Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-09-12


boys" said Nat Brace; 'I'm going to
find out what he's COOL for. I'll haul
out my jackknife and go to Within the
new desk right in school, and see what
he does!n
Ten minutes after the school was
called to order, Mr.. Dick, who was sit
ting at his desk with first reader class
before him, tapped the floor lightly with
his foot and said, pleasantly:
This won't do, this won't do at ALL"
Whiting these new desks! That can
not be permitted. What's your name,
sir?"
His hand was extended toward Nat
Brace. There was no anger in his tones.
"Nat Brace!" the boy called out dog
gedIy.
The teacher stopped at Mats desk ,aad
held out his hand.
"Well, Nat" ne said, "you MAJ give
me your knife for the present, aud you
may pay the school committee for the
damage you have done to the property
of the district"
Never in all his unruly, rebellious
career had Nat Brace been approached in
this cool manner. Never had teacher
taken up one of Mats gauntlets with a
smile, and no trace of furious anger; and
Mr.. Dicks smile won from Nat half
dazed, half-ashamed sort OF an obedience
before the boy really knew that he was
obeying.
The large boys attended school irreg-
ularly at first. Farm duties kept them
at home; but by the first of December
all had begun to come every day.
BY this time Mr.. Dick had won the
respect and even the affection of the
other pupils 1t had also been proved
that Mr.. Reddings theory was not
groundless. Visitors to the school not
only remarked the neat appearance of
the room, the desks and pupils, but per-
ceiyed decided improvement in the
childreu's manners.
There was hardly a sign of rebellion
on the part of the pupils until Phincas
Joyce, Nat Brace, Bryan Thayer and
Hiram Beal began to attend regularly.
These four large boys had had the uuen-
viable honor of barring out, ducking aad
in other ways defying and maltreating
half of the telcaers who had tried to
teach the Rose Lane school during the
past four years.
These four boys walked to school to-
gether one frosty morning in November.
They intended to 60 to school regularly
now, and it WAS the first day they had
all been in Attendance.
They felt chat it was fitting time to
"let little Miss Nancy know who was
boss"
Various methods of imparting this in
formation to Mr.. Dick were discussed.
Just as tuey cane to L1Erie's Pond, Nat
Brace struck the palms OF his hands to.
gether, aud said, gieefully:
II have it, boys; let's give him a
ducking! The waters ice.coId now,
and tell You it would take the starch
right ont of him to souse him under a
few times"
"Yes, and it'd stop all this talk about
their having got a teachsr at last who
could keep us in tow said Hiram Beal.
I'm in for the ducking'
| e.Wcu. 7 guess I am too " said Paip
Joyce. "only | thouqht we'd kind a cut
up a few Of our little didos first, and sort
O. rasp him up fore we barred him out
or ducked him, or tried anything like
that"
con. let's do if to-dav,n cried Nat
Brace, ..Strike while the irons bot saws
H."
"WhHe the waters cold, you'd better
saw said pnineas. "HeW want some
thing hot later on"
Lets grab him at recess time this
morning, and walk him over here to the
nond and pitch him in"
"All right-say we do"
The pond, which wa, a large one, was
not more than three or four hundred
wards from the school house. The water
was six feet deem ot the very hank of a
noint nearest the house and this was tbc
place chosen by the bows for the ducking
Of the Door, unsusrecting Mr.. Dick. .
He was standing on fine nlatform
WATCHING some of the small bows playino
Iean-froo when BRYAN Thaver stennej
nnand said with Ieer.
ave want Won NIisterrp
uYou want me2o
eyes we do. You come alonn with
ne "
Mr.. Dicks face finished at tho bov,s
insoIept tone aud manner bnt his yoics
wac etoadv No no asl,od .Uvb,t do 80,
want Of meyn -