Newport daily independent., 1905-11-02
SPONTANEOUS COMPLIMENT.
is Was Nome the Less Genuine Becanse 6 It Had Cost the Giver
 Whipping.

A little group Of ladies seated on hotel piazza were talking about com pliments they had received, when one, very pretty young woman, who h l teacher in a private school In this city 1 told her story,
 Three years ago." she said, II l taught my first school, in one of tho mountain districts of West Virginia where 1 had gone 10 visit some friends who were interested in the timber business. had only gone to visit, but had just graduated from normal school, and when an opportunity wss l offered for me to teach, and there was real need Of some one who knew some | thing of modern methods, l agreed to try 1t for one term. I got along very well, all things considered. and liked it we'll enough, except that 1 found 1t absolutely necessary to punish some 0f the scholars with the rod. Out of this fact grew my comp pliment, which, am sure, was the sincerest one l ever TO- ceived. Among my scholars was big l boy of IT. lazy, numbering, good-na- tured lad. who whispered so much fu school and paid so little attention ts being kept in that at last told him if he whispered again l would whiF him. He promised me that he would not offend again. and for three whole days he kept his promise. On the morning of the third day I appeared at school In a new gown, which was the most becoming one, think, ever had, and when the scholars saw mo they seemed to be as pleased with my sppearance as I was, and all the girls came to tell me what . pretty dress [ had and how nice I looked. The boys were more shy, and whatever they thought they kept to themselves. The big boy wasn't there when school opened, but before the f1ve-minute al- lowance was up he came numbering in, and, hanging up his hat. rolled over into his seat and picked up a book. I didn't potice him at first. but later l saw that my new gowp had attracted him, and that he was admiring it., fof he was unskilfed in the conventionaH- ties, and made no effort. to conceal hia feelings. Once or twice caught his eye and he looked away, hut not for long, and at last it began to annoy me. At the same time he seemed tome mak- ing tremendous effort, of some kind that. did not understand. and finally. right while I was looking at him. he reached over to the boy in the seat be- hind him and whispered something
 1T was an open violation of the rule, and, besides; was fragrant disregard of his word, and I called him up at once.
 "'Henry,' said, with all the severity could muster, weren't you whisper ing just then?'
 "'Yes'm,' he confessed, with his head down. .
 You know it Is against the ruler"
 "'Yes'n.' @,s
 :'And you know that you romised me that you would not whisper againr
 "'Yes'm.'
 Well, said. getting a better held on my hickory switch, I shall keep my word better than you have yours. and as told you would whip you for whis- pering 1 am going to do it. Havo you anything to say why you should not be punished ?
 "'Nom'
 Having gone through all the 8orns of the law proceeded to carry put the sentence. and I succeeded so well that when l finished Henry was blubbering.
 Are you sorry now for what you slid?' asked, when it was over.
 "'Noim.' he answered. grea Ay to my surprise.
 "'You're uotf' EexcIaimed, taktng;up the switch again, but Henry never tiinched.
 "'No'm;'T couldn't help it, ma am
 "'Couhn't help it? Of course yon could help it. You're not a4hiid and ought to set a better example. The children might say that, but YoTcan- not offer as an aXcuse' that you could ' not help it..
 Well, I couIdu't t, ma'am.' he said, looking down at q knot-hole in the floor that he was trying to stick the toe of his shoe into, you was lookin' 80 duru purity that had to say so to somebody er I'd busted wide open. shore.
 ''Ihere was no question as to Henry'a sincerity. but it was so embarrassing that I really feI5 like giving him an other whipping .'-Washington Star.
 SUMMER AIDS TO BEAUTY.