Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-12
A School Christmas.
ny FLORENCE nANrNrnRr

- fl*OAA4NAk- it.AA tsAFORT.
Il was the day before the closing for
the Christmas holidays OF Miss Carey's
Academy thar Mehetabcl Johnson stood
the center Of an animated group
Girls. she was saving, Il think it's a
shame! | don't see how you can he 81
hcaryess,"
oh web, of course. Meie johnson.
you can do rs You please about it. Ethel
Brainc responded in Il high key, .'but ii
We choose 10 give Miss Carey aud Miss
wilcox Christmas boxes. and not eve
et"SS Oh Pepper-pot any. | don't see that
that's auybody's bust"
HUSH: Mtte commanded. "she will
hear you. aud just then the door opened
and Miss neycau, or old Pepper-pot. as
the girls dubbed her. walked into the
roam.
The s4sls scattered to their seats. and it
was only Mehetahel who noticed thai
Miss nevcauN was very white about the
ups. with n suspicion OF red beneath her
eyes.
/ The lesson was commenced. but AIrhet.
abcl could not concentrate her thoughts
+ upon her hooks
Miss iteYereduN asked her question
I Mehetahel started She had moi heard.
+ and consequently could not answer.
Mehetahel johnson" Miss Devcaux
/ said in her sternest manner. your
thoughts. nre. wool-gathcrng! Twenty
lines tonight"
The girls Uttered
u guessN she won't stick up for oil
/ Pepper-rat any more" Ethel Brainc re-
marked 10 her companion. audibly
enough for Mehetahel to hear
MehetabeIs cheeks burned; she looked
down at her book, hut the incident tend
81 to strengthen rather than shake h1r
determination.
That afternoon after school Meheta-
bel in very troubled frame uf mind, in.
formed her mother TO what extent the
girls partiality for their teachers had
CARRIED them. Like Mchetabel. Mrs.
JohhSens sense of delcacy was shocked.
Daughter, she said II think the
girls are more thoughtless than heart
less. But this cannot go on; il would
wound and embarruss Miss DeyeauN
terribly to be neglected like that"
Then discussion followed very differ
ent in spirit from the one which tonk
place that day in school Mehetabel told
1 her mother exactly what the class in
4 tended putting in Miss Wilcox's and
Atss Carey's boxes. ii shopping expedi-
ton was hastily improvised. and the re-
suit was that. when Mehctphei went 10
! bed that night with her fwenIyssIisssaAs
4 neatly written, she felt mt peace with
+ herself and the world in general.
The next morning when the bell rang
( for the opening session of school Tho
I girls assembled in their respective places.
but Miss Deycaux did not appear. 4
I half hour passed, still she did not come.
the girls were growing restless. At las,
/ the doors opened and Miss DcveauN
I cloaked and bunncted. entered the room:
Miss Carey was with her. The teachers
mounted the platform; Miss Carey sal
down. but Miss DevcauN remained
standing. This time the red about her
I an bal hat "a
fail 10 notice IL.
Young ladies'" She said. and she tried
to steady her voice. my mother, who has
been ia invalid for some years past, a
short time ago took turn for the worse.
and has steadily been growing weaker.
I Yesterday her condition was so serious
that Miss Carey kindly gave me permits
sion 10 remain at home today. bat | fell
- though Christmas would not seem like
Christmas to me unless | had the pleas
llrc OF giving "a each one If you with my
own hands the little remembrance which
! have prepared f0r you" and as She
spoke her hands, nrased in their shabby
gloves, were busy undoinc the box which
lay before her.
The girls looked nj one another in a
guilty, scared fashion. Then, one by one.
they walked up and received from her the
dantieSt of fluffy little pin cushions.
which, as Miss Carey told them after.
Nitltl. were HfF own AandlVUrk.
For Il moment the girls stood In an ug-
onf Of embarrassed suspense Then Me-
hetabel cleared her throat4
Miss DeveauX." she said, aud had n
lamb fallen among the girls they conid
not have been more mystiiied we girls,
feeling ns though we would like to give
you token IN appreciation OF all you
have done for us since the commencement
/ Of school. have prepared a little surprise
for Eou IN tho shape of n Christmas
box, and, raising the iii OF her desk. she
drew forth large box done up in white
tissue paper and i'd with rcd ribbons. to
which WAS attached Il card hearing the
names Of the entire class.
Miss DeyeauX took the box from her
hands then leaned heavily against the
desk: III her weakened condition the littlt,
net Of Kindness was almost too much for
her. Miss Carey rose hastily
Young ladies, she said. u Thank Won
IA Miss DcveHuN s name. we all feed how
sincerely she appreciates this token Of
your cool Christmas wishes
II was an awful moment for the girls,
this ncFer-to- be-forgotten moment Of rptri-
hutton. then one and all rose To the occli-
SION, aud croWdng around Miss Deyeaux
each insisted upon shaking her hand and
wishing her y merry Christmas while the
good wishes for her mothers recovery
cherred und renewed the dying hope in
the p0ar lonely heart.
In the confusion, Ethel Rraine squeezed
MehetabcFs hand. and the look in her
eyes said more plainly Than words:
'Metc Johnson you're a trump New
York Mail aud Express.