The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-04-29
THE VISITOR
seasshias Really fias He'd nssa
Accomplished In the fsarh~s's
Days wssk.

-.
The little teacher wished she could
| 10 away somewhere aud forget all
these ilFrs0tne duties, she thought 81
the pleasant places where other teach
.fs went during vacation time, places
where the little teacher did not ~ be-
cans. there were claims upon her time
aud her money that she could no, dis
regard,
Things didn, seem well distributed
I "a thls world,
The little teacher looked through the
nearest window. although there Was
noihing 60 see save roofs and ehlmneys,
aud when she looked back again there
Was a misty curtain before her eyes,
''silly, [" said the little teacher 10 her,
self, aud wlnked hack the tears and
ffowned al the restless boys aud girls,
Was school teaching a high mission,
she wondered, aud was she the one to
carry Il onti
The little teacher had asked herself
this question befoTe-many times. She
had tried ~ hard 90 throw herself into
the work, 90 interest the scholars, %
hold their friendship. But it seemed
90 her that they quite forgot her ~
soon as they passed over the ihrcsh'
hold ~ the room.
The little teacher was sensiiiye-no
doubt Of il-foolishly sensitive, she told
herself.
Sometimes she would oyerhear ffag'
ments Of conversation that could not be
regarded ~ Intentionally unkind, aud
vet the words huri her.
There is my old teacher, she had
once overheard young woman say IN
shrill whisper that the rumble OF the
street ear could not drown. She must
have been teaching for ages.
The little teacher WASH I especially
sensitive regarding her age. There
were ways of finding IL out, II curious
people were so disposed, but she was
auite sure she didn't look her years
and that was very great consolation
Yet such remarks rs she overheard IN
the ear aud there were other remarks,
many of them that were quite a.
onghilcss-rankled in her gentle
heart. II her scholars would remember
her with kindly thoughts and make
themselves known 90 her when thcy
met in after years, II would be great
satisfaction. But of all the boys ana
girls who had gone from her room ~
her twenty years experience the mum,
Der that seemed TO know her afterward
was very. very small, and she really
couldn I recall that one of that little
regiment of knowledge seekers had
ever mentioned any special debt OF
gratitude he or she owed the teacher
and vet she had laborcd SO hard with
some of them.
The little teacher took herself reso-
mtely by the throat, so TO speak.
".What do YOU cxpeeti' she demand
ed of herself. "It's the way of the
world. You can I change il. The sci
fishness that 5 bound up in the heart
of n child is expanded in the man ana
woman. You do your duty, draw your
pav-and that g the end of II. Don
expect sentiment. It's out of place.
You re Just little cog in the big wheel
Grind away. =
ten her charges. Now the vigorous
hourishing of short arm drew her AT
tention.
owned the arm, somebody ISIS by the
door nit knockings. Shall l make u
openg'
The little teacher nodded.
eyes, Fritzic. Go quietly
The stout boy clattered to the door
with every eye in the room Following
him. -
The little teacher sighed. She hoped
it WASH 7 complaining parent. she
didn I feel in humor for wordy
combat
The stout boy opened the door. look
ed out into the hall, stepped across the
threshold and closed the door behind
him. =, :.
UTeacher, said thin-faced girl in
the front row, III 1t s Eldora hotnci
can we laughf' ,. 80
. untH A
or sharply. "Attend to your work. IL
is very impolite to laugh at visitors.
The thin faced girl was ready for an
argument. 1
U.But she is so funny, teacher-and
maybe Eldora wouldn L like it when we
don t laugh. y A.,
To this sophisticated reasoning the
little teacher made no answer because
at that moment the door was. opened
and the stout boy reappeared, followed
by lady. ), ;a Tho
stout boy; "de lady vas not of shure'
ness she was by de right room: %
The lady came forward, lady OF 81,
perhaps, a handsome lady. and very De-
comingly-and yet plainlyngowned.
She smiled upon the lttle teachei
and put out her hand. IL,
- am quito .ouiS ho"i
Then she turned to look for the stout
how. but he had slipped into seat.
9'Ah. there he is, she merrlly crled.
ssThank you,' she added. Then ). she ne
turned to the little teacher. 'lsn Z ne
a funny dear2'
The little teacher had risen and was
looking inouiringly at the visitor;
HWon I YOU be seated she said, and
gave her the chair that stood beside the
The visitor murmured her thanks as
she looked about the room. ..
~ am trying to make 1t seem "a
miliar.D she said. She looked PACK az
the teacher. ~ don't dare to stare at
vou.' she added. And It lsn heoe n,
sary-because you have changed very
The teacher smiled at this. -,
tnTben YOU have taught in this bulid
ing!" u.;,u
uNo. no. she answered.
The tbin.faced girl in the front row
looked up eagerly. :, .;a,x s,o.
HPlease. teacher" she hurrledly sug
oested, Hmaybe thu lady substltooter'
The lady's laugh was pleasant 10
| hear. .sT reitb.
or Taught nor substituted "oH
Scholar e here and sat in the third char
; SC the first row-right here. - She
Suddenly su rose and ran lightly v! to the
seat seat she had pointed out. WI VII, you sba
let let me sit in it again, my dea dear h sne
asked the wondering girl 6ef ore 1 tbe
THANK you.v She slipped ! into a1, me
seat and sat up demurely-and an ,t tnt
children laughed che said aa and 0f then open
ny ey ,,ddenlv and the scene all comes
linen tneM to sou me- She made whimsical
face face eff you please, teacher a: lei, my my