The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-08-27
An Uncommon Proceeding.

ll
"IIow cold it is growing said Miss
Wait, the teacher of the common
school in the then brisk little manu-
featuring village of Shattuckville, as
she tied on her soft blue hood, button
ed her warm flannel cloak, looked at
the window fastenings of the not over
commodious or attractive but snug
schoolroom, locked her desk, and care
fully shut the damper of the air-tight
wood stove, preparatory to quitting
her domain Of labor for the night.
AS she picked up her rubber over
shoes and stopped to draw them over
her shapely kid boot, she cogitated:
"Oh, dear! Tommy Ilowe's red
toes sticking 50 pathetically through
those old gaping shoes fairly haunt
me- | woLder if, in all this prosper
Gus, busy village, there is no way of
getting that poor child decently clad.
| must think it over and see what |
can do about it"
Twenty-four hours later the leading
man of the village, and the owner CT
the little factory there, who, years be-
fore, when poor boy, had stranded
down from Vermont to this little
hamlet, eccentric and brusque, but
kind-hearted, keen-eyed, and observ-
ant of all that was going on within
his domain, was walking along the
street and met g. bright-eyed and
sprightly lad of 10 speeding ahead
with that amusing, unconscious, con-
sequential air that boy carries with
his first brand-new pair of boots.
"Old Sam" Whittier, as this gentle
man was familiarly called, not by
reason of advanced age by any means
but because of his supremacy as the
mill-owner and employer of all the
help in the hamlet. took in the situa
ton at a glance, and called out to the
absorbed child,
"Hullo, youngster! where dye gel
them fellers?'
"Teacher gave them to me, sir" ant
the lads tattered cap came quickly off
and he stood with it in his han3
"Does she buy boots for all the boy
in the school?" he growled out.
Guess not; but she bought Jo
Briggs speller and Jane Cass al
arithmetic, and she gives away stack!
of slate-pen ellis and paper and ink, ano
such things"
"What made her go and buy then
nice boots for you?"
"She said she wanted to, sir; ant
when said l had no money to pa,
her for them, she said she'd rather b.
paid in perfect lessons; and l will tr,
my best to pay for them in that way
you may be sure, sir"
"Pretty good sort of teacher. i
she, bub?"
"Oh, yes, indeed! 1 guess she mus
be the best teacher that ever lived, 81
she tells US about 50 many thing
that we never knew before; and sh
wants us to be good and honest an,
not tell lies, and she says we shall b
men and women by and by, and sh
wants us boys to know something S,
we can own factories our own selve
some time. The other teachers we'v
had only heard our lessons and let u
90, but she's so different
"Well, well, bub. l shall have t
think this business over little. No,
run along, and go to scratchin' owe
them perfect lessons / don't SUI
pose you'll find person in Shattucl
vile better judge of perfect lessons
or how much they are worth, both t
the teacher and to the scholar. tina
Old Sam Whittier. So, bub. loo
after your ways, and I shall look afte
you"
The next morning little note wri
ten in a coarse business hand wa
dispatched to the teacher by the han
of one of the children. 1t ran as fo
lows:
MISS WAIT: / have heard of SON
rather uncommon proceedings on you
part as teacher toward your scholar
l would like to inquire of you person
ally as to particulars. Will you 4
me the favor to run over to my hou:
directly after the close of your scho
this afternoon.
SAMUEL WHITTIER"
what can l have doneT" though
that little teacher. in such a peturbt
state of mind that she corrected Johl
nv Shows mistake in his multiple
tion by telling him seven times nil
was ffty-four. Indeed. she let Il
mistake go so long that every lit
hand belonging to the second primal
class was stretched up in a frenzy
excitement. Let me see; what is
have done the past week? l switc
ed Robbie Baker pretty smartly, to