The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-23
.SCRABBLE-HILL DEESTRIC,
by MAUDE

"There amt a mite O. use talkin'.
Deacon Whipum, there amt no gal I'M
der the sun that can manage our school.
There's three great hefty fcllcrs been
licked and turned out ont, hand run
min, and its no arthly use"
oval, now I tell ye, Mis- Fisher,
tibet there gals got grit; and she jes'
hes got the most conoinci' way with
her that ever yc see. I'll rcsk her to
kerry the school through in good shape,
sec + she don'tm
b "E-r TT" Mrs. Fisher answered
with an ominous shaking of the head.
"You're just sot on havin' on 'er, that's
what blinds you. Now there's Tilury
Kent, dye 'sposc a young gals a goin'
to handle her, when them great men
folks could't do q thing with 'er? Itcll
ye, we've just wasted yer time fur moth
In foolin' around artcr n woman teach
er, even eff you could get her n little
cheaper. The dcestric' is glad enough
to get a teacher cheap, but what we've
got to have is some one as kin ies' tick.
en- right dowm tot. An you know
thet's wells 1 do"
"Thet's jest what I tole the deacon"
Mrs. Whipum added meekly, glancing
furtively toward where the deacon sat.
"Now there's my boys" Mrs. Fisher
resumed, they're no ways bad boys,
they mind me; but I know jes' how'tll
be, they jes' naturally won't pay a grain
OF 'tention to a fddle-faddlin' sort of
q gal, an it won't be nnY blame, nuthcr.
1t they don't, Deacon Whipum."
"Y-c-s, they do mind what YOU tell
'em--sometimcs, the deacon said. with
a merry twinkle in his sharp grey eyes.
'Rut bcin' as its winter, the school
marin won't have the advantage that
you do, seein' there amt no rake-stales
round Mt this time o. year."
oval, Idon't deny I have took rake
states to 'em, more particularly when
I've been rakin' after the cart, but that's
5es' what boys need. That's what I've
been q tellin' on yc."
WAL, wal, we'll see how the school,
marin m out. And you can jes' tell
'em lat school commences the fust Mon
day a ter Thankgivin', an tell your
boys to be on hand sharp" And as
though to end the agument, the deacon
took his hat down from the nail, and
went out to attend to his chores.
After that the gossip drifted off into
different channels by guests doing the
talking and mild, rcticcnt Mrs. WHIP
UNI listening attentively.
"The first Monday arter Thankseiv-
ing found the little brown school
house we'll filled with half-grown girls.
and a larger crowd of boys clustered
about the outer door. Surely the
scholars were prompt enough on this
first morning. at least; and the bows
were trying, in their stupid way, to
sharpen their dull wits at each others
expense, a process that had all the
charm Of novelty, since they had for
the most part been widely separated
during the working season.. They were
also anticipating a little coarse though
lively fun when Deacon Whipum should
drive up with his lame old mare and the
antiquated yellow pung, that had done
service since long before the earliest
recollections of any of them. Not that
the boys disliked the deacon, not in the
least; he was a very genial and popular
man, but they were unmistakably vul-
nerable points about the deacon's turn
out, n they saw an opportunity to en-
barrass the new teacher, and thus
"score a point" at the very outset.
But while t ey stood shivering about
the door, kicking the new snow from
their cold feet, and wiping their red
noses, a gay jangle of bells cut through
the frosty dir, and a handsome horse
and cutter-the very hundsomest the
children had ever seen-dashed up to
the door, and an equally handsome
young man sprang out and assisted a
pretty little lady to alight.
."You have a nice crowd of bows.
Miss Grey" the young man said in a
nall undcrtone, yet somehow sufficiently
loud to reach the ears of the gapin1
boys-'and am sure you will have q
splendid school. Well come up to visit
your school one of these days"
"ics, l aEl to have q nice. big school
and they told me they were Splendid
scholars, too;so hope you will all come
up to sec us bv-an-by.n
The little ..school-marm" smiled and
glanced pleasantly around at the crowd
OF scholars TIM; clustered about tho
door, and utter * merry good-by the
young man drove off, and she entered
the scliool-housc
AS she hung hcs h.s and cloak on the
nail back Of tia teachers desk and
turned to her scho. ar. she noticed that
a profound. s.as;a Ind fallen upon them.
A glance at her watch showed that II
yet lacked tYehsy minutes of nine, but