The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-01

"A Topeka I0lSSlOnaIy CdIIlC 1IOIAlC Al OAAt
foreign and heathenish land not long
ago; came home to the scenes Of the
first missionary work she ever did.
She was one who believed truly that
sion work does also. She began here
well say several years ago, for she, like
all women, might not like to boast that
she was old enough to have looked
as much as twenty years ago perhaps,
more or less.
She was teaching school then and her
scholars spoke her language, quite
now in the foreign country. When she
was teacher she was a young woman,
not many years older than some of the
oldest and meanest boys and girls in
her class. 1t seemed that the older the
scholars the meaner they were.
She believed that everyone should be
good. She was good and therefore
everyone else should be. She was right,
always think that way. male or female,
until they are at least too old to enjoy
playing hockey and snowballing.
This young school teacher found
There was a clique of older boys. One
was named Ed and he was short and
freckle faced and looked like little old
man 40 years old who had been making
grass country where the wells are bored
and where there Is no shade and plenty
of sun. He was the color of parchment.
Another was named George and he
was a big, jolly, colored boy who could
sing bass four or five notches below
anyone else in the school.
Another of the clique was named
Oscar and he was always smiling and
just little dissipation in the way of
bottle pool. which was not in accord
ance with the ideas of school teacher,
was one of his faults.
Another was named. or rather was
called although he was not so christ
ened, Pete. Now it so happened that
Pete had a fondness for sticking pins
in his seatmate. much to the discom>
future of the other fellow, the amuse-
ment of the scholars when said stuck
person yelled. and the horror of the
school teacher. who was sure Pete
would be hung for murder before his
days were over.
Then there was Tommy, and Tommy
just would play hockey. It was habit
with him. and If he gained knowledge
he wanted to gain 1t in the old-fash-
tened way in vogue before schools were
invented.
And there was Bill-who ever heard
of boy being called William, or even
VIII, If he could play ball? In such
rather play bail than study, any day,
and he generally did, as his average
attendance record at school was quite
low.
Inc last was just plain JOnn. He was
as mesn as the meanest of the clique.
and Mealy Jones of Boyville fame
never get into more trouble, without
actually breaking any state laws
schools in those days, and John used
to head the clique regularly once a
week when the seven had to report to
the supreme school authority and con-
fess some depreciation in the gamut of
offenses from smoking cigarettes to
shooting firecrackers in the school
room.
The teacher began her first mission
airy work with The Seven. She talked
to them and entreated, but they would
play hockey. they would smoke cigar
cites behind the school house, they
would shoot putty at the scholars, they
would put popcorn on top of the hot
stove, and they just simply would try
the patience of that young teacher
She followed them one day and trailed
them right to a pool hall, where they
hammered the composition balls into
the corner pockets with a dexterity that
proved them students OF the game.
She went right into the pool room
after them. They saw her coming, and
said, I'm not afraid" ard they all tried
to look unconcerned, but when she APP
peared and demanded that they leave
and march right home" they marched.
It was after school hours, and The
claimed the teacher had no legal juris-
diction over them after school hours.
Maybe she didn't, but she had
mighty healthy influence with them.
Anyway The Seven marched
Another time she found them PLAYING
seven up in coal shed. She raided the
place, took the cards, tore them to
pieces and ordered the boys to go right
home and not stop. Not one of TIE
threshold of his home and shut the door
behind him.
The school teacher always feared the
clique would turn out badly. She wor-
ried about them. She was good, how
good none of The Seven knew. They
thought her finiky-or said they did
but somehow when the last day of
school came and the teacher announced
that she was going away to foreign
land to try and convert the heather
some of the girls began to cry. The
teacher cried until the tears made great
streaks down her cheeks and her eyes
were red.
Some one started to sing God BE
With You Till We Meet Again" and the
loudest bass came from George. the
colored member OF the clique. Oscar
and Pete sang tenor and John and Ed
and Tommy and Bill sang the best and
Ioudest they could. Everyone of The
Seven knew the song by heart but each
seemed to be singing very intently from
a song book, upside down, perhaps, but
each had, just had to look at something
If boy looks right hard at something
you can know he is either mad or ready
to cry, or both.
The school teacher went away to work
among the heather. Maybe she thought
the clique was lost and that The Seven
would all turn out bad. To be sure Ed
went to another state and became agent
for brewery and Bill was arrested sew
era1 times after for various offenses but
none of the others were ever wanted by
the officers.
Tommy is now holding a good position
and he pays close attention to business
and never plays hockey; George owns a
farm and works on 1t. Pete is a clerk
holding high position in large office
and his employers have confidence in