Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-07
IN ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PERSON.
nn Ne Year Roundl
CHAPTER I.

"rm afraid Mrs. Piggin will hsvsts &C."
aid The rector.
Mr.. Sowerbutts, q stout, middle-aged
e.Ymcr. grunted HE dissatisfaction. Tho
other members Of the Little Puddington
School Board offered no opinion.
"Yes; I think we must give the old lady
n quarters notice. and get rid OF her." con-
%inued Mr.. Dowthwaite. "She is terrioiy
behind the age, there's no doubt OF that.
The school has earned hardly any grant
for the last two years"
Mr.. Sowerbutts gave another grun',
meaning to express thereby hrs contempt
alike for Mrs. Piggin's grant-earning pow
err. the grant, and the Education Depart
ment.
Iexpect in another year the Inspector
wili brino down the wrath OF the depart
ment upon us in earnest. Perhaps they
will dissolve the board and order the eieo-
tion OF new one" r. c.
orbutts, decisively. =,
"Then Mr.. Sowerbutts moves that the
vresent holder of the Office Of schoolmis-
tress be invited to rrsign. and that tue
chairman be requested to insert ADVERTISE
mepts for q new teacher in the Chtrca
Times and other newspapers" said MI.
Oowthwaite, making q jotting OF the mo-
tion rs he spoke. Mr.. Wintle seconds the
motion" he added, with q glance IN the
direction of that gentleman. Dir: Wintie,
whose ewes had been fixed the whole time
on the rector's face. gravely NODDED anu
the rector rose from his char 10 ihtiina'e
the meeting was at an end,
Mr.. Doythwaite spent the whole OF the
afternoon in drafting an adyertisement
and sending copies of IL TO various ciericai
and scholastic newspapers. Must be
sound churchwoman. one aole 70 pay
the harmonium preferred" he added to
The list of requirements. There was a
standinr difficulty about getting not ut
terlv incompetent performer on the har-
monium at Little Puddington, and the
GOOD rector thought he might AS well
make the obnoxious education act useful
for once.
The interview with Mrs. Piggin he de-
ferred till the following morning as being
The most unpleasant part of the business.
II went off, however, better than he had
feared. By degrees he got the old lady TO
understand that If she sent In her reslgna-
fion IL would be gratefully accepted, and
she would be considered as having put the
PARISH and the country generally under an
You see, Mrs. Piggin, we are obliged to
follow the times" said good-natured Mr..
Dowthwaite. in an apologetlc tone. we
can't afford to lose the grant another year,
We really can't" d.,
"Oh. / suppose not, sir" said Mrs. Pig-
rim. fxlng her eyes on the rectors race.
i've been schoolmistress In TINS parish ior
two and twenty years, an we've uohe very
well without any grant: I've orougnt w
mv chiidren 10 learn their catechism and
40 their duty. like their fathers before
them. I can't teach French an drorin
AM such like: and much good 1t would
do them If could. W.
Howeyer. saved enough, thank Heaven
20 be independent of every one; and
Betsy Jane Pugh. stop talkln ana 90 on
With vour sum or it'll be the worse Tor ye:"
The rector listened in silence, and tnal-
" made his escape, thankful that the most
disaCreeable part of his duty as reformer
was over.
Rut his difficulties were by no means at
An end. The day after his advertisement
appeared he received 127 Applications Tor
the vacant post; the next DAY brought
him ala: the third day produced ninety
s;r All the applicants were able to teach
every necessary subject, as well as severai
which were not necessary, and every one
WAS able to produce testimonials Oh the
highest possible character.
In his despair the rector turned TO his
sister-in-law, Miss Jordan. who had KEPT
his house since the death OF his wi1e. ana
humbly sued for her advice and assistance.
Rnt Miss Jordan was an elderly lady with
strong, old fashioned preludices; ana she
objected to the new scheme altogether
She sarcastically advised the reinstatement
of Mrs Piggin-a course when was piainiy
ont of the question. Mr.. Dowthwalte then
turned for help to his. CITRATE, the heV.
Augustine Cope. a meek and gentlemanly
vonng man. who acted "a unpaid secretary
4 fhprA
troublesome to be done. Mr.. cope t'oK
the mass of papers home to his lodgings
and made an attempt TO select lew Oh the
most promising applications from the
others. AT the end of four hours work;
however. he found that his list contained
no fewer than forty-nine names-ah oD-
viously lmpracticable number. A.
At the next monthly meeting, OF the
hoard matters were no further advanced.
The table of the morning room at the rec
tory-which served as a board room-was
covered with letters of application and
comics OF testimonials; and the members
of the board sat gaping at the piles OF
documents in helpless dismay.,,
well. gentlemen" began MT. Dowtn.
waite, with very vague notloh OF WHAT
the rest of his sentence Was 70 DE, When
knock at the door interrupted MIN.
"Come In" he cried.
please. sir" said Thomas, there's
lady wishes to see you
"But am engaged, Thomas"
But this lady has called about the
School Board"
IAN applicant? It is rather irregular,
certainly. / particularly mentioned IN the
sdyertisements that no personal applica-
Mons were to be allowed" said the Chair
man TO his fellow-laborers. However,
since the Young person is here we may as
we'll see her. Show her in. Thomas"
moment afterward slim. upright
figure, in dainty summer costume, ap-
peared in the doorway, and the farmers
present rose instinctively to their feet.
Only the rector retained his presence OF
mind: r,
"Thomas. set chair" said he:
The Young lady bowed with the utmost
ssff- nossession and took the seat which
was offered her. She was decidedly pretty.
There was no doubt of that in spite OF her
paleness and her thin lips: Her fair hair
was brought down smoothly over brow
"a white as any woman could desire; her
features were all delicately formed, her
ewes being especially attractive. Her age
n might have been difficult TO guess. q
man would have admitted that she might
be over twenty; q woman would nave SAID
she did not look thirty.
"Your name is-Niss-ah2 Miss Gray
hng?" asked the rector, referrlng 10 the
caro- WnlCn lDOIldo uhu hahNVe W A.s.
The young lady bowed. As she lifted
her head she saw that the rector was still
ecrutinizing the card, and she .compre-
bonded the other members of the board IN
one swift glance, finishing with the curate.
Hr. Cope dropped his eyes. Miss Gray
ling smiled inwardly.
"And you have come about the vacancy
IN the parish school, l understand" in
Quired the rector.
Again Miss Grayling bowed without
speaking.
~ particularly requested that no per-
sonal applications were to be made" said
the rector in an injured tone.
Miss Grayline gave q little sigh.
II was afraid l had done wrong" she
said with her eyes on the carpet; but
W. DO anxious that my application should
not be overlooked. II you would kindly
excuse my coming, think you would find
nv testimonials satisfactory"
A. she spoke, she lifted her eyes to those
OF tho reverend gentleman. dropping them
Immediately in very modest and becom.
Ing manner:
Mr. Dowthwaite was Modified.
"Whers have you been teaching? ?" be