Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-11-01
THE DISTRICT SCHOOL,


up her parasol.
Dear" came, a chubby five year-old.
''Well take a stroll up the road, NAL
colin, " said his young aunt.
All wight" said Malcolm.
They had come, Malcolm and his pa
rents and his fathers pretty sister, to pass
the summer in Gloster.
GlOster was only a hamlet, but it was
cool and green and delightful
''We1l go along by this stone wall,
DEAR" said Amy.
They passed maple grove, a little
old church, some farm houses, and then
came suddenly upon square, white
building, with two doors in front and
yellow blinded windows. Out of the
doors bare footed children, with dinner
pals, were coming.
GA district SCHOOL, said Amy "And
it looks so much like But of course YOU
don't remember, Malcolm. You were
only two years old"
Smiling in pleasantly retrospective
way, Amy strolled up to the door
She would have a congenial little chat
with the teacher. Probably it was
spinster with pointed nose and shout
der-shawl, but
She and Malcolm went in, and the
teacher rose from the desk.
He was hardly spinster! He was a
tall, bright-eyed, dark mOustached, in
disputabIy good-looking young man.
"Oh!' Amy faltered.
E'Come I'M" said the schoolmaster,
though they were in.
Amy mustered her courage. It was
embarrassing, but after all it didn't alter
the case She would have her congenial
talk just the same.
1--WE thought we'd come in, she said,
sweetly smiling. "You see, [ taught a
term in a district school once myself,
''Certainly,'' said the master Il am
always glad to have visitors. I'm sorry
my school is out"
He fastened forward to meet her, and
walked back down the aisle with her.
''Pd have been glad to see it," said
Amy-nct very regretfully, however.
See, Malcolm, dear, that rat on the
blackboard"
Yes, illustrate their lessons for my
primer children, said the teacher, laugh
ing. 'They like my pictorial efforts. "
What a pleasant laugh he had, and
what a clearness and gaiety in his eyes
Amy's heart beat a little faster.
Its such work, isn't it, teaching
babies?" she said II had an infant of
three in my school"
"Oh, [ draw the line there! But I
have them as small as this young man. "
He pinched Malcolm's fat cheek.
Malcolm is five," said Amy. "Have
you many pupils? l had only sixteen"
s'Oh, | can beat that! I have forty. ="
And you do it all2" said Amy, her
admiring eyes raised to his. ''l'm afraid
I'm presumptuous to try to have con-
genial talk" she laughed, ambiguously.
t'You see, I taught only one term. |
was spending the summer at Hinton, and
the teacher was taken sick the first OF
the term, and I taught it for her. But
I'm afraid I did it for fun
II shall rank you among the peda-
gogues, all the same" the young school
master declared, gaily. "You've taught
a school, and the insincerity of your mo-
tive doesn't matter. [ dent know why
we can't have a congenial talk.
perhaps we can," said Amy, with
pretty laughter and "a blush.
They had it,
Malcolm, sitting close to his pretty
aunt on the bench, listened round-eyed,
interested if not compromising.
ANY wondered afterward how ever
thew drifted from school methods and
monthly examinations to the prettiness of
Gloster's rambles and the the pleasant
ness of the Clarks' front porch, where
Amy boarded and the excellence of their
croquet ground. But they did; and they
were honestly amazed when the clock on
the wall gave its "tehick" for half-past
five.
They looked at each other in flushed
alarm.
Their acquaintance was an hour and
half old.
give hindered YOU'D Amy cried
s>youve got lessons to make out, OIL
something"