The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-05-12
TRIALS OF A COUNTRY SCHOOL
MARIN,
A Paper Read by Miss sailie Nickle Before
the Tea ciiers' Association at Port
Deposit May ,. 1891.

Deposit May .. 1894.
What delightful thing it is to look upon n
little school girl plodding her way along to
school; perfect picture OF ambition, and filled
to overiowing with youthful hopes, looking for
ward 10 that period when she shall be in her
teachers stead. But in her innocence she is prone
to look upon her path, as laden with roses, and
to gain them she merely has to apply her brain
for a time The little girl pursues her course
impressed by teachers, friends and parents, with
the fact that if she is to become a teacher, she
must LEARN to labor and to wait. The fond
mother is proud to spend her evening, in assist
ing the little Amy with the morrow's lessons.
All goes nicely for while and Amy advances
from one grade to another until she comes to
something o higher order. She spends her
evenings in fret and worry trying to apply her
overtaxed brain in solving some o these terrible
problems The thoughtful parents coming to
her aid seek refuge in saying, II used to do them
but indeed the Iule has slipped my memory"
Poor Amy! AT her first obstacle she mcditates
looks backward and thinks of all she has
learned, looks forward to all the theorems,
axioms and pOstulates yet to be learned, then
wonders over the great puzzle ''how one little
brain can be expected to know so much.' So
Amy finds her school life one series of troubles
until she is tempted to give up the thought
entirely, and enjoy the ordinary school Lille OF
her associates with no extra effort. But. ah.
how keenly she is made to realize the disap-
pOntment it would bring to those interested in
her behalf and on whom their hopes were
entered. She finally decides to face her own
battle, and cost what it may, carry out the plans
laid down for her. In obedance to this decision
she worries through from one examination to
another until she comes to the final one that
which decides whether or not Amy is to be the
longed for school marin. So she prepares for the
awful day, turns her nights into days, burns oil
by the gallon, and loses her appetite. Yet under
it all there rests in Amy breast the self assur-
ance that she will pass Il good examination.
She appears before the examiner nervous and
excited on what she imagineS her J Judgment Day.
The most prominent features of her face being the
mouth and eyes, but she didn'C expect such
heights to mount, and found the supplies want
ing. Then followed the anxiousy awaited res ults,
and when they did appear Amy's was among the
missing. Poor girl with feeling Of crushed
pride, she determined to continue her search for
another whole year, for the golden treasure, and
by her own mighty efforts accomplish her pur.
pose She is examined the following year and
does she lass? Yes. She like others expected to
get the BEST but consoles herself with the thought
that her troubles were all thing of the past
now. She was now authorized to teach. and in a
few days some one would ask her as a special
favor to teach Il certain school,
Time passed and no one asked her to teach.
She finally realized that the order was reversed
and to get school the effort must be on her part
She visited the school authorities, and on one
occasion her application was replied to by an
eccentric old man who said, I'VE don't care
about placing our children under the control OF
one SO near the cradle herself" Even her sister
teachers from whom she had expected encourag e
ment, had no confidence in these young teach
ers" They all seemed to want some one with
age on her side. So she found the question was
age not knowledge Poor AMY in a tiny corner
OF her young heart, she almost wished her hair
was tinged with gray. On every side there seemed
to be no sy mpathy for the aching heart no word
of encouragement for the eve brlmful of tears.
At last she was given school that am foreed
to believe no one else would have. She went to
her new field of labor rejoicing inwardly that she
had now won her laurels.
Amy's life Ike all others had its lows mingled
with lis sorrows, for now she was soon to come
into the possession OF a magnificent salary All
her trials were now over and the first dav in her
school found her the monarch of all she sur
veyed.n All went nicely for Il W lille until there
was one John Green who failed to become recon.
ciled to his new school r.ar'm.
After moral suasion and light punishment
failed, it became evident that the rod had to be
used on John, and oh. what a ridiculous thing
that was for one so Young as Amy. She at last de
cided it must be done as a warning TO the school
She seized the rod and called him out He
walked up the aisle quite convinced that such
little girl couldn't whip John Green and lust
as she raised the rod to strike he broke it IN ha
but he received the full benefit of the other half
and was forced to 20 to his seat in tears, crying
out, 'I'm going to tell my mother and shell tend
to YOU
So Amy passed the night with her little head
buried among the pillows crying until her ewes
closed in SUMMER robhed or its naooa tu,ness hy
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