The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-03


leave their name with n salt body"
That's correct so far as its being
named In honor OF the Narragansett In
dians," says the teacher, but why do
you say they wanted 10 leave their name
with a salt body? What does that Sig
! nifyT
Signifies" says John. that they
| thought their name would be better pre-
served on account OF the salt"
That was when she cuffed him. And
| or course she made a mistake.
| The school committee called a meetin'
and she was asked 10 appear before that
august body. / call It august TO Toll
| Grafton because he's member OF H.
Well. when the subject was brought up
about her disobeying the law Of the
school as laid down by the committee.
Mr.. Corning brought In charge against
her for licking his boy" As Tolera-
ton had been chosen chairman pro tenn.
he told Jasper TO make his charge more
explicit:
'Wal." says Jasper. my boy came
home tother night and said as how Miss
| Howard was teaching the boys and girls
about the 'Roarer Bore Alice and 1
| told the boy not TO answer any more
questions about any such thing as that
| for there wasn't any sense TO H."
Whats the reason" says the chair
man, that there amt any sense 10 it?''
wal" says Jasper, in the fust place
! II Miss Howard had been talkin' about
Mt. Vesuvius in time OF eruption, II would
| have been all right 10 have called II a
| roarer, but the word doesn't apply 10 the
northern lights because they're as silent
as a moonbeam. Now / object TO the
| term on that account"
rs that ALL" says the chairman, as
everybody in the room began 10 snicker.
NO" says he. "the other objection is
because the word Alice would indicate
that she was tryin' TO make them scholars
believe that the northern lights was
feminine gender. Now she doesn't know
the fust thing about IT, / don't want any
such nonsense teeched TO my boys, and
/ don't believe the rest OF the voters OF
| the town want any such nonsense nuther.
And because my boy wouldn't answer
questions In that line which ] ordered
| him not to do, i don't want the teacher
to uses any corporation punishment on
him. It's agin the law, and II amt
J right"
WELL" says the chairman, "I guess
you are correct when you say Il wasn't
! right TO cuff the boy Your ears are the
ones I'm my opinion that ought 10 have
been cuffed for interfering with the af-
fairs Of the school. And II you don't
4 know the difference between Aurora
! Borealis and the 'Roarer' that You are
telling about, | advise you 20 resign from
/ the committee"
Jasper looked dreadful embarrassed.
! turned red in the face and went and set
/ down. When Miss Howard got quieted
/ down from laughing about the "Roarer'
/ she was asked II she had anything to say.
and she got up and apolgized for strik-
! ing the Davis boy. because she didn't at
! first comprehend the excellent joke that
| the boy had thought out about preserving
! the Indians name, but she had nothing
to say about Mr.. Cornings boy. except
vtat n -fattT a
| TO say she was sorry for him.
When the committee came 10 vote upon
! the matter they upheld her conduct be-
cause they said. Shaping a boys face
/ is not corporal punishment" although
| they regretted that she so far lost her
control as not to have avoided Furnishing
( John Davis. But as she had apologized
| that was sufficient.
Now. while there was a lot OF ignorance
mixed up with that affair. IL goes to show
J that the school teacher was sustained In
those things that she ought TO he sus-
tsined in, and the people OF Canterbury
/ Centre were enough sight better off than
/ II the teacher had been condemned.
/ Before / left Pawtucket 10 60 home,
] / went and called on the principal OF the
/ school, who treated me with all the cur
/ tesy that was due me, and his appear
/ ance shows him to be a gentlemen who
undoubtedly possesses extraordinary abil
Z ltN as n teaCners ana one VINO commands
! the respect OF the scholars under his
care. The fact that the members OF the
school voted in his favor goes TO show
| that my estimate must be a correct one.
! OF course he denied that there was any
| lack OF discipline, while he admitted
! that all schools may not reach the point
OF perfection that Is desired by those
who have them in charge, and in refer
ring 10 the slapping OF the young mems
faces by Miss Rogers. he said he had no
disposition 10 condemn her for the act.
The point was the provocation undoubt-
edly merited something more than they
got.
In order to find out whether there was
any politics mixed up with the affair l
saw a lot more OF the residents Of the
city who were not connected specially
with the school or the committee, and
/ came TO the conclusion that politics
didn't have anything to do with II. but
/ did determine that there were a few
jealous bodies here and there who were
keeping up the disturbance evidently for
the purpose Of bringing about certain
kind OF results that would be pleasing
10 them. but which nobody in particular
could really tell what they was a drivin'
atr-
Pretty much everybody agreed that
Miss Rogers did just right under the cir
cumstances. or in other words. that cuff
face for Just provocation was not con-
sh.dered corporal punishment in the
strict and common-sense use OF the term.
j afterwards went and called on old
Mrs Hawkins. and she said. Land sakes
don't ask me anything about It. Never
heered so much foolish talk about our
schools since I've lived In the city. and
that's nigh on ter sixty year. I've Jest
got over what the doctor says was a
dreadful severe case or ammonia. and
II this school talk keeps on I'm afraid
I'll have an attack Of nervous prospera-
ton. I don't care TO talk any more
about IT,"
We'll mother" says I. don't you do
it. don't say another word. but keep
right on with your knittin work. / only
called because I just wanted 10 see how
you were getting along, so thought I'd
just mention the subject. seem about
everybody I'm town Is talkin' about It,"
Somehow ] can't sit over what that
school committee man said about the