The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-10-01
The Trials of a School Mistress.

achusetts, chose Deacon Samuel Carter
ana Ross Wallace directors, they rather
congratulated themselves ON having
made the best possible choice, for all
parties had been suited. Deacon Carter
was an old, and Mr.. Wallace young
man. The venerable deacon was mar
ried man, who rejoiced in the large
family of sons and daughters that gath /
cred around his table. Mr.. Wallace was
unmarried, and to tell the truth, rather
tyrannized over a somewhat vixenish
housekeeper. He was, however, some
thing more than bashful, he was actually
afraid of the girls, and never went into
society, and, it was said, always left the
church before the benediction, so as to
get rid of passing through the ordeal OF
having to bow, perhaps even to speak to
a score of what he termed "giggling
girls"
The principal duty of school direc-
tor is to select the teacher, and Mr.. Wal
lace anticipated little trouble on that
score, as Deacon Carter had been one of
the directors for many years, and was a
man always willing to take the respon-
sibility.
Ross" observed the deacon to his
young associate in official matters as
they met in the store one morning.:
"'I'll call around this evening and see
you about the district That is unless
you had rather come over to my house
and spend a social hour. Mrs. Carter
and the girls will make you welcome,
have no Doubt" and the deacon smiled
blandly, as fathers of good-looking girls
are apt to smile on a well to-do and
moral young man, desirable in every
wayfas son-in-law.
sob, call over and see me, " said Wal
Il IL IL
convenient for me-" af
Gan right" replied the deacon, 'only
you must be a little more neighborly
than you have been,' ne added, with
another benevolent smile, and the two
parted, the deacon to return home to
hasten and superintend the preparations |
that were being made for visit of at |
least four weeks that he was about to |
make to brother who resided in Cen
trail New York, and the unsuspecting |
Ross to return home to eat ''picked
up'' dinner, and to listen to the COM
plants of the housekeeper.
Mr.. Wallace, have you got my
starch? ' demanded the housekeeper,
spinster of fifty winters; there had evil
IDENTIFY been no summers in her life.
miss Hart, must-I, that is, stam-
mered Ross.
3. |
snapped the spinster. ni
"1'm afraid have, ma 'am," replied
Ross, dolefully. if'd
(Which is the same being the case you |
won't get your shirt front done UP for
Sunday, as can see," said the house
keeper with a. look of ill-concealed tri- |
ufnph. ca 4f SV
Ross WINGED, for like many other
+ bashful men, he was particular in regard
to his personal appearance, and the
meal proceed in silence till the spinster
broke out afresh. feNnH 81 sHii al
4 "NIr. Wallace, / calculate that it
wouldn't be convenient to let me have
Len an hour or two Tomorrow, would
it?" td tafR hgalF
Lenwas Mr.. Wallace's right hand man
in all farming operations, and he carried
on farming on quite an extensive scale.
''No; that is not very" ia
''Then | calculate you will have to
drive down to the depot and take up my
nieces yourself. They'll come up on the
ten O'Clock train in the forenoon and
leave at eight O'Clock in the evening""
said the housekeeper.
''Drive down yourself suggested Mr..
Wallace, the drive will do you good"
Gross Wallace said the spinster in |
a severe tone, 81 do believe you would |
be glad to have me killed. Me drive one
of them git-up-and-git horses of yourn, |
as Len calls 'em, though Idon't know
what he means by the slang"
IN let Len go, | guess" observes
Mr.. Wallace, as he rose from his seat.
That woman will be the death of me
vet, . said the farmer to himself as he
made his way to the back Let where his
men were at work 'Well, | may as
well go down to Boston to morrow as to
90 down next week for the matter of that,
suppose"
9sMe and the girls will have the day to
ourselves, !" chuckled the ancient, as her
employer left the house, and she heard
the door slam after him. 'I'll bet five
dollars that he'll be off for somewhere
bright and early tomorrow morning"
Evening came, and with it came also
the deacon.
"Ross,'' observed the pillar of the
church, you'll have to attend to getting
the teacher"
s'What did you say, deacon?'' inquired
the Mortified Ross.
''My brother John is sick, pretty low
in fact, and / haven't seen him for now
going on twenty years, and thought it
nv duty to make him visit. John
amt got no near connections but me,
and may be he'll come back and stop
with me till he's called, that's what he
limited at in his letter, and he's well off,
and so I'm going to New York to see
him. replied the deacon.
"How long will you be gomez" asked
Ross, with last CLEAN of hope.
"Well, John thought him and me
might get his affairs righted in about
month";
"When must school commence, dea-
CONF"
n "The district voted to commence
n week from next Monday"
il