Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-03-09
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@SA>G, Phla Jane OF Ier
prospects. but let
her bewarel | have my head set for
business, and the likes of her shall
not prevail against me" ] believe
that is in the Bible somewhere, but if
it is not, it is Just as true AS preach
ing.
Don't you think Miss YES ,bold ha,
left. and so | am out of that boarder.
You see she had been here about ten
days, and, as l needed a little change,
/ asked her for weeks board. She
flew mad in minute. and after We
quarreled she took her things and left
without paying cent. She says
George is a fool, and that his mother is
a fool with little ID" am trying to
find out what I'd" means, but have not
struck it yet in my dictionary.
Daddy ar,l nanny came the next
day after | wrote you the last letter,
and that was one thing that made Miss
He s. old leave. She said she didn't
like grannies much she knows abolt
it, rs she is an orphan. All that ais
her is that she got down on George
since Sol )mon was here. | think she
is wolf in sleeps clothing anyhow,
and the fleece is pretty we'll worn out
besides.
Daddy and nanny did not sell out
the man who was to buy backed
out-but they are going to stay here
awhile, to see how they like it.
The soap-grease butter came all
right. 1t is SO white livered that | am
going 20 work it over and put in some
grated carrots to give it a fine color.
| notice granny won't touch the butter,
and daddy thinks the bread don't taste
like it used to when he was boy. He
is so childish that he believes anything
he is told, and so / maxi him think it
is his taste, but granny won't take stuff
ing so easily.
With granny and daddy and the
clerk we expect to make money, and
/ tell YOU Sophia Jane shall have some
clothes The clerk is rather tall and
slim all bones and no pussyness-and
he walks so straight that if he ever
falls it will be backward, for his center
of gravity is in his heels. However,
he is good-natured, and praises up tn
victuals, and vet don't eat much. The
clerk and daddy are good friends, but
father don't like him; it is Just like
him to be contrary, You know. | heard
him wish one, that he had a seed-wart
on the end of his nose, SO ! wouldn't
keep telling folks how handsome he
was. Goodness knows, he isn't troubled
much with beauty nowadays.
But | must tell Won ahont Sophia
James aspiring to teach school for
girls; YOU know how hard it is for her
to learn, and she never had chance
to go to college and cover up her ig
norance of the common branches by
haunting diploma i'll peoples faces.
You see, Elmira Diggings took the
Shucknest school last fall, and she
carried tirst-class certificate, but her
government wasn't worth carrying out
IN shovel, and when the big boys
got through shocking corn they came
in for big time, and | guess they had
it, for they filled ink hotties with pow
der and put them on the stove to pop,
chewed gum and spit on the floor, and
called the teacher such names that
she left. We heard about it, as the
school is only three miles from here,
and, remembering our checking the
riot at the meeting told you about,
| said to SOY hia Jane, WADE in, pound
the school, and get yourself UP as
Schoolmam." We went out to see the
director, and he was high up for her
having the school, but he said she
must he exam ned and get Il certificate.
This staggered her, for she calculated
teaching on her sand, and didn't care
n rat for the learning; nevertheless, she
is not one to give up when once her foot
is in, and, besides, triumph and money
are worth fighting for. So she went
over to see the County Super
intendent and be examined She
spent two days writing the ex-
animation and came home jubilant,
feeling sure she had written s. much
that he would grant her certificate
regardless of any seeming fallacies.
She hadn't heard from him on Monday,
but, feeling sure of her success. she be-
gan the school promptly at 9 o'clock
by rappinG on her desk for order.
There was big brute of Il boy who
wouldn't come in, and it made Sophia
Jane so mad that she bawled out, and,
not knowing his name, she called him
'Long-legged Jim" for short, and told
him if he didn't come in she would
fetch him in by the hair. At this he
flew in her fac and wanted to fight,
but Sophia Jane, the brave soul. shook
her fist under his nose, and he conclud-
ed all at once to take his seat and be
decent.
She began by hearing the primer
lass say their II, b, c's, when big
iubber of boy called ont: Miss,
them childer can read, and faint style
now to hear alphabcts. Well. Won
know "hOw great Il matter little ire
kindleth," as Ben Thompson says an /
Sophia Jane never was built to stani
impudeuce; so she just asked him
what grade of Certificate he carried.
and how much he would charge to
keep his mouth shut. He STOPPED
when she tod INN she was educated
before he was born. and that Daniel
Webster began his edu alton by learn
ing the alphabet, and that kind OF
learning was good enough for her.
So she went ON, and when they
got through she called ont the
Fifth Reader class Th,re were
three big girls, five big boys,
and one cute little Johnny in the
class, and they all looked as ignorant
as the trash of Brush Hollow. 81 hia
Jane chuckled to hclsalf as ,he
thought how she would swamp them
on the big words. The head one
began reading piece wh;ch begins