Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-07-26
WHOLE NO. 668.


the pupils were assembled, she called
the culprits up to her desk and asked
what the fight was shout, and who
began it. The Bradleys stood silent
and sullen, but Jim answered.:
81 would rather not tell what it
was about, but | began it by knock
ing Nose Bradley down." ...,r
Alice knew the fight was the re-
suit Of Jim's espousal of her cause in
the reading class, and her voice fall.
tered as she said !;
"Then I shall have to punish you;
hold out your hand"
Jim obeyed her instantly. She
took up the ruler wi h a trembling
hand and began the punishment.
Jim's face never changed a muscle.
The look upon it was one of quiet
obedience, in which there was no
trace Of either bravado or sullenness.
AS Alice inflicted the blows upon
the hand so quietly held out to her,
the thought rushed upon her mind
that she was smitng the only hand
that had been raised to befriend her
in that lawless region.
Her face grew pale, the blows fell
faltering, the tears began to run down
her cheeks, the ruler fell from her
hand, she sank into her seat, buried
her face in her hands, and burst into
a storm of sobs.
Then Jim's countenance changed.
His lips quivered, he dashed his hand
across his eyes to clear them of un-
natural dimncss. and the great lump
in his throat seemed to choke him.
A chuckle from Nose Bradley re-
called his self-posession, however,
and he took a step Or two toward
the latter, with eyes that fairly blazed
with indignation.
Nose rapidly retreated a step or
two, and his chuckle died an untime-
ly death, and for a full minute silence
reigned over the school room. At
last Alice raised her head and dis
missed the pupils to the playground.
AS the children passed out, she
heard some one say, $50 you got
whipping after all, JIM" and Jim
replied, eyes, and | got enough to
pass some of it around, if anybody
is anxious about IT."
At l o'clock, Alice rang the bell
with feeling of utter despair; but
no school ever moved more smoothly
than did her school that afternoon.
Quiet obedience, study, good lessons
and respectful attention, were uni
versal. But Alice had determined to
quit the school; she felt as if she
would rather be the poorest washer
woman, than to be badgered, bullled
and tortured for months at time by
d set of brutal ruffians, whose pa
rents employed her for the sole pur-
pose of enduring the martyrdom.
So when Alice locked the school,
house door that evening, it was with
a mingled feeling Of relief and hu-
initiation that she started to offer her
resignation to the directors. AS she
left the school house she saw jim
Turner a few yards ahead of her,
walking rapidly toward home. She
called his name and he stopped and
respectfully waited until she had
overtaken him.
"Mr. Turner" she said, 81 am 60
ing away in the morning, and I-wish
to thank You for your brave defense
of me at the school to-day, and to
ask your forgiveness for the punish
ment SO unjustly inflicted ON you,"
and in her earnestness Alice held out
her hand, and Jim instantly grasped
it.
81 have nothing to forgive" said
he, "you could not do otherwise, and
neither could l; but you are surely
not intending to quit the school ?"
eyes," answered Alice, 81 would
rather die than pass through three
months of such scenes as l have to-
day." -
''But you will have no more trou-
BILE, there is no one IN the school who
would likely give you trouble, except
the Bradley boys, and as long as |
am there, will answer for their good
behavior"
At last Jim's eloquence prevailed,
and Alice finally consented, to teach
week longer, and at the end of that
time she decided to stay, for never
did a school move along more
smoothly. Jim was permitted to
remain during the term, as soon as
it ended, he went to college.
Alice taught the Bear Creek school