Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-02-17
The Problem
Of Glorianna

The teacher called the new pupil to
her desk. :.
Why" she asked the small colored
girl, didn't you enter with the rest of
the class at the beginning of the
term?"
"Ah'm very delicate-like, teachah,"
explained the child my nav, she
don't nevah expect to raise me, no
ma'am." She rolled her great eyes af-
fectedly. so All amt nevah ben to
school much. De teachahs all has took
mighty good care of me in the schools
Alive ben at; Alive ben to five al
ready. De las teachah she always
called me 'angel-chile.' She suah wuz
nice lady, she wuz!''
What is your name?" asked the
teacher.
"Gloryannah Annabel Snow. Yes,
ma'am. All was named for NAH two
aunts. Dey wuz very beautiful ladies'
Nah Aunt Gloryannah he'd the mos
beautifulles' long yellah hair an wife
skin an blue eyes. Nah muthah says
All take after nah Aunt Gloryannah
terrible close"
The teached looked at her round
chocolate face and kinky little braids
and could not conceal smile.
AN nah oddah aunt-Aunt Anna
bel, that wuz-hed the mos beautiful
les red hair, long an straight"
The teacher felt called upon to In
terrupt this romance.
What is your fathers name?"
"Ah amt got no fathah. Nah muth-
abs widow lady. Hits awful stylish
to be widow ladies an weah long black
wells. All don't nevah remembah NAH
fathah, but nah muthah she got heh-
self long veil las wintah an she
suah does look fine. When Aim
growed up Aim goin' to be a widow
lady, too
What is your mothers name?" in
quired the teacher.
Nah muthah? Oh, she's awful styl-
ish with front names. She mos always
keeps heb end name, but she changes
heb front names real often. JUS now
hits Arabella Vivienne"
What is your mothers occupa-
tion?"' The teacher glanced at the
SASSh uhSloiASS 1S61Slll ZIG WASTE Ol
time
"Oh, nah muthah, she used to wash
foh few ladies. She say if you want
any washin' done she'll do hit right
a reasonable. But now she say that no
ladies goes washin' no noah. Dey all
cahries lii bags an go manicurin an
haihdressin' So when they asks nah
n muthah wheah she goin' she say she
- goin' to board meetin'"
Very wei, Glorianna. Now take
that front seat and work the arith-
f metic lesson on the board"
Glorianna took the seat When the
half hour was up the monitors collect
ed the children's papers aud reported
n that the new pupil had none.
n "Glorianna," said the teacher, Sc
verely, where is your arithmetic pa
per?"
"Ah amt got none, teachah," ex
lie planned the child. .'Ah neyah does nc
numbahs. All don't like numbahs-
nevah did. So when the oddahs does
+ their numbahs All composes po'try
y Ahll reeite you the po'try All com
posed when the children wuz dom
theih numbahs. Hits bout you-all'.
e eyes" beguilingly to the teacher.
q No, thank you, Glorianna Here
after you will do your numbers as the
rest do if you intend to stay in thi.
room. All children must be industriou.
=. here. What would you do ii you grew
= to be big girl and couldn't do an,
u numbers? Wouldn't you be ashamed p
!, No, ma'am. All amt nevah gon' t,
= be big girl. Aim goin' to be re
re fined an delicate when All grows up
yes, ma'am. An nah muthah says G.
long ez Ah'm aristocratic an artist
an hez 'complishments All don nee,
y no rithmetic an sech things All Iii,
sing. too. ALIVE sung at the nicke
thehtah lots NV times. Once All go
SO cents. NowI'll sing TO- you-a,l"
Fortunately the dismissal bell ran
before Glorianna had time to mentio
Y any more accomplishments, Cor tn
I, =, other pupils were spellbound by he
- eloQuence.
However, in the following week tn
budding poetess was compelled to d
] her numbers" three times, mucn I
~ her disgust. She coaxed, pleaded
scolded, tlattered and sulked to n
y avail The teacher was callous to he
go wiless. Still that capable young perso
IL found she could not curb Glorianna
flow of speech. GlorianEa talked a
mos. increasingly. Her leadershi
stirred the gentle little ones to disob
dience more than once They all d.
We cidea that numbers" was unneccssar
lis and their once idolized teacher WIS
1t nearly distracted by their disobed
We ence.
lrt Glorianna came to school ono do
~ with an added air of Importance ST