The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-24
The Gymnasium, Teacher.
(Translated from the Russian for The
Pictorial Review.)

IL
shall never forget the Joy with
which received the news of my ap-
pointment. IL was year after left
the university. Mamma had contract
ed considerable debts TO keep me in st.
Petersburg. Milasha, my sister, was
growing. and Kolia was in gymnasium
in fine, mammals pension was barely
enough 10 make both ends meet and
my salary had been looked forward to
with impatience. But. strange to say,
my first feeling as l received my ap.
pointment as teacher in the female
gymnasium OF the city of N. had moth
ing to do with the improvement In our
economical status which it implied. /
remember that feeling so clearly that
IT seems as II II had all happened but
an hour ago. Maybe IL liz because OF
the occurrence which 1t foreshadowed
and which was destined TO leave such
deep trace on my life that recall
IL so vividly every time / think OF II.
However that may be. the first ex-
clamation which made mentally as
i received letter announcing my APP
pointment was not. "Now l shall have
about 100 rubles month"; but, "Now
shall teach class OF beautiful girls
and fall in love!"
DO not laugh. If you had been
brought up under the same conditions.
you would be In a similar hurry. was
what Is called good boy, and never
left my books. When In ST. Peters
burg 1 was ever trembling lest I should
fah TO pass my examinations and thus
cause mother unnecessary expense and
worry. Besides. had inherited from
my father retiring studious nature
and the very thought of young ladies
would make my heart beat fast with
a feeling OF diffidence and tlmidity.
However, had vague conviction that
IL would have 10 wear OF. and that
sooner or later i should have TO follow
the course of all young men--fall in
love. propose, marry and become a
paterfamilias. When / learned about
the gymnasium where I was TO teach
physics / beheld a class made ,ip of
20 or 30 beauties. Why all beauties /
could not have explained, but there
they We're: all young and rosy
checked. all tall. and all with bashful
blue eyes.
I. too, grew bashful as I thought of
them in their brown dresses and black
aprons. They lured me. caressed my
soul, agitated my heart. threw me into
disquieting ecstacy which was as
novel to me as 1t was sweet and pain
ful.
Ii had taken me three hours to dress
] was TO make my first appearance at
the gymnasium. and my first lesson was
IN the highest class. which was made UP
OF girls OF seventeen or eighteen. No
student preparing for examination ever
trembled AZ l did on that morning. III
was as II instead of scholars / was 10
race twenty or thirty ruthless examin-
ers. each with an incisive pair OF eyes
ready 10 pounce upon my poor bashful
SELF could hear them giggle at my
expense. make jokes about my awk-
wardness. my necktie. my looks
When 1 entered the class-ro /
struck an attitude of exaggerated Sc
verify. To prove 10 myself that I was
not afraid OF the girls spoke ridicu-
lously loud. almost shouted. AS
| went on explaining the distinction be-
tween chemistry and physics. frown-
ed on my class, looked daggers at the
front row and altogether behaved as
| if bore them personal grudge.
Isn't he stern." overheard one girl
whisper 10 another. A thrill of pride
ran through me. You're all right
said to myself. and. elated with the i'm
more at ease. and to stride up and
down the room with the manner of an
old-timer. ] was I'm the seventh heaven.
Two girls were talking In the rear seats.
"Silence." Numbered.
There was suppressed chuckle at
this. and my heart sank within me.
was the most miserable wretch in the
world.
When I got home I lay down on my
lounge TO think over. l did not know
what, and as ! tried to pass the girls
in review IL came over me that j had
not made out a singles face. ] could not
say whether they were pretty or home
", dark or fair. A blurred image of
young ladies In gymnasium uniform
was all l had carried away.
The next time I had lesson in the
same class called out Mile. e.Ryshkina.
She had evidently given much time to
her lesson, but she had II all wrong.
and, strange TO say. the more she
blundered. the more liked TO hear her
recite. IL was SO charming 10 hear her
go on with the explanation which she
did not understand herself. You should
have heard her rattle on about phenom-
ena and laws. To judge from her man
ner one would have thought she was
sure Of her ground. and felt able 10
give cards and spades TO her teacher.
Her dark brown eyes blazei with en-
thusiasm. and as she recited she gently
jerked her head and now and then
waved her hand. There was grace in
her voice and there was grace In her
movements.
This Is the one am going to fall in
love WITH" said 10 myself. and
week or two later I was SO far gone
that ] was afraid or my own shadow.
Mile. Ryshkina and the other girls In
the class seemed to have discovered the
secret OF my heart. 10 make fun Of
me. TO think CT nothing but my insane
love for Maria Vaslyevna Ryshkina.
Suppose the director finds II out? Why.
that would be terrible. The shame of II.
Besides. II might lead to all sorts OF dis
agreeable situations and finally 10 my
losing the position.
III.
The teacher OF mathematics in the
higher classes of the male gymnasium
fell sick and the work was divided be-