The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1893-12-15

'Gentlemen, the business OF the
evening is finished. l nave helped the
school in the past all that I could. If
Miss Hope wishes my advice I'll give
it but the trustees have assumed the
responsibility of hiring her, now they
must support her. I'm done. Good
night.
And he passed out.
''Ihat is just what we mean to do
support the teacher, and if every
father here will impress it on his
children minds we won'thave so many
to expel next month, remarked Mr.
Brown.
On the morning when school was to
open the children congregated early.
'I've brought a present for the new
teacher" said Barbara Hunter. 81
wonder how she will like it?"
She opened box she carried, and
we caught q glimpse of a little furry
creature.
"Won't the dainty Miss Hope yell,
thought" said Barbara "'Taint
likely she saw any of these in them
Turin parts.
Down the road on a slow canter came
beautiful black horse and his rider,
Miss Hope; she was dressed in close
fitting dark habit and cap. She stopped
ut Mr.. Dawson's, where she was to
leave her horse, gave Robert the bride
and entered the house. Very soon she
reappeared, dressed for school, and
walked quickly up the hill.
"Good mornings lam glad to meet
you all, F" she said pleasantly.
Forty-two pairs of eyes scanned her
closely as she passed into the school
house. We were all there, and only
those who have gone through the or
deal can appreciate how very trying
this first day was to be to the young
teacher. At o'clock the bell rang,
and we took our seats. Some good in
stinct must have guided Miss Hope in
making the schedule of names, classes,
and so on, for she began with the row
in which the best behaved pupils were
seated. Next was Barbara's row.
"What is your name?" inquired the
young teacher.
"Some folks call me Red Top"
eyes? What do your parents call
yon?"
Barbara
Barbara what?
"Hunter.
GLOW old are you, Barbara Hun
ter?"
"Past ten"
Chow many years past?"
Give"
"What do you read in. Barbara?
ga book, Miss Hope"
Ia this way she and her followers
tried all day to annoy Miss Hope; but
she seemed not to notice their rude
ness.
Not till afternoon did she discover
her present Barbara had put it in {
crayon box on her desk. The first Ian
guage class was called-ten boys an(
girls. Miss Hope, eagerly studying
their sweet faces, drew the box towarC
her to get some crayon. She slid bacl
the lid, put in her hand, but drew i
back quickly with an exclamation o
pain. There, clinging to her hand
was a blind mole, its teeth nearl.
through one slender finger In sec
ond it had relaxed its hold and wa
creeping round the floor. One big DO,
with ready boot would have crushet
the little creature, but Miss Hope lSit
her handkerchief over it and lifted j
back into the box.
"We will use the mole for our les
, son." she said. "Who can tell m
whore moles live, what color they are
and all about them !"
J Although her face was pale and he
finger swollen, she never asked wor,
. about how the mole came there.
! There were good blackboards in the
school room, and the wall had bee
newly kalsomined, but the large apart
ment looked bare and dismal. We ha
always been accustomed to this, an
: were not little surprised to find, on
! morning, pretty pictures on the walls
, polished horns hung up by brightrib
bons and filled with flowers, calendars
thermometer, little oilcloth mats TO
the teachers desk, and various othe
improvements. The room lookedyer
inviting and pleasant.
One day Barbara was even more way
> ward than usual. She would not lear
! her lessons at all. Miss Hope kept he
4 after school, 1t was some minutes b.
fore she spoke word to her. The
| she did something SO naturally an
: kindly that the girl could not be OF
: Tended. She took her own brush OF
of the desk and said:
Barbara, do you know you hay
lovely hair? I'm going to arrange
s for you"
4 While thus engaged she talked {
/ the beautiful places and things she ha
aaan fal1inor har etoriau and anaodo fa