The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-09-03
THE LOST WATCH.
How It Was Restored to It's
- Owner.

- owner.
Greta lay awake half the night,
thinking about watch she had lost the
previous afternoon Miss Sadie Am
bier, her Southern friend, had lent it to
her so that she might know the time
while she and her companion were in
the woods. Greta could not imagine
how she had lost it. She was one of
those impulsive girls who spend a great
deal of energy in repairing mistakes
the next best thing, doubtless, to not
making them. Her age was only fif-
teen. Her father was a physician,
whose failing health had caused him
to leave the Massachusetts coast for
the pine woods of North Carolina. The
latter were favored resort, near min
eral springs, and many Northern
guests spent their winters there.
Miss Amber received news of the
loss of her watch with philosophical
kindness. AS the watch, in spite of a
vigorous search, was not found, Greta
resolved if possible in some way to'make
sufficient money to buy another. Her
father was poor, and she could not ask
him to make good the loss. So one
morning, week later, she called on
the president of the school board of
the county, and asked him to give her
the situation Of teacher of the colored
school the townspeople were intending.
to start in a few days. The gentle
man, after looking keenly at her, at
first said that she was too young
Then, remembering how difficult it
was to procure q teacher for such a
school, he said she might have it tenn
porarily. Greta thanked him, and
went home rejoicing. Her parents
made no objection to her plan. At
last the opening day came, and she
started for the school, feeling a good
deal like Columbus, when nobody be-
Ileved he was going to succeed.
"Do you turn to the right here to get
to the school-houseP" she asked of a
white workman she met in the road.
"Yes, miss. Then 90 up the hill.
then down again; then turn to the left,
and thar it is. Is you uns the Yankee
schoolma'amP' cycling her curiously.
mo, you uns amt nothin' but a cal,
like my Liz" He laughed pleasantly
as he said this.
Greta felt somewhat disturbed by
this; nevertheless, she saw that he
meant no disrespect. So she replied
with bow, and walked quickly by.
While she was yet some distance away
from the scene of her future labors, she
heard noise like the repeated flinging
down of heavy bodies; then screams
of ''He! he! he! Yah! hi! oH!" Then,
as she entered the open door of the
school-house, profound silence ensued.
The pupils were most of them flat ON
the floor, where they had been enjoy
ing prolonged scufile.
'Good-morning, childrenw said the
new teacher, walking into the room
with studied dignity.
The children rose hastily, and re-
turned the salutation. Two or three
OF them replied: 'Good-mornine, teach
err IN sheepish way. Others bowed
very low, scraping the floor with their
bare feet and said: "'Mornin', mis-
tissl"
please take your places at the
desks, Immediately" she said, in severe
accent, wishing to awe her pupils at
the start, so they would not have a
suspicion that their teacher, in spite of
her long dress and tucked-up hair, was
mere child.
Then she stopped to count them;
there were twenty boys and girls.
Some of the girls were in gala attire,
with new bright calico aprons on, and
their heads looking very fluffy and BIG,
the usual plaits of their working-days
all carded out and tied with gay bits of
ribbon.
The little girl nearest to her looked
up in her face with an irrepressible
giggle, and exclaimed, as if from the
very fulneSs of her heart:
"You is pretty, and you looks lis
like alady what glib me five cents las
summer"
"Ain't she SWEET" another cried out,
to the imminent danger of the disci-
pline Miss Bond was struggling to es-
tablish.
"Hesh your black mouf!' command
ed one of the larger boys, savagelv.
Cant you see the teacher wants Yer
to keep quietP"
Here Greta touched q bell she found
on the table in front of her. "Chil-
dren, l shall expect implicit obedience
from every one of YOU
''What am pltcitn" she heard in q
whisper somewhere:
IL shall expect perfect obedience from
you, and ifyou are good and obey me,
we shall, think. get along nicely to-
gether Now 1 will begin school by
taking your names. Come up, one by
one, as you are sitting"
First, a boy stepped up brisklv.
Greta had brought blank book to use
for this purpose,
What is your name and age?" she
asked him.
Use named Mahaly's Cupid"
What is your last nameP"
Cupid" he replied, confidently.
mo, that is your first name"
You means Mahaly, den, don'i
you, ladyP She's my mother. aint
got no mo- name dan dat Ibis al
Mars Jim S, an dey calls me Mahaly'
Cupid"
She wrote thatdown. "How old are
you?'
Dunno, lady. / disremembers.
''Are you temp"
81 reckon l is. l was right smart
big when de wah (war) done broke. ]
members when ole Uncle Nick died
Nanny says dat was in de wah. He
die oh dropsy on de chist, an | run an
burn up my little chist what brought
my cloes in from Firginny, cause
didn't want to git de dropsy an die OF
itn.-~p