Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-17


there through the spring term. There wasn't
any trouble fall and winter but the teacher
would leave in the spring term. They al
ways tried to hush it up. and nobody ever
knew exactly what they left for. L rather
guess they bound the teachers over not to
tell-maybe paid them a little extra. Any
way, nobody ever knew exactly what it
was but it got whispered round there was
something wrong about the Number One
school house.
Nobody but a stranger or somebody that
was along in years and pretty courageous
could be hired to go there and teach the
spring term. The chances were that old
Doctor Emmons couldn't get another soul
besides me for love or money, and If I
wouldn't go, the school would have to be
shut up till fall. But didn't care anything
ABOUT the stories. 1 never was one of the
KIND that listen, and bark, and screech, and
mad had enough real things TO think and
worry about Then had kind of feeling
then-I suppose it was wicked-that it didn't
matter much what happened anyway, after
what had happened.
So just packed up my trunk while Doc
tor Emmons waited, and then he put it in
behind in his wagon, and carried me over to
Aarshbrook 1t was about six miles away.
Marshbrook was named after the brook
there. that runs through marshy land end
gets soaked up in 1t some seasons of the
year Ihat spring it was quite high, and
the land all around 1t was yellow as gold
with cowslips. We rode beside it quite a
ways. and the doctor said his wife had
polled cowslip greens twice. He talked con-
opic dDout Sucn Things Delng better Tor
1olks to eat than meat too. He didn't say a
Woro about the school, till he set me down
AT the house where / was going to board.
Ihen he said l looked if 1 wasn't fidgety.
ana ne hadn't any notion but what should
get along well, and like the school. Then he
SAID, kind of as if he hated to, but thought
nee better. that he guessed / might just as
well make up my mind not to STAY after
scnool at night much, and not to keep the
scholars. The school house was in rather n
lonesome place, and some strag gers might
come along; then. too, it was rather damp
there, being near the brook after the dew
Tell, and he didn't think it was very healthy
said, Very WELL" Then Mr. Orrin
Simonds, the man where I was going 10
p poara, came out and they carried my trunk
betwixt them into the house.
began school the next morning, and got
along well enough The school was quite
large one. about forty in it. and none of
tHem very Old. They behaved well as usu-
al, and taught them the best knew Row
ought to have done better by them than I
mad ever done for other scholars, for I
naan any lookout for myself to take my
nlnd on suppose I always had had a
niue, though had hardly known II myself
ana ought to have been ashamed of it.
i ad not stay after school for some two
weeks, not because 1 was afraid OF any-
tnng. for wasn't, but hadn't any cali TO
didn't mind what Doctor Emmons had
SAID at all, as far as l was concerned. but /
.nougnt ! wouldn't keep the scholars any
way. SO II anything did come up, wouldn't
De blamed on their accounts There wasn't
anybody to blame me on mine. If 7 Ji,ln.t
give up the school-and l wasn't going to do
that, anyway.
l went to meeting the Sunday after I went
to Marshbrook. 1 suppose some folks thought
would get somebody to carry me home to
meeting, seeing as 1t was only six miles
and l belonged to the church there. but I
felt as If 1 had just soon see some new
faces "
Maria Rogers used to sit right in front of
me at home -
1 noticed that folks in the meeting house
at Marshbrook eyed me some / don't know
whether 1t was because had come to teach
tne Number One school or because ] wore
my green silk. 1 suppose ii did look most
TOO flne, but had it and 1t was a pleasant
sunday, and thought / might lust as we'll
wear IT, though somehow every time look
81. eu Gown at my lap as l sat in meeting
there was something about the color seemed
TO strike over me and make me sick.
never liked green very we'll, but he did.
and that was why got it. 1 liked it better
atter II was colored. though it seemed a
shame to have all the stiffening taken out
or IL. 1t was beautiful piece.
i had good boarding place, Just Mr.
Simonds and his WIFE and she was as neat
as wax and a good cook. She was kind of
woodeny and didn't talk much but / didn't
feel much like talking. and liked it full as
well. She used to have 1per early about
as soon as / got home from school and then
L used to go upstairs to my chamber and
sit by myself. Mrs Simonds didn't neighbor
much, she said. but / guess after I came
folks run in more. I'd hear them talking
downstairs. i guess they wanted to find ont
how was getting along at the Number One
school.
Once Mrs. Simonds said. if she was in nv
place. she'd make her plans not to stay
after school. She didn't seem any more
fidgety herself than a wooden post hut 7
guess she'd heard so much from the neigh
bors. she thought she ought to say some
thing
l said / hadn't had any occasion to STAY
after school, and hadn't. l didn't really
have any occasion the night / did stay, but
felt Kind of down at the heel. and didn't
want any supper, and just sat there on the
platform behind my desk, after the scholars
marched out of the room.
don't know how long / sat there-uuite a
while, suppose for it began to grow dusky.
The frogs peeped as If they were in the
room, and there was a damp wind blew in
the window, and could smell winte-green
and swamp pinks. 1t was all could do to
keep the children from chewing wintergreen
leaves in schooltime. They were real :hick
all around the school house.
All OF a sudden, as l sat there. I had
the room. and looked up. I saw, down In
the middle of the room a little white arm
raised in the dusk. 1t was the way the
children did: when they wanted to ask some
thing, and thought for a second that one
had stayed or come back. unbeknown to me.
and was raising an arm. OF course. that
was queer but 1t was the only reason / |
could think of, and it flashed through nv
head. my
What is it?' says 1. and then 1 heard |
little g1rrs voice pipe up, please. teacher
ma my doll for me- and hear my next les
son in the primer"
"What?"' says I, for 1t didn't seem to me |
could have heard right And then the
voice said 1t over again. and that little white
arm crooked out of the gloom
got up. and went down the aisle between
the desks. and when l came close enough
saw little girl. In queer. straight white
dress. almost like nightgown, sitting there
Her little face was white in the gloom n |
made me creep. and her features looked set:
even her mouth didn't move when she
spoke 1t was open a little and the words
just seemed to flow out between her lips |
Please, teacher. find my doll for me- and |
near my next lesson in the primer" saws
she over again, dreadful pitiful
/ put my hand on her shoulder. and then
1 jumped and took il away, for 1 never felt
anything so cold as her little shoulder was
1t seemed as If the cold struck to nv heart
from 1t, and had to catch my breath.
what is your name?' says I, as soon as
could. as
MARY Williams. aged six years. three
months and five days" says she |
Then my blood ran cold, but / tried to |
reason 1t out to myself again, that sh. was
some child hadn't seen, that had RIM in
there and maybe she wasn't quite right In
her mind. -"
Well, says /, you had better run homo |
now. If you want to come to school vou
can come at . O'Clock tomorrow morning.
If your mother is willing Then I will hear
your lesson and maybe yoll will 6pd ,,o,r