Connecticut western news., 1885-09-02
An Uncommon Proceeding.

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 Shattuckyilie, 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, dearl Tommy Howe's red toes sticking so pathetically through those old gaping shoes fairly haunt me. I wonder if, in all this prosper ous. busy village, there is no way of getting that poor child decently clad. I must think it over and see what I can do about 1t. 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 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 mfll-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,
 aHullo. youngsterl where dye get them fellersY
 "Teacher gave them to me, sir, ;" and the lads tattered cap came quickly of, and he stood with it in his hand.
 "Does she buy boots for all the boys in the school ?" he growled out. 
 Guess not; but she bought Joe Briggs 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?'
 s'She said she wanted to, sir; and when I said had no money to pay her for them, she said she'd rather be paid in perfect lessons; and will try my best to pay for them in that way, you may be sure. sir.''
 "Pretty good sort of teacher, fl she, bub?"
 ''Oh, yes, indeedl I guess she must be the best teacher that ever lived, sil --she tells us about so many things that we never knew before; and sht wants us to be good and honest ant not tell lies, and she says we shall b, men and women by and by, and sht wants us boys to know something SC
 
 we can own factories our own selves some time. The other teachers we'v had only heard our lessons and let u go, but she's so differentr'
 "Well, well, bub. l shall have t think this business over little Nov run along, and 20 to scratchin' ove them perfect lessons I don't sup pose you'll find person in Shattuck vile better judge of perfect lessons or how much they are worth, both t the teacher and to the scholar. tha old Sam Whittier. So,. bub. lool after your ways. and shall look afte you"
 The next morning little note writ ten in a coarse business hand wa dispatched to the teacher by the han of one of the children. It ran as fo lows:
 'tMIss WAIT: I have heard of som rather uncommon proceedings on you part as teacher toward your scholar I would like to inquire of you person ally as to particulars. Will you d me the favor to run over to my hous directly after the close of your schot this afternoon.
 'sSAMUEL WHITTIER"
 sWhat can I have doneY' though that little teacher, in such peturbe state of mind that she corrected Johl ny Shows mistake In his multiplic ton by telling him seven times nil was hfty-four. Indeed. she let u mistake go so long that every lit hand belonging to the second primal class was stretched up in frenzy excitement. "Let me see; what is I have done the past weekp swite sd Robbie Baker pretty smartly, to sure-and kept ssm Woodruff aft