Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-13

1 called on an old judge, the leading
lawyer in neighboring village, and
told him that if he would take me l
would work for my clothes, and the
humorous old rascal, surveying me, re-
piled: Il have not contemplated the
starting of a woolen mill. Why don't
you go to work?" he asked. told
him that | was at work, that / taught
school. but that l wanted to be a law
yer He laughed and said that teach
ing school was not work-declared it
TO be. the refuge of the lazy and the
ShiftlesS. l then ventured to remark
that the south would continue to be
backward as long as the educator was
put down as q piece of worthless rub
bish. l went away, and few days
later one of the trustees called on me
and said that l had declared their chill
dren to be ignorant rubbish, and that
therefore they wanted my service 10
longer. returned home. My brothers
were gone, and my parents were in
feeble health. My father died within
a year, and soon my mother followed
him. The farm was poor and was
mortgaged, and empty handed I turn
ed away. l heard that school teach
er was wanted up in North Carolina,
near the Tennessee line, and decided
to apply for the place. I walked to
the railway station, twenty miles dis
tant. | have said that l went away
empty handed. l did not; l carried a
trunk, light with clothes and heavy
with books ] had put my trunk on
the railway platform and was striding
up and down when 1 caw two men,
well dressed, rich-looking, standing
near. This amounted to nothing, and
l would not mention it but for the fact
that il was at this moment that / re-
ceived my first encouragement. One
of the men, speaking to his companion,
remarked: "Devilish fine looking fell
low. I'd give a great deal to be in his
shoes. to have his strength and his
youth" l turned away, eager to hear
might say something to spoil it all.
But he did not Yes" he replied, but
he doesn't know how fortunate he is.
Cad he looks like an imported bull"
The train came and l was whirred
away, over streams, below great hang
ing rocks; but l thought not of the
grandeur of the rocks nor Of the beau
ty of the streams, for through my mind
was running the delicious music Of the
first compliment that had ever been
paid me. And l realized that l had
outgrOwn the age Of my awkwardness,
that strength was of itself grace to
be admired, that l should feel thankful
rather than remember with bitterness
the days of my humiliation. l observed
a woman looking at me, and there was
interest in her eyes, and knew that she
did not take kindly to me simply be-
cause she was an old and neglected
girl for she was handsome. Beside
her sat a man, and l could see that he
was eager to win her smile. He hated
me, | could see that, but he couldn't
laugh at me. 1 noticed that my hands
and feet were not over large, and this
was a sort of surprise, for l recalled
hearing a boy say my foot was the
biggest thing he ever saw without
liver in it. l reached back and wiped
out the past; I looked out at radiant
n
called it the future. Fool? Oh, Of
course. l had been a fool when a boy,
and was a fool now, but how much
wiser it was to be happy fool
was to leave the train at Nagle
station, and then to go some distance
into the country, which direction l
knew not. l made so bold as to ask
the handsome lady if she knew any
thing of the country about Nagle, and
she smiled sweetly, and said that she
did not, that she was q stranger going
south. | had surmised as much, and l
spoke to her merely to see what effect
1t would have on the man who sat be-
side her. Was my new-found pride
making me malicious? I thought It
was, and I censured myself. The lady
showed a disposition to continue the
talk, but the man drove me into 81
lence by remarking: Il suppose there
is something novel about ones first
ride on the cars" How 1 did want to
reach out and take hold of his ear, but
I thought of Bentley and subsided.
When / arose to get off at my station,
I thought that the lady, as l passed
her. made a motion as if she would like
to give me her hand. This might SIM
ply have been the prompting Of by long
famished but now over-fed conceit, my
bloatng egotism, but l gave the wo-
man 4 grateful thought as l stood on
the platform gazing at the train as 1t
faded away in the dusk that appeared
to come down the road to meet 1t.
had expected to alight at a town,
but the station was a lonely place, a
wagon makers shop, the companys
building and a few shanties. l asked
the station master if he knew where
the school teacher was wanted, and
he answered that from the people
thereabouts one must be needed In ev-
cry household.
And | should think" l replied, Civ
ing him what conceived to be look
of severe rebuke, that q teacher Of
common decency and politeness is most
needed of ALL"
Il reckon you are right" he rejoined.
rs he the man you are looking for?"
Il don't want to get into trouble
here" said |, but / insist upon fair
treatment and I'm going to have 1t.
"All right, sir. Now, what is it you
want TO know?'
why, | was told that there was an
opening for school teacher in this
neighborhoOd."
And so there is, but don't you know
that no neighborhood could be proud
Of such fact? Therefore, you ought
to be more careful as to how you make
your inquiries"
| saw that he wanted to joke with
me and joked with him. And | soon
e,,,,,l ,l,,, chic y.oc tho right COllr Se.