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

Editor OF The Providence News:
want TO say to you that Tolerauon
and / came to Providence from Canter-
bury Centre in Connecticut a few days
ago. and we've been n lookin into
everything that's interesting and promi-
nent that's going on hereabout, and i
tell ye we've been kept pretty busy.
Last Saturday morning We was reading
the daily paper about some boys being
whipped by the school-marm out in Paw
tucket and which went on to tell about
the bad discipline that was being main
talned I'm the high school there, ana
which had got TO be the gossip of the
town. making things dreadful uncomfort-
able there for folks who had any pride
I'm their public school system. Well az
ter he'd read awhile he spoke up and
says
History Is repeating itself agin. Here's
a woman teacher right out here In the
joinin' city Of Pawtucket who has gone
back 10 the old ways of noggtng her
scholars into good behavior, same as
they used to when was a boy
He put dreadful strong emphasis on
the word woman because ne thousnt
git his wife kind OF irritated and stirred
up but land / didn't git the least might
excited. and II / had Ia never Iet MN
~ guess they wasn't much hurt II the
teacher was a woman says l. because
they are not given TO cruelty IKE men
folks. -
We'll" SAYS he. there's the paper.
You can read for yourself
So ! took II up and saw that aecordlng
TO the report there was CARVINGS on
over there I'm the high school in the way
OF discipline that wasn't according TO
common usage.
What do We think now" says he.
"Ain't that plain enough that some OF the
big boys have been licked after the Old
fashioned formula"
believe everything you see and hear!
don't and i amt aRoin' 10 believe aIi
Of this talk until LOOK imto ~ rtnS tnysfta the
story out of mere nothing, and the gos-
sips are keeping the flame agoin' by tur-
nishlng all OF the fuel that ~ ,%S wanteu'
Better mind your own business says
he "and let other folks affairs alone!
what good can you do by mixin in?
at any rate. and maybe l can do lot OF
good. for it's my private % notion ina, Una,
on To- that poor girl and the principal
OF the school where she IL teachin
And II | find that that is the case I'm
agoin' 10 make a stir about it,
So we arranged TO take car TO Paw
tucket right after dinner. and when we
got down town we took some strips or
right through on the next line To the
place where We wanted to go 10. But
when we got about half way there the
conductor called for more money. Tol-
GRAFTON he hedged a little before he'd pay
it. but when ne was told that the trans
fers were good only 10 the city line he
took out his wallet and paid the fares.
remarkn' as he did so that the con.
-ductor could make money n good deal
faster for tne company Il he'd only col,
lect at the ward lines; because we cut
across them a good deal more often.
Well. that doesn't matter We got 10
the city just In time TO see hre IN
progress i'm one OF the sto-~-5-4r1ti-+Aen |
knew there wasn't any use in tryin' TO
set federation any further until they'd
got II put out, for you can't git him by
fire any more'n you can drive colt
by a band OF music.
"You can stay here and look on" says
7. while | go on and look up the school
teacher" which ! did.
when / got to her house ! was invited
into the front parlor and twasn't long
before she came down stairs. one Of the
brightest. smartest lookin girls I ever sot
eyes on. When saw her comm into the
room ! couldn't help saying to myself
what a ridiculous thing TO say a girl like
this could inJure seNenteen-Near old
boy why. if she doubled up both OF her
fists real hard and should strike a boy OF
that age with all her might, she couldn't
hurt him much, she's so slender and In
offensive IL I was the mother OF either
OF lnttn DbNN L u u' dNlldhlfu W Atih
about Il. and I wouldn't let my friends
cay n word agin her as teacher
nutherl
Well had a real pleasant talk.she told
me the names OF the members Of the
school committee. and that her own name
was Rogers. daughter Of Deputy Sheriff
Rogers Said as how she didn't feel like
talkin' about herself. and I didn't sup
pose she would. for she's been too we'll
brought I'D and Is too well educated. And
besides she evidently remembered the
Scripture Injunction, which says. Let
another praise thee. and not thine own
lips" and so YOU SEQ thought the more
~ her for that Said she thought 'twould
be better N the newspapers said no more
about the AFFAIR. for n was really n very
trivial matter. and should never have
been discussed bv the public.
thought just as she did, but told her
hat "a so much had been said and print
-1I thai-Waa false and misleading. "
could he n great comfort for me % write
)mcthlnR that would help 90 show what
I, LOT % folly there was ~ wastin' 50
much nervous energy IN talkin' about
something that was nothing more than an
ordinary occurrence. made necessary
sometimes IN order 20 maintain reason
able amount Of good behavior I'm every
school house in the country. And the
question ~ violating any corporal punish
nent rule or law doesn't enter into any
such mild form 81 chastiscment.
conscience ~ school teachers are not
allowed To put their hands upon their