Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-11-05
AN ATTRACTIVE YOUNG PERSON
TAll the Year Round.]
CHAPTER l.

sI'm afraid Mrs. Piggin will have to 60,
said the rector.
Mr.. Sowerbutts, q stout, middle-aget
farmer, grunted his dissatisfaction. Th
other members of the Little PuddiDgtoI
School Board offered no opinion.
"Yes; think We must give the old lad!
a quarters notice, and get rid of her," con
tinued Mr.. Dowthwaite. "She is terrib'!
behind the age, there's no doubt of that
The school has earned hardly any grant to-
the last two years ~
| Mr., Sowerbutts gave another gruDt
meaning to express thereby bis contempt
alike for Mrs. Piggin's grapt-earning pow
ers, the grant, and the Education Depart
ment.
81 expect in another year the Inspector
will bring down the wrath of the depart
ment upon us in earnest. Perhaps they
will dissolve the board and order the cleo
| ton of new one."
"That won't do, nohow," said Mr.. Sow
erbutts, decisively.
s'Tbep Mr.. Sowerbutts moves that the
present holder of the ofics of schoolmis-
tress be invited to resign, and that the
chairman be requested to insert advertise.
ments for q new teacher in the Church
Times and other newspapers" said Mr..
D0wthwaite, making jottiDg of the mo-
ton as be spoke. sMr White seconds the
notion" be added, with glance in the
direction of that gentleman. Mr.. Wintle,
whose eyes bad been fixed the whole time
on the rector's face, gravely nodded; and
the rector rose from his chair to intimate
the meeting was at an end.
Mr.. Dowthw waite spent the whole of the
afternoon in drafting an advertisement and
sending copies of it to various clerical and
scholastic newspapers "Must be a sound
church woman. One able to play the
hsrmonium preferred, he added to the list
of requirements. There was q standing
difficulty about getting not utterly in
competent performer on the harmonium at
Little Puddington, and the good rector
thought he might as we'll make the obnoxi-
GUS 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
1t went of, however, better than he had
feared. By degrees he got the old lady to
understand that if she sent IN her resigna.
tion it would be gratefully accepted, and
she would be considered as having put the
parish and the country generally under an
obligation.
'You see, Mrs. Piggin, we are obliged
to follow the times" said good natured Mr.
Dowthwaite, in an apologetic tone. "We
can't afford to lose the grant another year,
we really can't"
"Ob. I suppose not, SIR" said Mrs. Pig
gin, fixing her eyes on the rector's face
"Pve been schoolmistress in this parish for
two and twenty years, an we've done very
well without any grant. I've brought up
fn loo rofo nd
do their duty, like their fathers, before
them. can't teach French an drorin an
such like; and much good it would do them
if could.
However, saved enough. thank Heaven,
to be independent of every one; and-Betsy
Jane Pugh, stop talkir' and 90 on with
your sum or it'll be the worse for ye."
The rector listened in silence, and finally
made his escape, thankful that the most
disagreeAble part of his duty as reformer
was over.
But his difficulties we're by no means at
an end. The day after his advertisement
appeared he received 1877 applications for
the vacant post the next day brought him
213; the third day produced pinety six
All the applicants were able to teach every
necessary subject, as well as several which
were not necessary, and every one was able
to produce testimonials of the highest pos
sible character.
In his despair the rector turned to his
sister-p-law, Miss Jordan, who had kept
his house since the death of his wife, and
bumbly sued for her adOice and assistance
But Miss Jordan was an elderly lady with
strong, oid. fashioned prejudices, and she
objected to the new scheme altogether
She sarcastically advised the reinstatement
of Mrs. Piggin-a course which was plainly
cut of the question. Mr.. Dowthwaite then
turned for help to his curate, the Rev.
Augustine Cope, meek and gentlemanly
young man, Who acted as unpaid secretary
to the rector when there was anything
troublesome to be done. M. Cope took
the mass of papers home 10 his lodgings
| and made an attempt TO select few of 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-ao ob-
| vious!y imprscticable number.
| At the next monthly meeting of the
board matters we're no further advanced
| TIE table of the morning room at the rec
tory-which eerved as board room-was
covered with letters of application and
copies of testimonials; and the members Of
tbo uodiu eot SdP'uR db tuo pHos VI uOCu'
ments in helpless dismay.
"Well, gentlemen" began Mr.. Dowth
waite, with very vague notion of whaI
the rest of his sentence was to be, when 9
knock at the door interrupted him.
! "Come in.'' he cried.
"Piease, SIR" said Thomas, "there's &
| lady wishes TO see you"
''But am engaged, Thomas"
"But this lady has called about th'
School Beard"
"An applicant? 1t is rather irregular
certainly. particularly mentioned in tn
advertisements that 10 personal applica
tions were to be allowed" said the Chair
man to bis fellow laborers. "However
since the young person is here We may q
we'll see her. Show her in, Thomas F"
A moment sfterward slim, uprigh
figure, in a dainty summer costume, ap
peared 10 the doorway, and the farmer
present rose instipctively to their feet
Only the rector retained his presence {
mind.
: ''Thomas, rot chair" !" said be.