Democratic messenger., 1894-06-30
4 Plea for the Country Teachers.

\ Plea for the Country Teachers.
With a feeling of sympathy and
pity for that noble class of persons
known to the public as the country
school teacher, | make plea for
mercy and justice.
Ii really seems rs If those who should
take active interest in their welfare
and comfort, treat them with utter in-
difference. Ye powers that be. did
We ever stop to think what wonderful
sacrifices are made by the subjects OF
this article? A young girl has under
gone the torture of a teachers exami-
nation; armed with her certificate she
starts out to find the trustees of some
country-school, after finding the objects
of her search, she makes her applica.
ton but is informed that there are
several applicants ahead OF her hut
there has been no appointment male
as vet and they will let her know soon-
er or later. What anxiety! what sus
pence! until that triumvirate is heard
from; il the answer should be negative,
the same ordeal must he gone through
again,-that of appealing for position
But we are supposing that she is sue
cessful in obtaining school, there's
the rub, for perchance in that school
what sorrows may come. She has
taken her seat for the first time in the
excathedra Of the musty school-room.
The lads and lassies begin to drop in
to their places and the teacher soon
finds that she has large ungraded
school, fifty four enrolled first day. She
busies herself to classify them, aud
when she gets through, she finds that
she has about as many classes as
pupils but everything has passed of
very nicely; children like their teacher
teacher thinks she has a pleasant little
school; she goes over long, dreary
road to her boarding place, where she
is pleasantly greeted by her landlady,
she eats nice, warm supper and
pretty soon retires to her room feeling
a little tired. but happy were hel
bright prospects. All. fair maiden, you
do not know of the trials awaiting
YOU with the mischievous boy and the
ill-tempered girl. 1t takes only d
slight punishment To that girl or boy
to bring upon the teacher condemnation
from the parents for the infection Of
punishment for an otfense which merits
a much severer one. But no, she should
have administered it in different man
ner, no sympathy given to that girl
teacher who has such responsibility
resting upon her, (these parents look
not into the future when their girl will
perhaps need the sympathetic. friendly
help of some one.) She is not perfect,
the teacher makes mistakes but are
excuses ever made for that hard-work.
ing tired teachery Don't you see what
great amount of nerve force she is ex-
pending for the edification of your
child, She is doing noble work fol
her race. She is probably trudgine
over long and bad roads to and from
her school. At times sitting i'll the
school-room in wet and cold garments
subject to the adverse criticism of those
who are disposed to be captious and
not capable of criticising what q
teacher should be. Premature old
age staring her in the face, tor who can
undergo the wonderful mental strain
that she is subjected TO without fading
And all this for what? Ye uniformed
find ont the small salary that she re-
ceives at the end of every two and
a half months, with those intervening
months of vacation when she goes
without remuneration and probably
with no prospect of school the ensu.
ing scholastic year, and you will see
how pleasing her vacation is. Cannot
such injustice he remedied. Is there
no one who will try to make her path
more pleasant
Honorable School Board, think what
noble charges you have, and do the
best you can to increase salaries.
Trustees and parents give your coop
GRAFTON and sympathy to those who are
of such inestimable value to you (for
there are many who owe what they are
and all they are to the country school)
hold up your teachers hands, visit and
encourage them in a work that is as
noble and worthy of consideration as
mortal can engage in. Try to better
the condition Of as grand class ol
philanthropists as ever trOd Gods foot
stool-the country school teacher.
PHILo