Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-12-22
THE BOY TEACHER IN THE OLD LOG
SCHOOLHOUSE

He left her when the down upon his
lip
Lay like the shadow of a lowering kiss"
He was very young, and but just grad
uated from college. He had his diploma,
health, energy, ambition, and what Of
ten proves one of Gods greatest bless
ings for man-an empty purse. He was
obliged to get work Immediately, but he
did not want to teach school. although
one in the country was offered him.
He could not see why he SHOULD be
forced to eat the bread of bitterness.
He did not understand why he must
breast the whelming waves while others
skinned lightly over smooth seas. He
could not know. in those early days,
that often, when God wants to bring
out the best in a man, he sends him in
to some wilderness awhile. He could
not understand that a country school in
the backwoods of Texas is good train
ing ground, but he conquered himself
for duty's sake, although the fight was
against, habit. taste, and desire. for he
must replenish his depleted purse. BY
such needs is the fate of a life often de-
cided.
You would have called him a hero.
Oh, no! There was no clash of cymbals,
no bugle's blast. no beat of drum, to an
~ Nv IlS paNNit AiAS WI 1hA
bition and stern necessity. But he
fought a fight and gained the mastery
over self, and said: II will do whatsoever
my hands find to do, and with all my
heart"
How hard it was to leave home!
Mothers face looks so t~enderly kind
when we are going, and she is so brave!
The old home seems conscious of the
coming change The rooms reach round
their comfortable walls. as If they wish
ed still to unfold us, the windows blink
and smile brightly at us. The hearth
fire seems to flash out a petition for us
to sit longer by its comforting blaze.
How we dread the first night away from
home, with only strange faces and I'M
known humanity round us.
But he was a manly boy, and faced
the emptiness of his purse, the need of
new clothing, the dreary blank at the
beginning of his young manhood, and
the work he had accepted, but for which
he had no love, with the same grit and
nerve that made him catch the hard
balls, with broken fingers, in the base
ball game, rather than give up the field.
When the time came for the country
school to open, he was at his post. 1t
was in the days when the amount of
whipping done in the schoolroom was
the test of he capacity of the teacher
the lays when the trustees sized up
All applicant IOT the nOnOT Oh running
the job of three Moutahs' school, more
by the Drawn ufShiSa rm than the brains
in his head. The boys thought only OF
testing his physical powers. and they
came Monday morning to the old log
sc~hoolhouse ready for the fray. But
the boy teacher had hunted, fished,
tramped miles and miles through the
woods. and by the rivers of Texas, had
played baseball and football, and roped
yea Rings and hiC arm was strong his
nerve steady and true. Before the first
month rolled away, they had felt the
strength of his hand, the power of his
Will. and better still were compelled to
acknowledge he was kindly and cour-
teous, when they attempted good be-
havior. With the exception of one girl
Matte Warren, the schoolroom was In
a state of subsection to the new mas
ter.
But Matte was incorrigible. Sht
openly defied him. She broke the rules
daily. She threw paper wads, she whis-
lpered, she wrote notes, she came late,
and went early-she did as she pleased
The young teacher talked to her kind
,ly, He tried to appeal to her pride, tc
her principle, her better nature, but she
continued in open rebellion.
y He decided to eXpel her, and called
upon the three gray-headed farmers
Nyho composed the board of trustees.
You can't expel her-that's just what
shed like. Thrash her. said one old
trustee, why, half the school I'D Xix
TO be expelled. That nd ruin every
thing, young man. Whip her. That's
What she's used, to, Her own folks
cant do nothin' with her, 'thout whip
pin her." exclaimed another member OF
the enlightened board.
Matte Warren was fourteen!
Il cannot whip a girl" said the young
teacher, slowly, n with great deter
mination..
Well, you Won't do much teachin
YOU can't whip girls as well as
can't have none of this fool
-'ness here was the COM
"a to make one
NTorranfc hatfa,