Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-03-29

I NE AOA6Os
N~. that you wore
~NITM a child ono
EMEM VII yourself Thu
N 80 was the part
49, ing advice
given to Elsie Milford by her mother
when she left home to teach her hrst
district school. The words came back
to her now, on this first day Of April,
as with her finger still lingering on
the little silver bell she watched the
children marching up and down the
narrow aisles and through the open
door into the village street. It had
been a hard morning for her. There
had been no real misdemeanor among
the pupils, and yet there was IN in.
definable sense Of mischief brewing in
the air which disturbed Miss Mitford's
sensitive nerves more than an open OUT
break would have done. At recess tho
pupils had formed little whispering
c%onclaves from which bursts Of mis-
chievous laughter smote the teachers
ears with fresh annoyance
When the pupils had all fled out
Miss Milford opened a door behind hes
rostrum and entered q bAck room
where her overshoes and umbrella
were slowed. 1t was q queer apart
ment to open from . school
room It was filled with rub
bish composed of boxes hArrels crock.
cry crates, signs and price cards,
broken dishes and battered tinwsre
Mingled with the loose straw and dust
which Uttered the floor were some
highly dessicated but still odorous cod
fishes and dry yeast cakes It was In
deed, the rubbish room Of an old gro
cery..in the front Of which Miss Milford
taught the pupils Of New Town.
AS Miss Milford picked her way
through a soft ''slush' of snow and
gravel to her boarding house, her moth
er's advice still seemed ringing in hes
ears. at the dinner table she sighed a.
she nodded mechanically to the wait.
er's "soup?' but by the time she had
swallowed a few spoonfuls of tho hot
savory liquid her nerves were so far
soothed that she said to herself,
'It Is good advice. and I will try 10
follow it to-day. After all, the first OF
April comes but once q year aad l.
did I make such a simpleton Of myself
over 1t when I was a child. I wonder7~
Then her face broke into q real smile,
as there came to her a memory OF cot.
fortified pancakes, salted.coffes, nailed
down pennies, bogus parcels and the
numberless silly trifes over which she
had made merry in her happy child.
hood
When she returned to tho school
room nearly all the pupils were assem-
bled upon the old store platform out
side. many Of them with noses dattened
against the broad window panes, gar
ing intently within and every now and
then giving vent to convulsive laughter.
The first one who noticed her approach
gave a low whistle, followed by an
admonitory cough. The heads were
instantly Withdrawn from the win
dows. and all made q 1udicrous attempt
at seeming unconscious as Miss Nit
ford came among them, saying pleas.
antly as she placed her hand upon the
door latch,
"Why do you not come inside? II b
chilly ont here In the snow.n
Asmothered litter from the younge1
children was her only answer. She had
been prepared for the discovery Of some
April fool prank. but her expectations
were more than fulfilled. As she
opened the door . sitting air, ladsr
with odors Of SNUFF and asafntida,
rushed out to meet her, and she saw
that b stove was red hot while one
swift glance around the room showed
her that the contents Of the rubbish
repository in tho rear had been utilized
for schoo1room decorations.
A festoon OF the moldy yeast cakes
tied together with Irvine depended
from the front Of her desk The cod
fishes had been tied by the tails into
huge bouquet" and stuck In q broke,
water pitcher. This was placed on the
desk, with q card hanging upon ita
side, On which was written In q bol<
hand;
" You may break, you maj shattex. the vase. I
you ELL.
But the scent Of tho roses VIII hang round 1
STILL" y
A piece Of ancient dried beef-almos
In q state Of petrifaction-had Q rusty
butchers knife attached to It. and wa,
hung directly under the evergreen mot
to: labor Omnia Vincit," which CAV,
dignity to one side Of the schoolroom
The sohoolbooks had been e~ollectes
from the desks, piled on . box In tn
center OF the room and p~lacardeds 'sTw.
for a nickel" ''Your choice for . dime
WIS attached to q bunch Of freshly-cu
cottonwood switches.
But b browning achievement wa
crockery crate inverted upon . pedes
, tai of piled-up boxes so a. to form
sort of cage. By means Of an India,
mask, some turkey feathers. horse hal
and an old Navajo blanksk . moat gro
testque Indian figure had been con
trived. This was seated within th,
cage, upon an inverted mackerel tub
with its head bent low over Webster
Unabridged Dictionary, which lay ope,
upon a box In front Above this tri
! umph OF art was the inscription! 80
in A. D. 1900"
. After surveying the room for q mo
ment Miss Milford passed into til,
back room. a. usual, to remove he
: overshoes She closed the door benin,
: her and remained q little while in dee
Thought Then she laughed softly b
: herself, Strengthened down her fac
again and returned to the schoolroom
The only window Of the room, excep
the large stationary ones which forme,
9 the old store front, was beside her desll
When other v~entAlatSco was needed
they were obliged to open the doors
She threw this window wide ope,
now. and q cool breeze blew across he