Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-07
WHAT BROKE UP THE SCHOOL

hi'' Nthul IdSstu u DNtlo
white house, standing endwise, TO the road
aud enclosed IN a rather dilapida,ed fence
eyes, that's where you'll hold FORTH" re-
piled Uncle Ieke woodburn, "but I'm
afeord you won't hold out long, fur we've
got tho toughest set Of boys In the state" and
Uncle Ieko gave kind Of cracking little
laugh ~ he thought OF the timid, domure
little dansol at his side controlling tho boys
of Bear Creek school.
"But don't the directors oxpel them when
they are beyond tho control oi tho teacher ~
asked Alice her heart beginning TO sink at
the prospect before her.
"Expel 'em no, we never eNpol nobody
IL a teacher can't boss the school we Just let
1t boss him it Amt our fight, and the school
here generally bosses tho teacher, and thar's
been some purity good mon licked In that
school house by tho boys"
"I did not know the school wasso unruly,"
said poor Alice, wishing heartily sbo had
hired out AZ a washerwoman Instead OF try
ing to teach the savages Of Bear Creek.
"Oh, well, mobbe IL won't be so bad thus
winter; there's jim Turner, he's one OF the
toughest of 'em; he'll be twenty-one in "A
month, aud you'll get rid of him, but there's
the Bradley boys, they are mighty nigh as
bad
Poor Alice listened with sinking heart.
The cold, hard duties before her were dreary
enough at best; but to go alone and unknown
into strange neighborhood to teach her first
school, aud to DO met at the outset by such
dark prophecies made her feel homeless in
deed
She was naturally timid, shrinking little
thing and If she had possessed anywhere ON
the whole broad earth a roof to shelter her,
she would have turned back from the Bear
Creek school even then.
But sue had no home. Her mother had
died when she was but fourteen, and she had
kept house for her father two years when he
died. leaving Alice all alone. Before his
death he advised her to cXpend the little
sum he would b. able to leave her in hitting
herself for teacher, and Alice had iu!nlled
his request so literally that when she had
completed her course OF study at the Normal
school she had barely ten dollars lett, and
when she paid Uncle Ieke for hauling her and
her little trunk from the nearest railroad
town to the district where she was to teach
she had but i've dollars left.
On Monday morning ~ she started for the
school house she felt Ak if she going to
the scAtiOld her course OF pedagogtcs in the
Normal institute had included no such prob
lem a. this school promised TO be, and, 1t 1t
were not for the very shame, she would have
gwen her single five dollar Dill to take her
back to the railroad aud pay her fare to H.,
the town where she had attended school
When she arrived at the school houseaOout
twenty or thirty pupils were grouped around
talking but spell of silence fell upon them
as she walked up and greeted them with
'good morning." which was more lke the
chirp of frightened bird than anything
else, As she unlocked the door and entere u
what she had already begun TO regard as
chamber OF torture, three or four slowly FOL
lowed her into the room and deposited their
books upon the whitfield desks, took seats and
fixed their eyes upon her with a steady stare
that did not hel to strengthen her nerves.
All the rules and regulations OF her theory
and practice for "opeDing school the urst
day seemed to vanish and leave her braln
whirring in dizzy helplessnesS. she tried 10
think of some cheerful remark, but her brain
refused to fern the thought aud her tongue
Glove to the roof OF her mouth. She could
see in tho faces of her pupils, most OF whom
were now in the school room, that they were
aware OF her fright and enjoyed 1t thorough,
ly. BY a strong effort she partially recovered
herself and bravely resisted the temptation
| 10 lean her head on the desk.an have good
| cry. She felt that she must do something or
| faint, so she rang the bell, although IL lacked
| fifteen minutes of nine. She then began TAX
| ing down the names and ages of the pupils,
| and by the time this was completed she be-
gan to feel more at ease. She then began eN-
amining the pupils in the different branches
| in order to assign them to their proper
| classes. She had finished tho examination
| in all the branches except the advanced read
| ing class, which was principally composed ol
| grown girls and young men among whom
| was the terrible Jim Turner, OF whom she
had been warned.
| several of the class had read, and it wa'
now the turn OF Moses Bradley, huge
| heavy-set fellow, with small, malicious eyes
and a general air of rutlianlsIn.
| When he was called upon to read he did
| not rise from his seat but began to read in 4
| thick, indlstinct voice from book hidden il
| his lap.
| "MT. Bradley, will you please stand NJ
| when YOU read ?'' asked Alice.
| al can read lest as well settin' down. re
| n lad the tpl low. with a dOEHel air,
| "But it is ono OF the rules in a reading
| class to stand up TO read said Alice, hel
| heart quaking with fear as she loresaw the
| inCipient rebellion.
| 81 reckon YOU will have to make new
| rule tor me, them" impudently answered
| Nose, glaucing sideways at his companions
| with q grin of triumph.
"If YOU do not obey me shall be obliget
to punish you," said Alice, Drayeiy, although
she could scarcely stand up.
| Il guess all the Furnishing you could dc
| wouldn't break any Of my bones retortc'
| the ruttaiu, leeTing at her impudentIy.
| "But can break your bones Tor you II
| half minute and I'll do it. it you don
stand up and read as the teacher asks yol
| to-" said a voice at the other end OF the class
| aud Alice looked in that direction and say
| Jim Turner step from the class ana lace III
| aStonished Nose.
| Moses insOlent manner abated in an in
| staut, his face turned pale, and he muttere
| something about not being bossed by othe
| bows, but he stood up as ne was commanded
| Alice could have kissed her young champio
| for very gratitude but she mustered all III
| dignity she could command and said " Nj
| Turner, [ cannot allow you to interfere
! the management of my school /; take you
seat" The youth obeyed her without
| word, but kept his eye on Nose as II watct
ing for any delinquency. Alter this litt
| episode the exercises proceeded without II
| terruptiOn till noon.
Alice had no appetite for dinner. 81
| leaned her throbbing head upon the desk an
| wondered YEARLY how long she could endul
, | this.
, She was aroused by one of the little gir
r | rushing up TO her, eXclaiming " Teache
3 | teacher, the big boys are lighting " She iC
| lowed the child, eNclaiming "oh, why d
q | | ever come into such den OF wild beasts
| At the rear of the school house stood Ji
r | Turner engaged in a hand-to-hand comb
3 | with Nose Bradley and his two brother
) | both of whom were grown. AZ Alice slepp'
. | around the corner Jim sent Nose reellng
T. | the earth, and then turned like lion up
o | the two remaining assailants. They rush
|, | at him from two Sides but Jim was active
h | "A panther, and Bill Bradley fell as ii 81
d | from a leit-handed blow, and his brotl
It | Tom followed him in an Instant. BY q
v time Nose had secured a ball bat and rush
If | upon Jim, but the latter eyaded the bio
is | wrenched the bat from his hand a
l, | knocked Nose headlong with blow ol
70 fist
As the discomfited trio rose, jim laugh
lightly, and asking them " how they Ink
il as lar as they had got" picked up the
vi he had wrenched from Nose, and call
IN out {" Come on, boys, let's have game
IS | ball