Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-09-22
CLASS NUMBER Six.
by LETITIA BROWN.

IT was lonely and rather a dreary
life that Mildred lived, day by day, in
the small! New England city which was
her home. Lonely, because she was
an orphan without near relatives, and
with few friends, 50 few that she could
count them on the fingers of one hand.
Dreary, because, teaching forty ragged
and unwashel children in the public
school of a poor district was not an
ideal way of earning ones daily bread.
Mildred was twenty-five and pretty.
That is. she was pretty when her
checks were not too thin and cclorless,
and her eyes dull from overwork
She had been, one year before, the
petted, only child of loving parents.
The father, James Manson, was the
bock-keep2r in large dry-goods firm,
and had provided for his wife and
daughter all of the necassaries and
many of the luXuries Of life. This mu-
tually loving and contcntcd ittlc fam
lily of three were the possessors of q
cosy home, where no thought of care
entered until, one darkly memorable
day, Mr.. Manson came home, and,
with despair in his face, told of the
utter ruin of Locke Bros, his en-
ployers.
Through two long and weary months
this honest and capable man sought, in
vain, for another situation. Times were
hard. Many applicants stood ready for
every place and nothing could be found
to do.
The rest of the oft-repeated story is
soon told. A chill, taken while tramp
ing about in a March storm, turned to
pneumonia and ended in death. The
mother, always delicate, in two months
followed her husband in his journey to
the unknown land, and Mildred, with
tho weapons of two hundred dollars
good health, and q modest education
was left to fight alone and single handed
the battle of life.
During the first few weeks of help
less grief Mildred prayed only for
death. Then the stern necessity of
doins something to satisfy the wants
OF the body deadaned the needs of the
soul.
A cheap but most respectable board
ingrlace was found, in the poorer part
of the city, and Mildred, with the few
small treasures remaining to her, began
her new life i'll Mrs. Raster's third story
back room.
After numerous unavailing attempts
to obtain employment, Miss Manson
found her name in the list of those
who had successfully competed for &
position as teacher in the public
schools. A primary class in the big
South School" was assigned to her,
and the dull, unv0ryiag round of tedious
tasks succeeded each other through
many weeks.
When the first vacation, at Christmas
tide, broke the monotony Of correcting
sums in addition and writing long lists
Of one-syllablod words, the black-robed
teacher OF Glass No. Six" was almost
bewildered by her. enforced idleness.
What should 81. do? Christmas no
longer meant Joy to her.. A food of
heart-rendiDG memories were awakened
by this season OF Peace on EARTH good
will toward men,"
Her friends Of former lays had hot
been cold. only forgstful. She had
been TOO busy TO keep up old habits o:
friendship, and her naw hom, was so
far away as TO b. quite ont OF the qve5-
ton for informal calls from her eirlish
companions. IL is - easy 10 he for
gotten VIXEN or, drop out Of the beltcn
track OF accustomed duties aid pleas
Hrcs.
Once in while ONE ventures Jno
soul would clint the long hilly stree
leading to Mrs. i,aster's boarding.
house; LuS even thoss occa8 onGl visi II
were getting iufrtqtcn5 -nough to he
chronicled as events, and Mildreds
fellow bolrders, with the teachers in
the South School, were now almost her
only acquaintance.
mo one to make Christmas presents
to, and no one to receive them FROM"
Christmas eve! And in the chilly
back room a pathetic figure leaned
against the window pane, looking with
tirtd strained eyes out into the wintry
twilight. a desolato view of back
yards heaped with snow-banks, and of
one or two feebly Lighted windows met
the Watchers gaze.
Suddonly window in the nearest
house was thrown open, and in the
NEAts5 sp9ce appeared o small head.