The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-12-07

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one If her pupils had treated her will
proper consideration. She treated thu
small and obedient children with |
kindness and gentleness one would no
suspect in woman of her severe ant
forbidding exterior. But wilful disc
bedience was something she could no
forgive nor consider calmly. 1t aroused
all the harshness and severity in hel
nature, and made her most dangerou,
opponent for any unruly spirit to en-
counter. The boys named were wise
enough to recognize this fact but weft
not wise nor manly enough to yield tc
Miss Betsev the Difference and obedience
towhich she was entitled as woman anG
as their teacher.
Every teacher who had taught the
school for the past six winters had beer
locked out at least once, and sometimes
twice during the term. The unsuspect-
ing teacher would arrive at the school
house some bitterly cold morning and
find the door locked and the windows
barricaded, while the ieering pupils
within defied him to enter. The affair
usually ended in his giving up and going
home, while the rebels held high carni-
val in the school-house for several hours,
and then went home for the rest of their
holiday.
Some of the parents, who unWisely
looked upon these performances as
clever, if not quite commendable, were
rather curious to know what Miss Bet
sey Pike would do if the boys barred
her out. The possibility that they
might attempt such a thing had been
suggested to Miss Betsey, and she had
simply smiled and said, grimly: "Let
them try it, that's ALI" After mature
deliberation the boys concluded to try it.
Miss Betsey had now taught the school
two months. Going home from school
one cold evening she overlook little
Bennie Peters, boy of eight, who had
fallen on the rough road and cut himself
badly. He still sat on the ground cry
ing Justify when Miss Betsey came
along.
why. why, Bennie, what's the mat
ter?" said Miss Betsey. kindly and
cheerily. "You fell, did you? Well,
WELL that was too bad, wasn'tit, though?
But don't Cry any more, my dear. I'll
wash the blood away, and it won't hurt
long"
She llnelt down by his side, and with
her handkerchief wiped away the blood
from Bennie's hand and face, talking all
the time in such CHEEKY, sympathetic
tone that Bonnie quite forgot his pain
and grief.
I'm so sorry you fell she said, "but
accidents will happen, won't they? fell
fiat in almost this exact spot yesterday.
funny sprawling in the road? | skinned
my elbow and there wasn't any body to
bind it up for me, either. Now I'll take
hold of your hand and walk on home
with you, so you can't fall again.
SO they trudged along ever the frozen
road, Miss Betsey accommoda-
ting her pace to Bennie's short steps.
When they came to Mr.. Peters gate Miss
Betsey did something quite unexpected.
She bent her long, gaunt figure until
her lips met Bennie's face in a sounding
kiss.
"Good-bye; run in the house now, and |
warm yourself at the fire."
Goodbye, ma'am,' said Bennie, as |
ne stood and watched her striding down |
.he road. His lips began to quiver, and |
1 big tear ran down over his bruised |
cheek. 1t had been a long time since |
any body had kissed him or cared any |
thing about his childish sorrows. There |
was fretful overworkcd mother in the |
house who would probably say that |
he'd no business being so clumsy. 1t
1 l. f.l L. 1 T.
,yes open next time" SO Bennie's CRATE
ul heart was deeply touched by Miss
Betsey's kindness and little show of af-
ection. He lay awake thinking about
ler for long time that night in his bed
n the chcerless little attic over the
'amily living-room.
Miss Betsey had always been very
Kind to him. Once she given him big, |
,risp, brown doughnut at which she had
seen him looking wistfully at lunch |
time, when there was nothing in his |
,wn little tin dinner-pail but two slices
If corn-bread and molasses and piece
If fat meat.
She always tied his head up snug and |
warm in his wooden comforter on stormy |
nights, and she never scolded him. 1t |
lid not occur to him that he had been
Kind to Miss Betsey by being as still |
rs mouse in school and by learning
MS lessons we'll, SO that she had no
,eason to scold him.
He thought of something else in con-
lection with Miss Betsey's kindness to
that gave him such
leep concern that he slept little that
night. That mysterious something
heavily on him all next day at
school. He seemed strangely restless
and uneasy, and Miss Betsey wondered
why he came up to her desk so often,
and went away again without finishing
what he began to say.
He hurried out as soon as school
,losed. After all the other scholars had
zone, Miss Betsey found part of a leaf
5orn from copy-book pinned inside her
,loak hanging on the wall, and on the |
paper was scraWled:
"The Boys are agoin to lock You Out In the |
morning heerd them atalkin about IL an it is |
So an hated TO BE mean an tell. But doant |
hink they awt TO do so to n Lady an amt fer |
got how you give me the doanut an wasn't off the /
blood last mite an kist me-"
There was no signature. None was
needed. Miss Betsey read the note
again.
"Well, the dear little SOUL" she said,
with glistening eyes and a strange soft
,ning of the hard lines around her
mouth; but the next moment the hard
ines appeared again, an angry flash
,ame into her eyes, and she brought one
u L