Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-02-15
THE NEW TEACHER.

I'LL 4N1A w L 1lI11NlIIltS
'That is the new school house, is it2"
inquired Miss Alice Ray, the "new
teacher" as the farmers plodding little
team passed bya little white house stand
ing endwise to the road, inclosed in q
rather dilapidated fence.
"Yes, that's where you'll hold FORTH"
remarked Uncle Zeke Woodburn, "but
I'm Altered you won't hold out long, fm
we've got the toughest set of boys in the
State, and Uncle Zeke gave kind of
cackling little laugh as he thought of the
timid, demure little damsel at his side
controlling the boys of Bear Creek
school.
''But don't the directors expel them
when they are beyond the control of the
teacherT" asked Alice, her heart begin
ming to sink at the prospect before her.
"Expel 'em! no, we never expel no
body; if teacher can't boss the school
we just let it boss him; it amt our fight,
an the school here generally bosses the
teacher, an thar's been some pretty good
men licked in that school-house by the
Ioys."
II did not know the school was so un-
ruly," said poor Alice, wishing heartily
that she had hired out as a washerwoman
instead of trying to teach the savages OF
Bear Creek.
"Oh, we'll, mebbe it won't be so bad
this winter; thars Jim Turner, he's one
of the toughest of 'em; he'll be twenty
one in month and you'll get rid of him
but thar's the Brindley boys, they're
mighty nigh as bad"
Poor Alice listened with sinking
heart. The cold, hard duties before hel
were dreary enough at best; but to q
alone and unknown into a strange neigh
borhood to teach her first school and tt
be met at the outset by such dark proph
ecies made her feel homeless indeed. Sht
was naturally timid, shrinking littl,
thing, and if she had possessed anywhere
on the whole broad earth roof to shelte
her she would have turned back from
Bear Creek school even then. But sh
had no home. Her mother had dice
when she was but IA, and she had KEEP
house for her father two years when h
died, leaving her all alone. Before h
died he advised her to spend the littl
sum he would be able to leave her in fit
ting herself for teacher, and Alice ha'
fnlflled his directions so literally tina
when she had completed her course O
study at the normal school she had barrel
ten dollars left, and when she paid Uncl
Zeke for hauling her and her little trun'
from the nearest railroad town to the dis
trict where she was to teach, she had bu
five dollars left.
On Monday morning as she started fc
the school-house she felt as if she was &c
ing to the scaffold. Her course of pedt
gogics in the normal institute had il
cluded no such q problem as this schoC
promised to be, and if it were not ft
very shame she would have given h
single fve-dollar bill to any one to tax
her back to the railroad and pay her fal
to L., the town where she had attende
school.
When she arrive d at the school-hou
about twenty or thirty pupils were groupe
. around talking, but spell of silence fe
upon them as she walked up and salute
them with good morning, " which w
more like the chirp of frightened oil
than anything else. AS she unlocked Il
door and entered what she had alreaC
begun to regard as chamber of tortur
two or three slowly followed her into Il
q room, and depositing their books upc
= the whitfield desks, took seats and fix'
their eyes upon her with stare that d
not help to strengthen her nerves.
All the rules and regulations of b
''Theory and Practice of Opening Scho
upon the First Day" seemed to vani
and leave her brain whirring in diz
helplessness. She tried to think of sol
cheerful remark, but her brain refused
,., form the thought and her tongue Glove
ali ali the roof of her mouth. She could see
the faces of her pupils, most of who
were now in the school-room, that tn
were aware of her fright and enjoyed
}Y thoroughly. By strong effort she p
- TALLY recovered herself and bravely
sisted the temptation to lean her head
be the desk and have good cry. She +
: that she must do something or faint,
she rang the bell, though it lacked fife
minutes to nine. She then began taxi
down the names and ages of her pup
= and by the time this was completed
began to feel more at ease. She Il
began examining the pupils in the diff
ent branches in order to assign them
their proper classes. She had finisl
the examination in oil the branches
'co cept the advanced reading class, VIII
was principally composed of grown G
and young men, among whom was
terrible Jim Turner, of whom she
been warned.
Several of the members of the C.
had read, and it was now the turn
ticle Moses Bradley, huge, heavy-set fell
vite with small, malicious eyes and gen
con- dir of rufianism. When he was ca
upon to read he did not rise from
seat, but began to read in thick, I'M
Y tinct voice from a book hidden in
lap.
-"Mr. Bradley, will you please st
up when you read9" asked Alice.
~ ~ kin read just as we'll settin' dow
"'Ey replied the fellow, with dogged air
But it is one of the rules in r'
ing class to stand up to read, )" said Al
Loro, her heart quaking with fear as she
tinu. I,n saw the incipient rebellion.
81 reckon you will have to NAL
new rule for me then," impudently
:. swered Nose, glancing sideways at
N companions with grin of triumph.
1w are uo,. do not ohau ma I ahal