The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-07-16

feed for another's good.
"The following year Mrs. Hagermann
married man who proved to be intem.
perate and brutal. No one but the fam
lily will ever know the suffering he
caused them until they were relieved of
his presence by death. About this time
Julia graduated and received an ap-
pointment as teacher in school near
home. Now, she thought, she would
surely realize her fondest hopes; but as
fast as she saved money it was needed
for something in the family. Finally
diphtheria entered the home and took
away the three boys, leaving of the
children only Julia and little girl four
years old. The expense and sorrow
this occasioned you can imagine; I shall
not attempt to describe it. Then came
the saddest affliction of all. The trouble
through which she passed had caused
such strain on Mrs. Hagermann's
mind that she went hopelessly insane.
OF course she had to be removed to an
asylum; and Julia became a mother to
little Elsie. Then l gave up all hope
OF becoming musician she said to
me with tears that would not be kept
back. All I can do is to live for Elsie
and my poor mother
1.-THE mother is dead, and the little
sister is grown up row and hopes to be
able at least partly to repay Julia for
her devotion; but she cannot give her
back the buoyancy of youth or the
healthy body and nerves that accom-
panied it. How do You think class
ought to treat a teacher who has ex-
perienced so much trouble?'
"With kindness, of course" said one
of the girls, quickly.
Even though she is cross some
times, and cannot smile because she is
unable to forget how her poor mother
died?" added Miss Clare.
"Why, yes, they ought to make al
lowance for her," said Annie Jennings.
even though she dresses shabbily
and wears her hair in an unbecominp
style? still further questioned Miss
Clare.
"Oh! you can't you surely cart
mean Miss Miggs?" cried Josie Thayer.
"Of course not" said Eta Wright,
decidedly; ''this lady was named Hage1s
MANN"
"But, my DEAR" returned Miss Clare,
"you remember her mother married
again. The second husband was
named Miggs. That was another of
Julia's sacrifices. She took the name
'Miggs' to please her mother, though
she disliked it very much"
Then it was our Miss Miggs, after
all" exclaimed Edith Lyle. 80 girls!
how shamefully we have treated her!'
"And we have been so annoying to.
day. said Eta, penitently.
ut is useless to spend time in vain re-
gret over the past, my dears. We can
only make up for mistakes by doing
better in the future. When you are
again tempted to judge person, re-
member that there may be circunstan-
ces which excuse the faults that you
are SO quick to notice."
Meanwhile Miss Miggs sat alone in
her room grieving over her failures in
school work. 1t had been an exceed
ngly trying day. and she had lost her
temper a number of times. How could
she control those largo scholars and
win respect from the little ones?
Furthermore, how could she bear to
have gentle Elsie come and witness her
impatience and lack of success? These
questions still remained unsettled
when she started YEARLY to school the
following day.
But during the first session it seemed
fO t1nr hot cH 1o =
the problems after all. The girls had
never behaved SO well, and the boys
appeared to profit by their example.
In fact, teaching had never before been
SO pleasant and easy; she did not lose
her temper once through the day, and
at three o'clock, when her scholars bid
her good afternoon pleasantly, the poor
teacher wondered if she could possibly
be dreaming. But no, there was the
same state of affairs day after day; the
girls and boys who had been most
troublesome seemed to be making de-
cided effort to behave we'll; there was
marked improvement in the conduct
OF the whole school, and when Elsie ap-
peared to take charge of the little ones,
AtN'S 30 WdS PiOuu w introduce COe
scholars to her. As for Miss Elsie, the
girls Immediately fell in love with her
charming face and manners. "She is
just as pretty and lovely as she can be, /"
was the verdict; doesn't look one bit
like her sister"
But after awhile they noticed that
Miss Miggs seemed to be growing
younger and better looking. Elsie was
the fairy that brought tho transforma.
ton; she dressed her sisters hair be.
comingly and saw that she had cloth
ing suitable for school-teacher. "You
can afford it, dear, you know" she said
to julia one day. "You must not spend
another cent on me now
But the most beautiful light came
into Miss Miggs' eyes the day the trus-
tees sent piano to the school. The
larger scholars had secretly demanded
1T, and the morning it arrived they re-
joiced with exceeding great Joy because
OF the happiness it caused their teacher.
Miss Miggs is almost handsome to-
day!' eYclaimed Eta Wr;rb+ tsITa