The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-05-18
THEWISE SCHOOL TEACHER

got g new teacher before l saw her,
cause Susie Mills father is committee
IMAM, and she told NE 80 yesterday.
Miss Hurd is married. you know"
And little Nellie Ayers smoothed her
white apron in q consequential way as
she walked beside her playmate, Matte
Jones.
"What did you say, Nell?" asked a
handsome but Notwithstanding boy
of about IL years, rs he pulled Nellie's
curls.
"Be still now, Frank Ayers, or I'll
tell mother. We've got new tie cher.
Matte didn'tbelieve it till she saw her.
hope she'll whip you every day, and
make you behave yourself"
s:'Shol guess it will take more'n a
dozen like her to make me mind, Nell"
And with hoyish gyrations he quickly
reached the entrance, and peeped in at
the teacher.
''Ting-a-ling," the bell sounded again
from the desk, and the children entered
quietly, all but Frank Ayers, who stood
peeping in and making faces until they
were oil seated; and then, with clown
ish gait, noislly followed. i.
The teacher waited until he took his
seat, and then, after reading the Bible
and prayer, she went around with q
book and pencil, to learn the names of
her scholars, When her attention was
called by a small, appraised hand.
what do you wish?" she asked.
Crank Ayers says he shan't mind no
dough-head of teacher"
"You had better not repeat any such
language" she replied.
"Well. but he meant you" 8
Miss Stephens tapped with her pen.
Gil on her head, and smiling. ecid:
IF my head is dough, :hink it is
quite we'll baked" and went on with
her duties till she came to the form
where Frank Ayers sat, and sup
pressed litter went around as she
stepped beside him and asked his name.
s'Abednego Mulliken," he replied.
A tittering laugh followed this reply,
and the teacher looked around reprov-
ingly, and said:
Il am surprised, children; that you
should laugh aloud so. What is your
age, Abednego?"
Eighteen last hoeing- time," in loud
voice.
Books were raised to cover laughing
faces. Unmindful of it, she said: .
"That would be about June. You are
very near my age. would not think
you were so old, and You are not quite
80 advanced in your studies as is usual
at that age" Z
And: smiling, she passed on, leaving
Frank with flushed, uneasy looking
face.
This was most unexpected, having his
replies, for which he expected to be re-
proved or punished, taken in this way,
and he became very uncomfortable,
from the name that he had given him
self, which was freely applied by the
schoolmates.. All of his roguery was
teacher vas kind to him, while his
schoolmates were constantly turning the
laugh intended for the teacher upon him,
and be soon learned that he had a
shrewd one to deal with, and her kind
ness was like punishment to him in his
rebellious state.
Thus three weeks passed, and no vio-
lence marred the harmony ofthe school,
The other scholars became very fond of
the new teacher.
Snowy posters we're put up in every
conspicuous place, announcing the com
ing of a great circus and menagerie. All
the boys in town were nearly wild over
the great event. Miss Stevens found it
difficult to keep them from whispering
about it during school hours. Frank
which way it would come, and just what
time they ought to start to meet it, as
they proposed.
Now, Frank, active as he was, had one
bad, lazy habit, which his parents tried
to break him OF, but which, fear, he
did not try very hard to overcome, 80
long as it did not interfere with his plans
or pleasures. His father often reproved
him, as he. liked to see all of his family
in season at the breakfast table; yet still
Frank seldom rose betimes.
When called ct the usual time on the
morning of the circus. he turned lazily
down for another nap, and that nap
proved too long for him to keep his APP
pointment with the boys. They waited
q while for their leading spirit, and then
hurried away, wondering what kept
Thin.
Nearly an hour too late, clustering
and fretting, Frank seized his hat, and
rushed away without his breakfast. He
took the nearer way across the pastures,
and ran tieetly along, startling many a
: staid bossy at her breakfast. Halt way
across the third one he came to sudden,
most unexpected stop, as he was thrown
violently forward into a rapidly flowing
brook. One loud cry of pain, and then
he lay moaning in Inconsistencies.
There were hurried steps near, and
soon q white, startled face was bending
over the insensihle boy, and trembling
hands strove to raise him up. Miss
Stevens had been to watch through the
night with one other pupils who was ill,
and was just returning to her boarding
place passing along by the siLe of the
brook, this being her chosen, usual way
to the school-house, instead the longer,
less agreeable way by the dusty road.
Striving to raise him up, she found that
his feet were entangled in wire, which
was Carried some distance across tile
narrow oath, cunning snare.
She Quickly released his feet, scarcely
wondering at the snare in her fright, as
she found che blood flowing freely from
his nose, and deep cut made by a
pointed rock near the left temple.
Greatly alarmed, she laid him back on
the grass, ana ran to an adjoining field
and called some laborers. One Of them
carried Frank to his home, while the
other went for physician. Miss Stew
ems fastened on to inform bis parents.
Upon examination Is was found that
one arm was broken, ,an6 his head was
badly bruised, beside the wound upon
the temple He was unconscious for
some time after he got home, and, as
Mrs. Ayers was much affected by the nc
cideDt, Miss Stevens remained with her,
and so tho first face that mot Franks Y