Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-12
THAT DREADFUL TRAMP.
How Miss Penn Tried TO Put Him on
the Right Pathway.

sions bounded by the four sides of a
Saratoga trunk, and with q purse IN
her pocket holding exactly nineteen
dollars and twenty-five cents, she felt
it necessary to think of something be-
sides her troubles, unless she desired
to become dependents on charity. She
was now paying visit to a friend, but
she was aware that visits should never
be too long.
The details of the causes that had
combined to throw her on her own re-
sources al nineteen years of age are
not necessary. Death, as you may
suppose, had been very busy, and
there had been the old story of name
signed for friend, bankruptcy, a
home sold at auction, and a broken
heart.
Laura had nothing to do with all
this but to look on and wonder; to
weep first for her mother, and then
for her father, and then to find herself
dressed in black and quite alone on
earth.
One thing she had, however, that
the auctioneer's hammer could not
rob her of-a good education. She
could certainly teach. The thought
came into her mind one morning as
she opened her eyes, and with it the
question: How shall I get class or
school?' Advertisement seemed to
be the usual way, SO the girl adver-
tised. Ifshe had not been very ignor-
ant of the ways of the world, she would
certainly have given initials or the
number of a post Office box; but as
she was mere baby in all that per
tained to the working would, the ad-
vertisement ended with: address
Miss Laura Penn, No. - street.
Happily her frieads did not read
the advertisements, so she was spared
advice and lecture and information as
to the improperly of her coduct; and
the advertisement resulted in q single
call.
About nine o'clock the bell rang. A
portly matron inquired for Miss Laura
Penn, and the girl hurried down stairs
expecting to see the principal of very
important seminary for young girls
anxious to secure her services. In the
shadow of the curtalned psrlor she
could see only figure oflarge dimen
sions, which arose and advanced tow
ard her.
you don't know me- said a soft
kindly old woman's voice, but 1v'
knowed you from a babe. | servec
your pa and ma with milk when you
took 1t from a bottle. used to rid
in with my old man when first W
were married; later, when / was
widow, I served myself; now my bo,
serves. But all along I've seen yo
frequent AMI if your pa failed, h
paid up noble. And when | see tina
you needed to teach, and wanted
school, said, The poor child!'-her
the old lady was forced to hunt for
handkerchief to wipe away her tears
1.-THE poor child when she'd beel
brought up, so to speak, on cream, t.
come to earning her own bread. Blu
since she's in want of q school t
teach, thank fortune Pve got one t
give her, if she'll take it,
%, I remember you very well now
Mrs. Cliff said Laura, who was i
tears herself. And the milk was al
ways so goood, and how kind of 20
} to tell me about school. 1 suppos
you serve it with milk
No, Miss Penn, don't said Mr.
Cliff, Its only a day school, but
!, board the teacher and make her drln
, all she can. for I believe it to b
wholesome, and the way some of 'el
fatten up is astonishing. don't sa
it because I have adairy, but the trut
: is the truth. It's the district schot
at our place, and Miss Chester, VIII
taught last year, is married, and 1 ca
get it for you if you like. Twenty
five dollars month and board in. L
arrange it shall be with me, as I dit
last year. There's no great distanc
to walk and my family is only7 m
and my boy and my husbands siste
and you'll be quite quiet, as folks lik
to be after affection. | know that my
SELF
"A country school. I love the coun
try so much; shall be very glad, in
deed, said Laura. And I am muc
obliged, Mrs. Cliff.
So it was settled, and after certai
delay, and a curious ceremony, sup
posed to be strict examination Q
the new teacher, had been duly pei
formed, Laura found herself and be
trunk in Mrs. Cliffs front, up-stall
bedroom and mistress of little Darn
like school house in the midst of th
woods.
The scholars were all young an
there were not many of them. Tb
books were not ths best of their sort
the black board was gray with ag'
and there was map of the Unite
States on the wall which, had it bee
studied by the scholars, would hav
misled them as the number of terri
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