The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-01-17

them laughing, and finally succeeded
In capturing one, named Jake Clinch,
to go fishing with him that night.
Though not quite the acknowledged
leader Of the school, Jake was tho
stoutest and strongest OF them all; and
Mark decided that II he could make .
stanch friend OF him the future would
be safe. Sitting out on one OF the
lodges in the moonlight angling. hc
found an opportunity to become very
social with him. Jake at the first OF
tho evening, 1t fell out. took fancy to
n pearl-handled jack-knife Mark cut
the bait with; and after awhile Mark
made him present OF it. asking him
to keep it to remember him by. This
proved great stroke of diplomacy. !.
The next day Jake said the teacher
was better little ..fcller" than he had
supposed. and he believed they ought
to give him a show before they pitched
into him. Tho others did not quite
agree with him; but they hesitated to
do any thing that he would not take
part in. and revolutionary proceedings
were, therefore. suspended for awhile.
Wen tackle him spellin' school
night" said Jim Nixon, the most pug
nacious one among those dissatisfied.
''That'll be the time. Every body will
be around then to see us do it,
Having received hint from Jake,
Mark exercised all the tact he could
muster in obtaining . postponcment Of
the customary spclling-school, and, to
the surprise Of Uncle Seth and the
neighborhood, month passed without
there being any riot in the school
house. The slim teacher was cutter
fellow than any body had supposed, it
began to be said; and when Uncle Seth
and Sister Cynthia let it be known that
the little fellow was poor as Jobs tur-
key and a-tryin' to scrapc something
together to get IN education with,
some Of tho rough old fishermen, who
had warm hearts under their pea
jackets, said: Those ere boys had bet
ter luff It little and not carry quite 50
much topsail."
Mark found each day difficult to
manage, though. Notwithstanding the
apparent tranquility. and he knew
that the dreaded spelling-school must
take place sooner or later. The best
he could do was to keep Jake on his
side and put it of as long as possible.
The anxiety he suffered from day to
day was more than he had even
imagined before; but he was beginning
to have confidence in himself. and he
meant now to continue the school to
the close, happen what might
The struggle terminated at the end
Of the seventh week, one snowy Friday
night Every body, it seemed to
Mark, had turned and crowded into
the school-house. The spelling school
was at last about to take place. Lam
terms were hung from the ceiling to
light up the odd assembly. the stove
was got into red-hot condition 10
drive out the cold, sides for the
spelling-match were chosen, and the
undertaking began under Marks d.
rcctiOn. But it was evident to him be-
fore he had proceeded very far that
the attention of the majority of those
present was not fixed on the words in
the spelling book. Outdoors some
lsody was heaping up snow against the
window nearest him and an uneasy
feeling appeared to prevail within.
When a halt hour had passed and he
had become SO nervous that it was
difficult for him to pronounce the
words he was giving out the climax
arrived. First there was loud cat
call outdoors; next two of the lights
were extinguished. then suddenly the
window at his left was pushed in and
instantly Jim Nixon with three or four
others leaped over tho seats and rushed
toward him.
''Out with him! Bury him head
first!" he heard them shout, and then
a great confusion followed
just how it oil occurred nobody ever
knew: but by the time Mark recovered
his wits he found himself squeezed in
to a corner behind Jake Clinch, who
was striking out from the shoulder and
saying fiercely: Nov. then, Jim
Nixon. / gin you fair warnin' I'd stana
up for him. and / will" In another
moment two big fishermen seized Jim
and threw him headlong out the win
dow into the snow. That put an end
to the strife at once. The lanterns
were relighted, the overturned benches
arranged and things in general restored
to order.
Il jest want to ask said Jake, red
as q beet and gasping for breath,
"how many there be In this ere
school who want this teacher we've
gut to stay, and how many there be
who don't? The first will stand up II
they've gut any spunk in them"
Marks friends having prevailed, the
popular sentiment was in his favor,
and every one stood up Immediately.
Then, at somebody's suggestion, the
crowd gave three hearty cheers for
the teacher, which threatened to bring
down the building, and afterward dis
persed. all laughing and talking to-
gether.
Three more weeks completed the
term; but they passed SO pleasantly
that Mark was not really SO full of JOY
when the school was finished as he
had believed he would be. He had
grown to like Uncle Seth, Sister Gym
thia, and the little community one way
and another.
At last. however, 1.-THE horses OF the
sun brought round the long-cxpected
day. as the Latin poet says, and
Mark stood on the wharf early in the
morning. bidding every body good
bye. A crowd Of the fishermen with
their wives and the scholars were on
hand to see him of. He had shaken
hands and was stepping aboard the
steamboat when Uncle Seth, rather
flushed and furried, hobbled up and
caught him by the arm.
Here's little sunthin' Sis knit.
/