Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-10-11
listened to his first lecture. When it

Here and there men greeted each othe1
as they slowly moved toward the door
and women, dressed in their best
bowed, and smiled to friends across
the room.
Gregory was struck by the holiday
appearance of the company, by the
pleasure in their faces and by theil
evident reluctance to leave. By 6
happy inspiration he raped upon his
desk.
wouldn't it be we'll for you all tc
stay awhile and discuss the lecture? p
he asked. 1T is only quarter to nine
Surely, you can all stay another hour
We began early and got through early
and it is not bedtime yet"
In a moment the crowd was broken
up into little knots, conversing shyly
Gregory assumed the role of host, anC
passing from one group to another
made the acquaintance of all he did
not know, and received a Difference
never before accorded to a teacher in
the district. He tried, with some sue
cess. to break up the rigid separation
of the sexes, for there was "boys'
side" and girls side" in the little
assemblage, and no one seemed to
dare step over the line.
At the second lecture the audience
was larger than at the first. But while
the Yankee women and girls showed
that innate adaptability that makes
the Yankee farmers daughter feel at
home in any circle of society, the Nor
wegian and German women and the
men of all nationalities were awkward
and retiring. Noticing this, Gregory
began to think it would be we'll to give
some instruction in social graces.
Almost anything that he cared to
propose would have been adopted by
the people of the district. Before the
audience had departed the Hawthorne
Literary society had been organized
and the programme for it's first meet
ing decided upon. The organization
was to be social as well as literary, and
the programme was to be brief enough
to allow an hour or more for general
conversation after it was finished.
The first meeting of the Hawthorne
was success. BY request of the wom-
en-, the debaters, essayists and Geclaim-
ers of this first meeting had been
chosen from the men; but, when the
exercises were over, and cakes. pies,
cookies and all sorts of good things
were produced by smiling matrons and
maids, the men agreed that their own
share in making the occasion notable
was small.
Gregory was surfeited with delica-
cies. All the hostesses insisted upon his
tasting of their cookery. This was his
triumph, not theirs, they said. Three
delightful evenings and the prospect
of more to come, bringing relief from
the colorless monotony of their lives,
were all due to him. He was public
benefactor, and before the evening was
over Torgrim Olsen addressed him in a
set speech and told him so.
But the morning that dawned after
the pleasant evening was sad one. A
brand from the fire built in the cracked
old schoolhouse stove to dispel the chill
Of the late October night had set fire
to the schoolhouss and burned it to the
ground. There was little likelihood
that it would be rebuilt before spring.
Winter was near at hand. The dis
trict would hardly make up its mind to
face the expenditure for new school
house Immediately. Gregory felt that
his career as a teacher was over, and
the gray, gloomy sky was in accord
with his mood as he stood by the ruins
in the hollow of the hills.
The school board arrived while he
was making melancholy survey, and
one after another came other men, un-
til nearly all the voters in the district
were present.
when are you going to get about
building new schoolhouse, Mr.. May
nard?" asked Torgrim Olsen of the
chairman of the school board.
"We!l, don't knew" said Mr.. May
nard. "I'm afraid there isn't enough
money to do it right away"
"It's hard on our literary society,""
said Ado!ph Glenz. II was looking for
ward to the literary society meetings
with a good deal of pleasure. My wife
said she expected this was going to be
the best winter she ever had"
''It's shame the old schoolhouse has
burned down." said Henry Truscott.
"What's the matter with building it
right up again." exclaimed Torgrim
Olsen. "I'll give ten dollars toward do
ing it. Those literary meetings will
be worth ten dollars this winter to me
and my family. Come on, now, friends!
What'll you give to have your children
going to school again right away, and
to have lot of pleasant evenings for
your families and yourselves? It's
worth something to all of YOU"
"Twenty dollars" said Mr.. Maynard.
"Ten dollars" said Henry Truscott
and Adolph Glenz.
"Ten dollars" and give dollars" said
other voices in the crowd, until $500
had been subscribed.
IF you are going to build a new
schoolhouse, have some suggestions
to OFFER" said Gregory, sharing the
general excitement of the crowd. I'm
the first place, don't build it, in this
damp, sunless hollow. believe my IA
Their would swap with the district and
give in exchange for this piece of land
a site on top of the hill. where there
is the best view in the township. Let's
so to look at it, and will say the rest
of what I have to say there"
There was not a man present who
had not driven over the hill hundreds
of times, but somehow they had never
noticed the beauties of the view as they
did that day. The clouds of early m orn-