The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-20
THE scHooLMA'AM FACE.


Two teachers were walking down
street in the morning hours. and they
met third. not personally known to
either of the pair.
But know she's a teacher" said
one. "She has the regular school
ma'am face"
And the other turned to her with the
instant and concerned inquiry:
Am I getting the schoolma' am
fsce?"
There was a bit of terror in her ques-
ton: and her companion was able to
assure her that nothing forbidding in
the way of feature had yet developed.
But down in their hearts both con-
fessed a certain fear of getting the
schoolma'am face.
And what is it? If there be an ex-
preston, a mold of features which
show the wearer is a teacher in schools;
a cast of countenance which proclaims
the wearer as one who makes a living
teaching. how shall it be recognized by
the rest of the world?
Well, when you see a woman on the
street about eight-thirty o'clock in the
morning, walking pretty rapidly,
dressed very tidily though not with any
especial regard to prevailing fashions;
whose eyes are straight ahead, whose
chin is tilted up little as if with res
olution for the duties and trials and
labors Of the day; on whose brow is
written the record of past work well
done. and in whose eyes lies the light
of a pure and noble resolution; if you
see in her cheeks the little depressions
which testify to sacrifice Of nervous
energy, and the little curve of the
mouth which tells of giving self for the
enrichment of many OtheTs-little
others, who don't know much about the
world and are taking most of it on
trust from teacher and parents-then
you may know you have encountered
the schoolma'am face.
If you find a woman along in the late
afternoon walking with more Of weari-
ness than of elasticity. carrying a book
and a sheaf of irregularly shaped pa
pers, with just the suggestion of in
difference as to whether or not the hat
is on straight: if you note her eyes,
emptied of the wealth of resolve and
the stores of benefit that they carried
in the morning; if you see little droop
to the chin-not just confessing dis
enlargement. and not nearly Indicative
of defeat, but surely a record of depict
ing-then you may know the school
ma'am face is before you.
And if you look at her toward the
end of the month. with that divided
prospect in her eyes-the many things
the check will buy, and the few she is
permitted to get; if you see her heart
strings. attuned by memory. pulling at
this and that atom of the face-mak-
ing projections here, where strength
has been developed because of achieve
I ment, and little depressions where de-
feat has been inflicted against all the
fIghtings that could be made; if you
see one who has started with great
wells of purpose and high resolve ano
intelligent intent. and rich quickenine
of thought for the many, and whe
passes before you emptied utterly Of
the souls Professionalism you may
know the schoolma'am face has beer
confronting you.
And if, a little farther along, you
meet woman with gray hair on hel
temples, with hands smooth and whit,
from teaching work, but firm ant
strong with other work that she has
had TO do in addition TO the teaching
a woman whose bigger and growing
soul has caught the value of the sacri-
flee made, and is lighting a superna
fire on brow ard cheek and lip; whose
countenance is fair with the benson OF
help bestowed and thought implanted
and character developed. whose arms
that she never has hela, and never
ceased to desire; whose years have beer
given in a treadmiil of labor just
bringing money enough TO keep the
devotee alive-but about whose brow
hovers the nimbus of a god-like bene-
diction for that she has devoted herself
to the betterment of all the children OF
mothers who win never remember her
and Of fathers. who never heard of her
then you will know the schoolma am
face. And you viii go home. and get
down on your knees by the bed which
holds your sleeping boys and girls. and
ask the good Lord TO love them, and
bless the teacher who loves them and
helps them, and all the teachers who
have loved and taught them, and all
who in the future may. And with the
tears of your earnestness Frightening
your eyes as you rise you viii see the
face OF a woman-pure and clean and
+. earnest and beautiful-and that is the
true schoolma'am face,
THEY ARE NOT GOOD CITIZENS,