News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-02-18

stove. "Did she do all this weaYing?'
she inquired, touching the soant frQck-
sleeve of the elder brother, II used tc
help my mother weave just such cloth
when she was living,p she said softly
81 always liked to work in woolen
yarns" Again she glanced up with heI
bright soft smile, that was this time sad
dened by the memory of her mothers
death, and was met by three pair OF
eyes, all bent earnestly and sympathetic
ally full upon her.
The young men were not really cold
they had not stayed by the stove for the
sake of comfort, but to show that they
paid no regard to the call to order. But
now that she had said they ahould not
make haste to take their seats, but
should wait until their feet were quito
warm, they instantly spurned the idea
of the possibility of cold feet, end after
a nod to each other they walked quietly
to their places
AS tho "Fisher boys" had long been
a sort of mental barometer to the rest of
the school, the other scholars seeing
them take out their books quietly and
go about their studies, did likewise,
and, as q result, Miss Grey had very
orderly school.
The new teacher had brought little
silver bell which she tapped before she
called the classes, and when she called
the school to order, or dismissed it.
This bell was an entire novelty on
Scrabble Hill, no scholar ever having
seen the like before, and, odd as it may
seem, the effect was magical. This was
not the thump Of the old ruler beaten on
the desk to enforce quiet, or against the
window-sash to call the scholars In
from recess and there was Q sense of
proprietorship about 1t that seemed to
lift the entire school out of the old
level
Promptly at twenty minutes of twelve
Miss Grey tapped the bell sharply.
"You may now put up your books, u
she said; ~ opened school twenty min
utes before nino, and now at twenty
minutes of twelve we will close, The
afternoon session will begin at one
o'clock as usual, You are now excused. y
Books and states had been hurriedly
tucked into the desks, and now shout
and flourish of caps hailed the hour of
intermission. The boys rushed out Of
doors, while the girls, opening their
dinner pals, gathered in groups to dis
cuss the new teacher, and to guess and
speculate on the policy of Tilury Kent
and the Fisher boys.
TiIury herself stood apart from the
rest, her grimy hands folded before her,
as she kicked the skirt of her faded
print dress in and out with the toe of
her coarse shoe.
Miss Grey ate her dinner in silence,
| A,,ffr
| terial that looked to the eyes of the
wondering girls almost like drift of
new fallen snow. But it was not snow,
| and Miss Gray arranged her crochet
| hook and began to work.
She had thought of the possibility of
this awkward incoming when she select
ed this especial piece of work before
leaving home, and half smile dimplcd |
the corners of her mouth as one after /
anqhs5 Of the 5s qthered about her
Ti,ury Kent leaned against the win
dow casing, the sullen look deepening |
on her face, and the teacher shrewdly |
guessed that this was the girl to be most
afraid of, She wished to engage her
attention and bring her into the crowd
of girls that were now chattoring all
about her, but how could it be done?
The girl would not bear coaxing, would
scorn soft word, and as for dainty
crocbeted fasoinators, she hated the
sight OF all manner of pretty things.
Had she not worn coarse, faded clothes,
and that horrible old brown pump
kin" hood ever since she could re-
member2
Suddenly a bright thought occurred
to Miss Grey. The old box stove was
Nhn
door hung by one hinge, SO 1t had been
the custom of the teachers to set the
larger boys to put in the big chunks
of wood, and close and prop the door,
a thing that was always accomplished
with much bang and clatter. Now
Miss Grey, laying her work aside, went
down to the stove and began putting in
one of tho hugo blocks. 1t was too
heavy for her small hands, and tore the
delicate skin with its Jagged splinters.
Looking up to Tilury she said: "Wlll
you help me, please it is so heavy"
It Is doubtful whether anyone had
ever addressed the girl in that way be-
fore. for pleasant words and small polite
nesses had not fallen to her lot in life.
She sprang forward eagerly and caught
the great stick in her hands, and with
the strength of small Amazon flung it
into the bed of burning Goals, and kicked
the door together after it.
"Why, how strong you are" Miss
Groy exclaimed In unfeigned astonish-
mont, as she wiped tho drops of blood
from her lacerated fingers. Then seeing
Tilury draw her hand across her dress
front, the teacher noticed that her hand
; also bled.
'You have torn your hand, too, " Miss
| Grey said; ''come here and weu patch
| up our wounds together. I've some court
plaster in my satchel."
, The girl laughed and tucked her hand
, behind her as she resumed her place al
0 the window.
A "See," the teacher said, holding ou
her hand, "Ive three scratches on thl:
hand. Let me see yours, for ! am t.
q blame for your getting hurt. Please
Y let me look at it.
, Tilury glanced at the palm of be
/ hand and then suddenly held 1t out
/ at aches,p she said, bluntly.
"Why, poor childp the teacher cried
81 should think it would ache. Tha'
/ Is dreadful silver, let me try to get
G out; I'm so sorry:o
Miss Grey got her tiny pearl HANDLED
! knife and began to dig 1t out.
/ Scan you bear the pain2' she asked
O holding the hand tightly in her own.
G "Y-yesl ~ the girl answered, making
/ light of It. But the hurt was q sever
one. and O woman of less nerve th.l
q Miss GREY could never have succeeded
/ In taking out the silver and o girl witt
[ less strength of will could never hav
/. borne 1t SO heroicallY. Miss Gre
Il bathed the hand with cologne and GOV
It cred the wound with strip of court
u plaster, while she praised the girl fo
}. her courage, and petted her because o
IS her pain, until, for once, 1llury was IN
J. heroine of the school-room.
g 1t was almost time to call the schOc
h for the afternoon session when Mis-
@ GRAY took a final look at the disable
l. hand, now carefully wrapped up In on
IS of her own prettiest handkerchiets. Th
ir girls still clustered about them.
l, ."Why, Tilury Kent, what lovely fiji
W ger nails you havel" she cried. ''Yo
must not bite them off once again, an
Q let me show you how to trim thei
At prettily. never saw prettier nails, di
le you girls ~
ID Tiiurv snatched her hand away an
es hid it behind her.
~ 9TH ain'tl" she said Grossly; "Jab'
r, calls 'em cats'-claws, an Polly 50!
I'd they're skeleton bones, jes' like Sall
Thomases l hate 'em!"
n, "Tabez calls them SO because they a1
ill so thin. And that is one great beaut
i