The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-10-27

ing session opened, believe, that Mrs.
Sampson came in to see me about some
little matter in regard to her boy. Now,
few months ago | took tea at her
house, and l saw Charlie Che is six or
seven years old) raise his hand again
and again, threatening to strike his
mother when she denied him some
little dainty ut the table, or asked him
to do something which he did not like.
1t was quite shock to me, and Imade
up my mind to give few lessons to
my classes in respect to older people,
even if | fell behind few pages in the
spelling-book. Since then | have
obliged the boys to speak politely to
me when / met them at home or
abroad, and to be gentle and respect
full in the schoolroom. Charlie Samp-
son and another small boy came up to
the platform, where his mother and |
were sitting, to ask me some question.
Say good morning to Mrs. Sampson,
said to the other boy, and Charlie,
don't you see your mother?' Both boys
started to obey me when Mrs. Samp-
son said, oh, attend oyour own work,
Miss Curtis; don't let the boys mind
me- said, pleasantly, 1T is n good
thing, | think, Mrs. Sampson, ior the
children to learn to show respect and
courtesy to older people, and like to
teach them to perform these small acts
of politencss. What do you think she
said?"
"Somcthing unpleasant | have no
doubt" answered Mrs. Merryweather
Yes" said the little teacher, her
eyes flashing: "shc said, with a sancti-
monious drawl. Our children always
show us all the respect we want, Miss
Curtis. We don't send them To school
to learn good manners; thought YOU
were hired to teach them reading, SPELL
ing, arithmetic, and other things like
that"
"What a rude womanr exclaimed
Mrs. Merryweathcr. Il fancy she took
away good share of your courage,
but then you must remember she was
only one woman, and not very good
or very wise one either
Yes, | know, and here, away from
the school, / can laugh at her, but
there she seemed ahost in herself, and,
do you know, both of those little boys
were rude and impertinent all day
long. What would you do, Mrs. Merry
weather.
discipline them back into order,
mother or no mother" answered Mrs.
Mcrryweather, emphatically. "Of
course you must be mistress in your
own household, and the schoolroom
and its occupants constitute your
household"
Then you would not give up trying
to do anything in that dircction?"
''By no means. Where one mother
blames you ten will bless you. Very
likely you will never hear the sound of
their blessings, but it will echo in the
years to come, my dear, | feel sure.
You are doing good work and
branching out in new ways. Do not
be easily discouraged at the lack
either of apparent appreciation or of
immediate results. You remember
that Mrs. Whitney says somewhere,
Things should be kept turning wheth-
er anything turns out or not Perhaps
you will not turn out perfect children
nor appreciative parents, but you must
keep working. What came next?n
''Oh, another mother with n griev-
ancc all of her own imagining, but
there is no end of after-school work
waiting for me at home, and you have
rested me so nicely that | ought to go
at once and begin on it. May come
tomorrow, tell the rest, and get some
more comforting?"
Indeed you may. | wish the COM
forting could be of more practical adj
vantage"
at helps said the little teacher,
"more than you imagine. Why, dear
Mrs. Merryweather. are not you n
member of the school board?"
"Why. dear Miss Curtis, do not you
register the vote for mc?" laughingly
answered Mrs Mcrrywcather.
There is another thought for me. !"
replied the younger woman, as she
laid the balsam cushion on the table.
II will bring my answer with my
other experiences next time. n-A. ~
EUerett, in Journal of Education.
London Police Courts.