The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-04-10

pointment 1t 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 gym
nasium-in fine, mammals pension was
barely enough to make both ends meet,
and my salary had been looked for
ward to with Impotence. But, strange
to say, my first feeling as l received
my appointment as teacher in the fe
male gymnasium of the city of N.
had nothing to do with the improve
ment in our economical status which 1t
implied l remember that feeling so
clearly that it seems as If it had all
happened but an hour ago. Maybe it
is because of the occurrence which 1t
foreshadowed and which was destined
to leave such deep trace on my life
that recall it so wildly every time l
think of it. However that may be,
the first exclamation which l made
mentally as l received a letter an
nouncing my appointment was not,
''Now l shall have about 100 rubles a
month"; but, Nov 1 shall teach a
class of beautiful girls and fall in
lover
Do not laugh. If you had been
brought up under the same conditions,
you would be in a similar furry. l
was what is called good boy and new
er left my books. When in st. Peters
burg, was ever trembling lest l
should fail to pass my examinations
and thus cause mother unnecessary eX-
pense and worry Besides, had in
herited from my father retiring, stu
dious nature, and the very thought of
young ladies would make my heart
beat fast with feeling of diffidence
and timidity. However, l had vague
conviction that it would have to wear
off and that sooner or later should
have to follow the course of all young
men-fall in love, propose, marry and
become a paterfamilias. When learn
ed about the gymnasium where was
to teach physics, beheld class made
up of 20 or 80 beauties. Why all beau
ties | could not have explained, but
there they were-all young and rosy
checked all tall and all with bashful
blue eyes.
l, too, grew bashful as l thought Of
them in their brown dresses and black
aprons. They lured me, caressed my
soul, agitated my heart threw me into
disquieting ecstasy WHICH was as
novel to me as it was sweet and pain
full.
It 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 II or 10. No stu
dent preparing for examination ever
trembled as / did on that morning. 1t
was as If instead Of scholars l was to
face 20 or 80 ruthless examiners, each
with an incisive pair of eyes ready to
pounce upon my poor bashful self. l
could hear them giggle at my expense,
make jokes about my awkwardness,
my necktie, my looks.
When l entered the classroom, l
struck an attitude Of exaggerated Sc
verify To prove to myself that !
was not afraid of the girls l spoke
ridiculously loud. / almost shouted.
AS went on explaining the distinction
between chemistry and physics
frowned on my class, looked daggers
at the front row and altogether be-
haved as If l bore them a personal
grudge.
"Isn't he stern?" I overheard one girl
whisper to another. A thrill of pride
ran through me. you're all right" /
said to myself, and, elated with the i'm
preston / had produced, began to
feel more at ease and to stride up and
down the room with the manner of an
old timer l was in the seventh heav-
en- Two girls were talking in the rear
seats.
"Silencev Numbered.
There was a suppressed chuckle at
this, and my heart sank within me. /
was the most miserable wretch in the
world
When l got home, l lay down on my
lounge to think over l did not know
what, and as tried to pass the girls in
review it came over me that had not
made out a single face. could not
say whether they were pretty or home
young ladies in gymnasium uniform
was all had carried away.
The next time l had a lesson in the
same class I called out Mile. Ryshkina.
She had evidently given much time to
her lesson, but she had it all wrong,
and, strange to say, the more she blum
dered the more ! liked to hear her re-
cite. It was so charming to hear her
90 on with the explanation which she
did not understand herself. You should
have heard her rattle on about phe-
nomena and laws. To judge from her
manner one would have thought she
was sure of her ground and felt able
to give cards and spades to her teach !
err Her dark brown eyes blazed with
enthusiasm, and as she recited she
gently jerked her head and now and
then waved her hand There was grace
in her movements
"This is the one l am going to fall in
love WITH" l said to myself, and
week or two later 1 was so far gone
that / was afraid of my own shadow. |
Mile Ryshkina and the other girls In
the class seemed to have discovered
the secret of my heart, to make fun of
me, to think Of nothing but my insane
love for Maria Vasilyevna Ryshkina.
Suppose the director finds it out? Why,
that would be terrible. The shame of
it! Besides it might lead to all sorts
of disagreeable situations and finally to
my losing the position.
The teacher of mathematics in the
higher classes of the male gymnasium
fell sick, and the work was divided
between another man and myself 1t
only took me one hour day and did
not in the least interfere with my les
sons at the female gymnasium.
The most stupid member of the
eighth class was a fellow named Kras-
soft. He did not seem to have clear
idea as to the difference between the
size of an angle and the length of its
sides. How they had passed him to
the highest class was more than l
could understand. But he was very
diligent, and his struggles with his
geometry 1--WE were reviewing the cur
riculum of the lower classes for the
final examinations) touched my heart.
1 was SO madly in love that seemed
to be mutely praying everybody to help
me convey my feeling to the young
lady to whom 1 dared not speak ex-
cept In the stern accents Of a teacher
addressing his pupil. had never been
in such meek, almost fearful, mood,