The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-23
evidently this was the moment to call

IN SCLooi W oTucT, auO Sne O1O so.
Every scholar settled quietly into his
seat, except three great hullking fellows,
dressed in coarse grey pants and blue
and white homcspun frocks belted with
wide leather belts, which looked like
nothing SO much as a saddle girth.
These three still stood with their backs
to the little box stove, balancing their
heels now and again against the hot iron,
which Missed and spluttered rs the snow
melted from them.
Miss Grey went about quietly taking
the names of the pupils, with.a pleasant
word and smile for each, until she
reached the young men who still stood
by the stove. They gave their names
gruffly, and with averted eyes. They
were Bill and Chef and jeff Fisher,
and were aged respectively %, 20 and
10 years.
when your feet are good and warm,
you will help yourselves to seats, will
you not2' the teacher said. pleasantly,
then added: "but don't hurry, because
it is still cold ut the back of the room,
and you will have to sit in the back
row because you arc so tall" She
smiled rs she said so, and this time she
caught their eyes. "Iguess know some
mother that is proud of her big boys"
she added in an undcrtonc as She held
her hand out toward the warmth Of the
stove. "Did size do all this weaving9'
she inquired, touching the scant frock-
sleeve of the elder brother. 81 used to
help my mother weave just such cloth
when she was living" she said softly;
Il always liked to work in wooden
yarns" Again She glanced up with her
bright soft smile, that was this time sad
dencd by tae memory Of her mothers
death, and was met by three pair of
eyes, all bent earnestly and sympathetic
ally full upon her.
h 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 should not
make haste to take their seats, but
should wait until their feet were quite
warm, they instantly spurncd the idea
of the possibility of cold feet, and after
a nod to each other they walked quietly
to their places.
AS the 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 a very
orderly school.
The new teacher had brought n little
silver bell which she tapped before she
called the classes, and when she called
the hoo 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 a sense of
proprietorship about it 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"
she said;'"I opened school twenty min
utcs before nine, and now Mt twenty
minutes of twelve VIC will close. The
afternoon session will begin ut one
o'clock as usual. You are now excused"
Books and states had beer hurriedly
tucked into the desks, and now Il shout
and flourish of caps hailed the hour of
lntermission 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.
Miss Grey ate her dinner in silence,
and then took out some soft fluffy ma
terial that looked to the eyes of the
wondering girls almost like a 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 u half smile dImpled
the corners of her mouth rs one after
another of the girls gathered about her
with shy, inquiring eyes.
Iilury 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 chattcring all
about her, but how could it be done?
Tho girl would not bear coaxing, would
scorn a soft word, and as for dainty
crochetcd fascinators, she hated the
sight of all name of pretty things.
Had she not worn coarse, faded clothes,
and that horrible old brown ''pump-
kin" hood ever since she could re.
member9
Suddenly a bright thought occurred
70 Miss Grey. The old box stove was
ugly, as we'll as immense, and the
door hung by one hinge, so it 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,
n thing that was always accomplished
with much bang and c%latter. Now
Miss Grey. LAYING her work aside went