Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-03
Written for The EVENING STAR.
LITTLE MISS JOYCE.
BY MEM LINTON.
ICOpyrighted. 1851

We lived in School District No. q. It had
gained an unenviable reputation for disorderly
conduct, and it was difficult TO secure and keep
q teacher for any length of time. This state of
affairs had been brought about by several half
grown boys, well in their teens, who had never
had any training at home, and, consequently,
were ungovernable at school and a nuisance in
the community. The last teacher had resigned
and gone away in disgust before the term was
out My father was one of the Board of Direc-
tors. The board met with only one application
to consider. When my father came home we
besieged him with questions concerning the new
teacher.
"I think" said he, with mock gravity, swell
have order out of chaos. now; there's a look in
her eye that means business"
"Reubenr' said my mother with anxious So
hcitude, wouldn't 1t have been better to have
hired a man teacher this term?"
1--WE had no choice, my dear. There was no
other applicant. And now. boys turning t o
Mark and me. "when you can't be gentlemen at
school" putting good deal of emphasis on the
word, insisting that it covered the whole
ground, "l'll put you to work on the farm"
That caution was all we needed. We knew he
meant business, too.
This was the middle OF the week. There was
nothing seen or heard of Miss Joyce-that was
her name-till the following Monday morn.
ing. We were gathered in little knots about
the school yard wondering what she ,couId be
like anyway, when a carriage drove up; lady
alighted, walked briskIy up the path, throwing
. CHEEKY good morning right and left. unlocked
the school house door and went in. The driver
followed her with a large basket. I think if a
bomb shell had exploded in our midst, we
would not have been more completely amazed.
"Poohr' said Nat Green, the leader of the out
lawry, at last drawing long breath, al could
pick her MP with one hand and put her in my
pocket"
er walk?' cried the mimic Sam Wilder, rum
ming a little ways and jumping up and clapping
his hands together.
"Uncle Sambo. where's your glasses?" said
Pete dorsey. Your mosquito is only harm
less title gRdf."
Thes, saIlies excited peals of laughter, which
had scarcely died away when the bell rang
and we marched in and took our places. 1t
would be difficult to say just what the scholars
expected to see in the new teacher.
That IL was something entirely different
readily showed But i can only speak def
nitely In regard to myself. Remembering
what my father had said, There's look in
her eye that means business" and also remem-
bering that her predecessors, as far as knew,
had all been of generous proportions. had
framed this portrait in my "mind's eyer
A tall, raw-boned, muscular woman of at
least 35, with steelblue eyes. to whom the
darkest deception was as the lace OF a cobweb
And there she was, not my portrait surely,
but the new teacher nevertheless, and not a
whit taller than our Mary Marthy. 1 never
when he sketched
THE smallest woman alive"
without thinking of her as she stood on the
platform that Monday morning. A diminutive
shine and dimples, laughing brown eyes and
an abundance of fluffy, gold-brown hair rolled
into glstening coil high on the head. This
last. presume, was a device 10 increase her
stature. She did not look day over Is, but
We afterward learned that she had just turned
her 25th birthday When she spoke it was
like listening to a chime of bells, so musical
and so perfectly mOdulated were the tones of
her voice. She spoke with simple directness
"My dear pupils. / am Miss Joyce, your
teacher for this term 1 am very glad to see
you all. have brought a heart full of love for
along admirably together ana do each other
good 1t is always my custom to open school
and asking his guidance and blessing on our
efforts for the day. We will repeat it together,
please"
She followed the beautiful prayer to the end,
but not a voice joined hers. know you could
have heard pin drop, the silence was so pro-
peated in our family circle and in the pulpit as
tar back as i could remember but never with
such power and pathos as that. 1t was an in
spiration, and deity brought out such realistic
spiritual meanings as had never dreamed it
possessed. felt my heart made so tender that
i knew could shed tears II were not a boy II
years old and too big for that sort of thing.
on, wonderful, magnetic power! And will
rows. The spirit of the Master was working in
our midst threw one hurried glance about
H.
with the corner of her blue gingham apron:
st. Clafrs face-usually his black eyes were
dancing with mischief-wore a solemn, wistful
look that had never seen on il before: Nat
Green had his lack 10 the school and was look
ing out OF the window across rolling stretch
OF prairie motionless as stone. / knew some
other hearts were made tender well as my
own. This knowledge only tended to enhance
the effect on myself could bear it no longer
My eyes were already Overlooking. i leaned
my elbows on my desk and dropped my face in
my hands. while the big drops fell in little,
x~ffff ri
was not conscious of the lapse of time till a
SOFT hand was laid on my head and her voice
that divinely inspired voice-said with thrill
ing earnestness:
land as He passed by He saw Matthew sit
ting at the receipt OF custom, and said unto
HIM, Follow me- And he arose and followed
Him. Be as ready my boy, thy namesake
OF old, TO follow the call OF the Master
and reads this Story, / would like her to know
that i date my first call TO eyangelistic life
70 her timely dropping OF those words. 1t was
seed Sown in good ground. and am thankful
To know that it has borne some fruit. paul
may plant and Apollos may water, but it is God
she passed so quietly and so gently from one
to another, saying just the right word in the
what was, oh. So wonderfully interesting and in
structive that the forenoon slipped away almost
before we knew il.
81 see IL IS high noon" she said, looking at her
watch-a tiny affair, as though made expressly
for her Now we'll adjourn TO that noble syc-
amore yonder and have picnic together. Ma
than.' turning on Nat Green a face like a sun
BEAM She invariably called us by our right
names, and IL was always a mystery how she
knew so much about us from the start; but
know now that on that day of the meeting
father in few words explained TO her where
the difficulty lay. Being gifted with wonderful
tntuitiye powers and a strange. but vital mag
Detism, she was mistress of the situation from
the moment We came within her presence
Father was keenly O0servant and must have
detected this; for he gave her 10 understand
also that day that she was to make our house
her home as long as SIZE remained, which she
always did.
Nathan. will you be good enough to assist
me with this basket?'
1t was a large and filled to the brim, as
We could see from the bullying lids.
MAI looked embarrassed, but pleased with
the preference shown him, took the basket
from her hand and led the way. Well. we mad
q feast MT tor a queen that noon from the solid
substantiais down 10 the most toothsome French
caraIneIs. And all the time she kept up a run
ming flow OF aneedote and story, both humor-
Gus and pathetic.
isn't she just splendid?" was the verdict of
all when she had Withdrawn and left US to our
selves Even Nat Green was far drawn out
OF himself as 10 exclainl with some show of
thing like her nohow, an specially when she's
so jolly, too"
In the afternoon classes were organized and
the terms work outlined; the whole was sea-
soned with more interesting talk, and when
the nrst scnOol day closed were ali agreed
that We mad never spent happier day in our
IVES Inc three outlaws skulked home: but the
next morning they were punctually ON time
anu uuuSl heT wise management they became