The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-12
Maria Mitchell.

AS many times as she went over the
ground in astronomy, she never failed
to study each days lesson with each
years class. Her students could
regularly count on having an easy
and short lesson the day after faculty
meetings. Attendance at these meet
ings she use to consider the biggest
bore of her college duties. She would
say:-"I1l give you only a little to do
tomorrow, for | must go to faculty to-
day, and I'll be too weary to prepare
a long lesson myself In the early
days of the college these meetings had
more of a religious character than at
present. They were usually opened
with prayer and some passage
from the Bible. Prof. Mitchell would
always manage to be late for this part
of the programme, and when the pre-
sident requested her presence she
made future reference to the matter
impossible by the remark that she
was unable to pray to order"
Even though her students always
did themselves credit, she would not
allow visitors to the classes unless she
herself invited them. Once recently
Prof. Taylor was quite nonplussed
when, on entering her classroom in
company with a distinguished college
guest, she said:-"Now. girls, / hate
company, and / know you don't want
to show off; so you may be dis
missed.n
Once when she was on the cars be-
tween Boston and New York, the
newsboy in the train eyed Miss
Mitchell with evident interest. AS a
result of his inspection the little fell
low offered her none of the trashy lit
erature he distributed to the other
travellers, but presently, with an air
of decision, brought her one of Mrs.
Stoves works. When she shook her
head he said:-" 'Scuse me, but amt
o Mrs. Slower" Not to be baffled
by her refusal to accept the name he
tried to fit to her face, he presently
returned to the attack, saying:-
Then, perhaps, you're Mrs. Stan
ton?n Receiving a second negative,
he added OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES you
mind tellin' me who you are, ma'am?n
1t is not probable that the name,
Maria Mitchell, gave the persistent
boy any very definite enlightment,
but he exclaimed, triumphantly, Il
knew you was MISUNDERSTANDING.
Scared the Teacher.
1t is universally admitted that the
small boy who has a penchant for
bugs and insects and reptiles is the
worst variety of boy. There is one of
this sort in Atlanta whoi is an ornament
to his particular order of small boy.
He spends his afternoons and all his
spare time, OF which he seems to have
a good supply, in foraging in the
country for bugs ana lizards. Every
morning he takes IN his pockets to
school the results of the last raid.
Monday the specimens of insectiyor-
Gus and reptilian life that he can fish
up from the depth Of his trousers
pockets are many and varied and aw-
full to touch and look at. Last week
the teacher took an inventory of the
bugs and beasts found in his pockets
or that escaped therefrom and terri
fed the other children and the
teacher. There were several varieties
of beetles, pigeons with broken wings,
English sparrows, butterflies, devil
horses, slugs, snails, earthworms,
lizards, q snake or two, and an oc-
casional frog, damp and cold.
One day he slyly opened the flap of
his pocket, and then went on in his
hard, resolute n to make his
teacher think he was studying. After
q while the teacher noticed a grass
hopper hopping agilely from desk to
desk, and the litter and q teehee of
the scholars. A chase was begun,
when another grasshopper was seen,
then another, and they were every
where hopping all over the room and,
sticking their sharp feet in the little
girls hair, frightened them half to
death. Come here.n shouted the
teacher to the tender lover of insects.
aGive me your hand, SIR The
naturalist held out his hand as il he