Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-09-04
An Uncommon Proceeding,

"How 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:
ooh, dear! Tommy IIowes red
toes sticking so pathetically through
those old gaping shoes fairly haunt
me. l wonder 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 Of
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 a bright-eyed and
sprightly lad of 10 speeding ahead
with that amusing. unconscious, con
sequential air that a 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-
tion at a glance, and called out to the
absorbed child,
"Ilullo. youngster! where dye get
them fellers?'
Teacher gave them tome, sir, and
the lads tattered cap came quickly off,
and he stood with it in his hanG
Does she buy boots for all the boys
in the SCHOOL," he growled out.
Guess not: but she bought Joe
.,riggs a speller and Jane Cass an
arithmetic, and she gives away stacks
of slate-pencils and paper and ink, and
such things"
What made her go and buy them
nice boots for you?'
"She said she wanted to, sir; and
when said | had no money to pay
her for them, she said she'd rather be
paid in perfect lessons; and l will try
my best to pay for them in that wav
you may be sure, sir"
pretty good sort Of teacher is
she, bub?"
"Oh, yes, indeed! l guess she must
oe the best teacher that ever lived. sir
She tells us about so many things
that we never knew before; and she
wants us to be good and honest and
not tell lies, and she says we shall be
men and women by and by, and she
wants us boys to know something so
we can own factories our own selves
some time. The other teachers we've
had only heard our lessons and let us
60, but she's SO different"
"Well, well, bub. | shall have to
think this business over a little. Now
run along, and go to scratchin' over
them perfect lessons. | don't sup
pose you'll find person in Shattuck-
vile better Judge of perfect lessons,
Or how much they are worth, both to
the teacher and to tho scholar. than
Old Sam Whittier So bub, look
after your ways, and | shall look after
YOU"
The next morning a little note writ
ten in a coarse business hand was
dispatched to the teacher by the hand
Of one of the children. 1t ran as fol
lows:
rather S Sno MAlr; | have heard of some
NA "nSohlhAon proceedin,,. -. -
part as a teacher toward vong x on on your
would like to inquire IL -. 9eAei arr
ally as to particulars. VIZ p56 u
me the favor to run over to my house
directly after the close of your school
this afternoon.
SAMUEL WHITTIER
"What can have done?" thought
that little teacher, in such peturbed
state of mind that she corrected John
ny Shows mistake in his multiplied
tion by telling him seven times nine
was ffty-four. Indeed. she let the
mistake go so long that every little
hand belonging to the second primary
class was stretched up in a frenzy Of
excitement. Let me see; what Is il
/ have done the past week? I switch
ed Bobbie Baker pretty smartlv. to be
sure-and | kept Sam Woodruff after