San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-08-02
The District School.

4
Twenty.six years ago a young girl was
employed by the directors of a country
district school TO teach the school for
n 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 the support
OF mind SO pure and earnest, coupled
with will so strong, that what had
once been disorderly school was at
once reduced in obedience-an one
dience born of love and respect, and
therefore far more complete than the
most stringent rule OF an iron hand
could have compelled and which under
the clear-headed guidance of the teach
er, resulted IN such an advancement
in the path of knowledge as that school
had never known.
With prayerful conscientiousnes
the young girl returned to her task
each day, and there bent every energy
to the performance of her duties, to-
tally forgetting herself in her work,
and doing it with only one thought
that of earning well done from
higher than human court; AID daily
the children met her to gather from
her lips fresh lessons of love and truth
lessons taught only as the pure and
true can teach them.
For once the childrens' parents
proved to be not wholly indifferent;
the enthusiasm of the school room
was carried home; a meeting of the
Board of Directors was called, and the
condition of the school was thorough
ly examined, and the teacher-in her
inexperience, trembling for fear she
had left some duty undone-was mott
fled that her salary was increased one
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 or 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 to not be the last
AS the young girl grew into woman
hood size was repeatedly called to this
country 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 nee
essary for their admittance to college,
and to-day those of that little band
who are left = for many, very many,
years have passed from earth forever
look back upon those school days Of
childhood with the feelings that the
whole Of life--aye, the whole Of eter-.
Hity-has been sweetened and purified
by the unselfish labors of that noble
woman. All, what would we not give if
we assure to our little ones who are
now gathering around our hearthstopes
such loving care in the school room as
we then received!
Teacher, parent, employer, will if
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 la
bors of to-day with similar feelings?
but will they thus look back if you
treat this business Of school-teach-
ing as simply so much to be done
in the easiest manner, for so much
money to be grudgingly paid.--Loatis-
UiLe Farm and Fireside.