Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-05-31

Prepared by G. I. Hood & c., Lowe1, Mass.
The only PHI to take with Hoods Sarsaparilla.
A PRIMARY TEACHER
Written for This Paper]
John Craig was the principal Of the school
of q small Iowa village. Az principal it was
bio duty to teach the classes in the third
room, or. a. it was termed in the village, the
high school. Az 4 teacher he was a. near
perfection % It had ever been the good for
tune of the school board of the village to se'
cure, and be was also % near perfect speci'
| men of physical manhood a. one could wish
TO see. Many q mother In the village had
angled for him az husband for cherished
daughter during the winter he had spent
With them, but none had been successful.
The reason for their failure was that his
affections were placed elsewhere. and in his
own school at that. e., -:
Madee Mackenzie taught. the primary
room Of the village school. She, like Craig,
was stranger in the town, but, unlike him,
| was not popular in village society. People
said of her that she was "stuck up and
naughty, That because she had q college
education she felt herself above the young
women Of the village, and the people Of the
village resented it. But Madge Mackenzie
did not feel above the people of the village
with whom she had cast her lot. Hers,
| however, was one of those peculiar natures
that cannot harmonic with uncongenial
company. Her education had given her IN
ambition. and her ambition overmastared
all clue in her nature. She was ambitious e
be 4 leader in her chosen profession. To
attain to q profeasorship in her alma mater
was a. far - she had let her dreams carry
her. aud to do this she would sacrifice oil
else. For this she declined tho invitations
that had been offered her when she first
came to the village, and devoted her even.
ines to study. She did not, however, think
it necessary to inform tho people OF the VII
laee of hsr reasons for declining their In
vitations, and they, village like. asczibed Il
to feeling Of superiority.
It was Craig who 6rst fathomed tho myo
tory Of her reticencs. It was g him that
she went for assistance In her studies, IN -
sistance which he gladly gave: Before tho
winters term was half over his heart bad
gone out to the little schoolmistFess battling
alone With the world.
She, too, learned to respect and love tho
manly man who was assisting her. but what
should she answer him should he ask her to
marry himi Her heart dictated yes" but
her ambition said no."
The end of May was drawing near. School
would be over in another short week. Madge
Mackenzie had been unable TO get any eatis-
faction from tho school board regarding ..
place for another term. They had not said
no to her application, but they had intimated
that her services would not be needed, and
she realized why. Sbe must make ipplica-
lion elsewhere and would ask the advice OF
Wien she went to him with her request
for advice he reached over to her, and, TAX
Ing both her hands in his, asked her not to
look for another situation, but to let bin
| provide for her. He poured out to her all
the. pent-up love of his nature, reasoned and
argued with her, but TO no effect.
TO the sensitive girl it seemed as though
she had thrown herself at his feet by giving
him the opportunity to confess his love to
her, and, though it hurt her probably more
than it did him, she said no., and said it in
such q way that he took It as final.
He could not see her reason for refusing
him. He felt that he had been deceived,
that she had encouraged him only that she
might add another name to her list Of pre-.
vious conquests. He would so away and
forget her; he would spend his summer at
little place in northern Minnesota which he
knew Of and where he was acquainted.
When Madge Mackenzie left the school:
him it was with . bitter heart.
"Oh. why did be choose such timc," she
moaned to herself as she passed down the
hn hnv
me instead of taking time when ! llad gone
70 him? How could have said yes, and
yet my heart il all his. my ambition 10 a.
nothing to my love for him, and now even
my ambition seems crushed under this
weight. feel that my life will DO spent
where it but really began; in the primary
schools. ! shall go away for the summer to
Mr.. Clark's, and there in the country
among the pine forests will try to forget the
happy days Of the past few months." 80.
Az the train drey up to tho little station
In northern Minnesota and MadGe Mackenr-
xie stepped out onto tho station platform
she received welcome such a. only moth
erly woman can give to friendless girl. She
bad known Madge when she was but chit
Of . girl, before her parents had died, and
before her uncle had offered to educate her
70 - to prepare her to earn her way in the
world. To-day she hnd left tho girls at
home to prepare the supper and had gone to
the station four miles from home that she
might welcome her summer boarder. 49,,
''There 10 surprise ut the house fol, you,
Madge." she said, after they were started
homewards. "You would never have
thought that We should turn our place into
. summer resort, would you, but We have,
and have another 'boarder who intends to
stay until fall"
Il don't know but that !. am sorry for Il, }"
replied the GIRL" had wanted to b With
just you and the girls this summer"
"But know you will snever mind Mr..
Craig. be is such gentleman. I know you
can't help liking him."
"How funny that ID, bis name, mean. for
the name of the principal Of our school this
last year was Craig, Mr.. John Craig" -
and that's his name, too; and he = Q
school.teacher. / wonder II u ean b tho
same nan?" =