The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-04-06
A Victim OF the Merit System
Tragedy Of Modest School Teacher-A Story With
Moral.


The following sketch. printed in pa
in St. Paul, where The so-called merii
system of fixing the pay of public schoo
teachers Is under discussion:
HE succeeds who deserves to sue
ssed. 70 you believe that, Marjorie
it?'
''What2" drawled Marjorie, with an alb.
sliacted half yawn Believe what
what did you say, child?'
do you believe it?r persisted the first
Speaker. Action and reaction are equal
ana IN opposite directions. What we give
out IN teaching comes back in salary
and those intangibles that are the reward
of good or evil doing. Now, II the ac-
ton ~ fairly correct, the physical law
demands the return strOke-the reward.
that is--the-the-"
Merit rise finished Marjorie, smil-
Ing. FIVE dollars, maybe ten, as the
stamp Of professionalism. Henceforth "a
bc accounted as registered stock. apart
from the common herd. But don't lets
count on 1t too much, dear Action and
reaction may be equal, but there a lot
lost In friction. They count the loss on
the reaction side, and you don't get II.
Somebody else does" she added, paren-
thetically
YES" pursued the first speaker gent
~ but allowing for leakage still there s
enough left, Why, out of thirty thousand
dollars, MarjOrie-thirty thousand dollars,
JUST tulIk OF ll---tiltIt = tnoukh lot dit
hands and the cook. They've awarded
US only a small 81 apiece so far, and
there's thousands upon thousands left.
Think Of the possibilities"
Il have thought OF them" said Mar
jorie. Thought and thought till my
brain whirled, and / concluded non-re-
eistance was better for my complexion.
The possibilities are appalling. l pre-
aume they must have simply over
whelmed the two distinguished heads OF
the merit commission and the favored
special teachers
Shall you apply?"
Il? On. sure. And so shall you. ]
may get tsirned down. but somehow, do
you know dear. people always rate me
high and enink my little much. l don I
mean 70 be deceptive or play the spread
eagle, but It's my way. and II u wins
I'm not 10 blame. Come 10 an examina-
ton, or anything beyond a surface test,
and Id hide behind you in shame. But
j know how 70 work the ropes.
II DON'T" said the other. II can't 20
those things. l know my votiN and 90
my best-do Il al trul; and well as can
but nobody knows it-nobody except the
chllLrn. Bless tMe little dears, they 40
know, ana they know ] love them. Tha
commission--the very thought OF II sends
a chill over me. Perfect strangers
assuming 20 judge my work N a rev
minutes II time, and that. too. when m
scared stif-d -dissecting me aliyel on, Mar
1Orie. 4 just can't apply, The whole thinS
Is So unfair They couldn't tell-and II
they ask the principal he's only hl-
man. and ~ HIS Judgment or his aitec-
tions should be at fault-9Ho I r. none too
sure he likes me--there I am lost at the
very start. Those two princpalS on the
commission have never even heard ol me /,
and as 10 the others the TWO ncads, as
/ call thcm os this great double headed
snake. one barely knows me by slsni,
and the other has never seen me IN the
schooirO0m ninety minutes together.
Marjorie. / Just cant-i can't-it would
XIII me 10 he refused-and yet -and mere
fcr face whitenet, and her voice dropped
% q whtsper-"iYe got 70. I'm eetlnE
so nervous lately. 1 need a summer trip
nway--a real rest-~and a merit rise - my
only hope It's so little for them 20 give
only 2J cents day for the twenty WORK
tng days-and 1t means 50 inuch 10 uS'
Besides I've worked so hard II isn't beg
gine to ask for II. Haven't ! earned II
1T isn't work or results that count ms
much as professionalism and almYsphtIs,
az / understand IL said Mafjorie. VIZ WIZ
n were YOU l would work less, worry
less, and blum Il a little motn
II wish | knew how, SAID LIZZIE
wenrflv But somehow / have wretch
edly uncomfortable conscience 70 dcAi
with. II goads me II / fall short,
'sAr unpleasant bcdfellow sHid mar
forie ''and like the nlgehraic X X ought
Ia 30 eliminated. II ] knew OF virus
ltt@ Won even BY force. But you must
Kef to sleep dear. or forty-nvs fals ~
bright eyes viii see those DARK eiIeivs
nfntnd your poor, tired eyes, ana VOL
der Tho cause Tomorrow We Will pnt ~
ogt appiicattons--to-m Lilzle. NOM
ing venture. nothing have.
Little boats should keen near shoIe.
rctorted Lizzie with IL bitterness of per
ronRi applicatinn And yet-and YET
what is il John Burroughs says IN thAt
beautiful little poem of his. I KNOW ny
own will come 70 me-. MY OWL y Y ius
own. I've earned II. | deserve II. the tax
payers have meant IL for me. and the Ia
tIUrpr Ia worthy of his hire Yes. to-ihol-
row. III apply. 'To-moTrow. anu ,o-%lnpl. no.
row. and Tomorrow. 7-Macpeth, you Mols
NOT IN greater torment over your CORY
deeds than | over the financial gymnAstlcs
az our school directors. pirecforsf ph'
no and she buried her race m hsf
hands Not directors Iney re mlsll-
rectors They're dealing in human nesh,
ana d0ling out our life blood ana, q
fling Of their loaded dice. deciding
whether or ~ there are still twenty-five
cents WORTH ~ red eeorpu,s,cses a,ss, gnss
iaeir money And a nlgEard's sum at
tAat.''
"Thc riser Oh. yes. Of course. I-Ntell.
really. ! can't confess to being surprised.
] rather expected II. You see ! had that
vulgar appendix to my accomplishments,
pull. But Lizzie, have you seen her.
Do you know. II she were rejected.
never could look her In the face again
Ia ttel AZ II Ntit hAANh int W ONhhN W.
Talk Of merit she's the orc that deserves
H. Why she n full OF literature 10 the
bone. while Lob, well. m on the list
anyway. Born luckyl There she comes
Tow. / must wait for her
lmpatiently. with the song and dance
Of life and The primitive love Of living
n-tingle In her blood and at her finger
tins. the girl waited. Superb. you would
have called ilcr, with her flnc eyes, re-
sounding voice, and artistic poise OF her
head Add TO this a body firm and tense.
well-groomed and well-carricd feet cor
rectlv shod, and with the spring and clas-
lie touch born OF a living consciousness
nf health and you recognized the pres
rnce ~ a perfectly wrought physical be-
ng- magnetic. warm, stirring TIL the life
stirred IN you responslvely, and yot knew
her aa controlling force and potcn-
Iiality 4 aplendid animal bst not indeed
! soulful animal Warm. now with
sense OF recent conquest, she pulsed over
With sheer momentum Of feeling, curbed
1ressed in limo and feature OF the one an
she was indeed, IN utter contrast
There was a droop and detection extend
ng even to the clinging garments The
foot left the cnrth at each step as II !
rYavity had wcll-nigh overcome all re-
listing lile-forces She came humby. |
edstfullv. pitifully like a fraii blossom /
kissed too warmly by tho sun, or bur- |
iened too heavily BY the loving. officious |
rain As IL drawn hy the irresistible |
scrsc Of protection vouehsafed to the |
weak By tile strong-not often, indeed, by |
members of the sclf-sane seN-she walked |
straight irto the arms Of the waiting one |
.,.a is..-taI 1tnt. tfrnH lcud on boeap,