpose better" laughed her
"You are too LITERAL" rejoined Rhoda; ad.
ding, IN lower tone: do you never try to
forget how much you, as teacher, are suppos,
ed to know? Wouldn't IL be reliet not to
feel compelled to be always strictly accurate?"
"You are an odd girl, Rhoda," cried Ma.
ram.
$50 you will think when disclose fay plan
for our summer vacation. / move that we
spend July and August at the White Noun
tains, in New Hampshire, near Franconia."
Perhaps you Will also move that we inherit
a fortune"
$50 l woulo, if it would do any good"
laughed Rhoda. "But recess is over; wait for
me after school, and then will tell you how
we can 60 to the White Mountains without
the fortune"
Late In July the guests at the Sahna House
were thrown into violent excitement by tele-
gram which their host received. This tele-
gram was as brief as most of It's kind, yet it
II hat ~
captain, who had recently covered himself
with glory in an Indian assault, and a real
OF the United States Senate, who was
both rich and unmarried, two governors of
states, and Mr.. A., 1.-THE very hand
soonest man in New England" would arrive
at the Sahna about noon, would dine there,
and remain all night
OF course the "leadlng" ladies convinced
the landlord that he must give grand dance
that evening, and, his consent obtained, they
resolved themselves into a committee of the
whole on the important subject Of dress. AS
If the valiant captain or the wealthy senator
would pay any attention to such details
No one was late for dinner that day. Prompt.
ly at two o'clock tOr early dinners and sub
stantlal suppers we're the rule there) the DIN
ing room doors were thrown open, and mine
host bowed his distinguished guests to the
central table, while the undistlngulshed guests
rusted and hustled to their accustomed seats.
The young captain and the elderly senator
glanced at the lady waters and then glanced
at one another, the latter exclaiming:
"By jove! Are they servants or guests?"
"NOt exactly either" replied the landlord
who heard the remark. Every one of these
young ladies, whose pleasant duty it will be
to serve your dinner, is a governess. You see,
Dir. Brown-who keeps the Lone Elm Hotel
down at Xenia-had number of young stu.
dents as walters last summer, and they were so
that thought I'd try an improve
ment on his plan. So this spring wrote to
some riends and asked them If they knew Of
any school teachers who wanted two months
in the mountains this year. | offered to give
them four dollars week, do all their washing,
pay their railroad fare, and see that they were
treated as ladies while they were here. The
result you see for yourself"
81 see a number of brightfaced, neatly
dressed girls, instead of the usual sombre array
Of African faces" SAID the captain; land l
consider livery refreshing"
And see an xqulsitely-appointed dinner
table," added the senator
Look at those graceful ferns and nodding
grasses in the vases up and down the table
what ordinary waiter would think OF utilizing
such simple adornments?"
THE lady who superintends laying the table
IS teacher of geometry, and | am told that
her intimate acquaintance with curves and
angles is the reason that she never has table
cloth crooked or a row of knives and forks all
points OF the compass"
"How do your guests treat them?"
According to their several dispositions
Those who are really gentlefolk treat them as
heir equals-as many of them are; those who
have more money than brains, or more fashion
han pedigree, are either amusingly conde-
'cenGing or almost rude. But the girls laugh
in their sleeves at the latter, and keep out of
their way as much as possible"
"Some OF these young ladies are, presume,
members of good iamlies?"
"Oh, yes, more than one. We have the daugh-
ter of really famous botanist two nieces
Of distinguished divnes, who count back to
the Mayflower, one whose father was ceolo.
gist and member of dozen literary societies
In GERMANY and vat another xxhpcn b;ctnr,, 90