The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-27
The District School.

Twenty-six years ago young girl was
employed by the directors of a country
district school to teach the school for the
winter. The girl was so young, and
withal so frail in appearance, that there
were many misgivings as to her success
in teaching. But it was soon found that
her slight frame was but the support of
a mind so pure and earnest, coupled with
a will so strong, that what had been a
disorderly school was at once reduced to
Obedience-an obedience born of love
and respect, and therefore far more COM
plete than the most stringent rule of an
iron hand could have compelled, and
which, under the clear-headed guidance
OF the teacher, resulted in such an adj
vancement in the path of knowledge as
that school bad never known.
With prayerful conscientiousness the
young girl returned to her task each
day, and there bent every energy to the
faithful performance of her duties, total
ly forgetting herself in her work, and
doing it with only one thought-that of
earning deserved "wen done" from a
higher than any human court; and daily
the children met her to gather from her
lips fresh lessons of love and truth
lessons taught as only the pure and true
can teach them.
For once the childrens' parents proved
to be not wholly indifferent; the enthusi-
asm of the school room was carried
home; meeting of the Board of Di-
rectors was called, the condition of the
school thoroughly examined, and the
teacher-in her inexperience, trembling
for fear she had left some duty unper-
formed-was notified that her salary
was increased by half Well, did her
energy slacken, now that her probation
was past? Not in the least. On the
contrary, while she worked no harder
than before, for that was impossible, yet
her work was better done on account
both of the experience gained and of the
steady and united support of her
patrons; and when the term closed, the
tears of teacher and pupils were mingled
IN that sorrow at separation which only
youth and childhood know.
But this term was not to be the last.
AS the young girl grew into womanhood
she was repeatedly recalled to this coun-
try school, and the children which had
gathered round her as boys and girls of
ten and twelve, grew under her care to
the age and qualifications necessary for
their admittance to college, and to-day
those of that little band who are left
for many, very many, have passed from
earth forever-look back upon those
school-days of childhood with the feel
ing that the whole of life-aye, the
whole of eternity-has been sweetened
and purified by the unselfsh labors of
that noble woman. All, what would we
not give if we could assure to the little
ones who are now gathering around our
hearth stones such loving care in the
school-room as we then received!
Teacher parent, employer, will it not
be richly worth your while to so live and
act that the embryo men and women now
under your charge shall, in the future,
look back upon your labors of to-day
with similar feelingsP But will they
thus look back if you treat this business
of school-teaching as simply so much
work to be done in the easiest manner
for so much money to be grudgingly
paid.-Loutsville Farm and Fyessde.