The leader., 1898-12-28

4
Eecn an invasion OF measles right i'll the
middle of the term, necessitatlng va
cation of two weeks, aid Director Hath
away had insisted that the teacher
make up the lost time. much to the dis
gust of the younger children. who had
thus been deprived of their holiday
freedom.
But the teacher had not been in the
least incommoded by this prOlongation
Of the term. Herbert Allen had en-
joyed his first term in Il country school
or some reason, which he had never
stopped to anaylze. there had been
peculiar fascination about his work, al
though it had been in sphere Of life
and amidst environments so different
from what he had dreamed of year be-
fore. And yet he had unwittingly in
Cured the displeasure OF the school
board and had been recently Informed
that his services would not be needed
longer.
And now. on the last afternoon of De
cember, the term was over. The school
had closed with exercises" and the
whole community had turned out to
hear them. The boys had stammered
through their pieces" the big girls had
read their ESSAYS" and the little ones
had gone through their songs and mo
ton exercises" to their own great salts
faction and the infinite delight OF their
aJmiring parents. Director Hathaway
End Elder Sloane, at the teachers in
v.tation, had talked edifyingly on the
advantages of an dedication" and the
proper training Of the young" and the
modest farewell.
At last all was over, the last scholar
had said good-by to the teacher and
gone. The young master seated him
self at his table and sighed deeply as he
looked around the now quiet room, es-
recially as his eyes rested upon the seat
CT Helen Hathaway, the charming
young daughter Of the director.
The schoolhouse, on whose interior
he was so disconsolately gazing as the
setting sun shone through its win
dows and lighted up the familiar OBJ
jects-the charts and pictures on the
walls, the neatly executed maps and
drawings, the specimens Of busy
work" done by the children, the notices
and diagrams and quotations on the
blackboards-had been indeed pleas
ant place to Herbert, save for the one
disturbing incident. Many a cheerful
modern schoolroom can be found in the
country districts of the middle western
states, and it is easy to see how an en-
thusiastic, refined young man like Her
bert Allen could become attached to
such pleasant, intellectual workshop.
1t would have been even easier to IN
derstand his fondness for the spot if
one could have seen the sweet face of
Helen Hathaway and noted the deep in
terest which she evinced in her algebra
and history and the readiness which the
young teacher displayed to help her in
her pursuit Of knowledge. 1t would
have amused a disinterested observer
to see the earnest devotion with which
the pedagogue and his most advanced
scholar delved into the mysteries OF
quadratic equations and how willing
Tie y Jung man dppCuicu W ShO" LIS
interested and interesting pupil.
Such amiability, however, was not at
all pleasing to John Warren, another of
the oldest, though by no means bright
est, scholars III school. Before the adj
vent of the new teacher, John had been
the recipient of an occasional smile
from the directors daughter, but of
late the young lady had apparently for
gotten the young man in her deep alb
sorption in algebra and history.
1t was this unfortunate condition,
speaking from John Warren's stand
point, that had led TO Mr.. Aliens dis
comfture. Squire Warren was neigh
Dor of Director Hathaway and the two
farmers were firm friends. So when the
squire's son began to make disparaging
remarks about the teacher, and the ia
Their, whose faith in his only son was
unbounded, had become prejudiced
against the young man, he mentioned
the matter to the director and easily
persuaded that worthy official. whose
acquaintance with the teacher had ex-
tended little farther than had been in
ridental to the duty of making a con-
tract with him. that young Allen" was
not a .'fit person to conduct our school.
lie is too familiar with the scholars and
hasn't enough dignity TO I'LL such re-
sponsible position"