The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1912-11-08
TEACHER and
ALTRUIST

think Miss Fannie has been having bad
Earn. .bar month with the composition books.
But pretty soon her mind went OH from nerset
10 pleasant memory.
Bertha she said do you remember tnose
7-sat patches Of larkspur that used TO grow over
n Fas. C,reeuville on that burnt lot back OF the
factorvs Il must have been planted IN the gar
den long years before the factory was built ana
have lust kept on living and trying to cover up
the rubbish r. certainly was pretty, espeoiaAy
under a verv blue May sky"
The children like larkspur" I said. Haven't
YOU made rings Of it time and again, when you
were child bv sticking one spur into another,
and then pressed them in the big Bible-blue
circles and pink ones. and blue and pink to
yethers know used to like it better than any
flower in grandHs's garden.
Eyes. indeed" she said, the children like il;
I suppose it was made for them.
went yesterday TO the cemetery and sat for
long time by a grave marked by only plain
wooden cross I thought OF the strife, quiet but
intense. between two other teachers and myself
over the principaship Of the new school soon
70 Be opened Our first little world is too small
there are no heaven-kissng hills for aspiring feet,
and we are so near each other that every blemish
shows Ny bitter heart grew sweet as / sat
there I tried to love she had loved
q woman in faded calico dress came near
and stood looking humbly and reverently upon
the green mound. Her face was sallow and
wrinkled her shoulders bent
"She used TO be Joey's teacher she said, lay
ing her hand gently on the wooden cross. He
went to her that first year the public schools
opened, and that was the only year he ever
got 70 20. But she learnt him heap that one
year. And after ne had to 90 to work in the
fact'ry. she learnt him on Sundays and Sadly
eveain's You know the factry's shuts down
early on Saddys. And she let him have heap
of her books 10 read AZ
"Joey's been making book himself sence Ms
Harrel died" She spoke Of such a mystery wph
much diffidence. Some men up North bat
prints books is goin 70 print Joey's. He don't
have 70 paw en- 70 do IT, They air goin' 70 pay
him. He just cried when he got the letter from
en- 7 don't see how folks ever can think 40
things 70 put in books. Joey says Miss Harrell
learnt him how He says some Of the things
Miss Harrell told EN- all, when they was little
children, Is going 20 be in his book He says
Ne thinks she will know about it and be glad"
She looked up az the blue sky and spoke softly
The woman went away, and child with
lace almost az old as hers came up the hill. She
was carrying very carefully in one hand a small
brown paper parcel and in the other broom
made OF old field straw which grows back OF the
factory peoples houses ! moved away few
steps and sat down under the shade Of a cape
iessanlne in another lot. The child was too in
tent upon her task 20 notice my presence. Her
expression was sweet and serious. She swept
nearly around the grave. and took away the faded
tiger lilies and red hOllyhocks which some other
-hild had lett IN the broken glass pitcher at the
loot. Then she unfolded the brown paper par
eel and took something out, which she laid pains
takingly along the low mound. When she had
gone, I went 70 see what it was. In the gray
grass lay rings OF larkspur.
,ssV