The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-22
HOW HE
GOT LIZ
BY C. B. MARTIN

tin old enough to make up TO the girls
all the boys used TO laugh at me for
fat | don't think myself that it
was because was so awfuily stupid.
but was dreadful homely. That
was what put me at disadvantage.
My eyes and my hair were different
] COLOR and ! was kind o. rawboned.
All was good for above the other
boys was that | could lick any Of 'em.
But when 1t came to sprucin' up for
a dance / hadn't a ghost of a show
alongside the worst lookin' Teller In
| the lot
! My ole mother tole me onct: Elijah,
! If you want to win a woman's favor
do somepin for her. Let her see that
| you think kindly Of her. Your father
wasn't a good lookin' man when l
married him, jist rawboned farm
er's boy. and l TUX him in preference
! to the best lookin' Teller In them parts
because he used to come round when
be hadn't nothin' to do and churn and
milk for me. When | saw him churn-
In or settin on a stool millkin' to save
me work | forgot his red hair and his
freckles and his big knees and elbows
and sot my heart right on to him."
I didn't forget what mother said,
and when Liz Bunker come to take
, the school and thort she was the
purtyest thing of womankind I'd ever
seen and wanted her mighty bad /
made up my mind ia try to make her
fergit my ugliness somepin like father
made mother forgit his'n. But what
could ] do? Liz didn't churn or milk
cows. She taught younkers readin',
writin' and 'rithmetie. | could't spell
her at that | couldn't go to her
school and say, "See here. Liz. you
jist go out and sprawl yourself on
the grass and I'll teach 'em for you.
l couldn't say that cause l didn't
know enough.
One day after school ! met Liz com.
in home, ana she was cryin'.
why, Liz" asked. what y cryin'
for?"
"0h, don't bother me-"
u wish you'd tell me-"
Its them big ones. I can't make
'em behave by bein' kind to EN-, and
I'm not strong enough to whip EN-"
"How old are the children that make
the Disturbance"
"Childreni They amt children. Ben
Hooker's twenty and strong as an OK;
John Wilkins is nearer twenty-one. |
though be isn't quite as big as Ben
Then there's Ollie Smith--hes eighteen
and can whip either of the other two"
remembered what mother'd said, /
but | didn't let on about it to Liz. I
said TO her. says L;
II didn't know y TUX such old men 4
into your school Eff / had I'd "a been
a scholar myself. ! hain't got no edi-
cation. and | want some VIII y take
me into your schoolT'
Liz said she would. So the next day
went round | set on bench with
an arithmetic before me. and while /
was a studyin' | fist KEEP an eye on
them big felers. waitin' for 'eIn to do
some O. their tricks. Purity soon Ollie
Smith threw a spitball across the
school and hit Lucy Ellis in the eye.
saw by Liz's expression that she dread
ed what was comm. but | didn't say
nothin'. She reproved ollie gentle-like,
and he sent another ball at Ben Hook
ar. Ben throw'd 1t back John Will
kins threw book at Ben. and there
was racket on sure 'nufr.
Miss Bunker" says |. which one O.
-hese boys would you like to see made
10 behave fustf"
Amy one on en-" she said. her voice
Il think" said. you'd better give
Is a recess. A lesson in good behavior
night break some o. the school fur
liture-
school dismissed" said Liz
We all went out on to the grass plot
n front of the schoolhouse, and told
ollie that his lesson would come first:
hat / proposed to give separate les
sons and If any one not gittin taught I:
manners interfered I'd break every /:
zone In his body some time even IL
iidn't do 1t then. think this KEEP |:
way. no one of 'em interfered to help (.
he other. soon laid Ollie on the (:
,rass. and pummeled him till he was
ore all over. Then Tux John, who :
vas the biggest of the three. but he (
wasn't fightin' for purity schoolteach- !:
r as l was. and at last | downed him Z
With n blow that broke his jaw. Bon !:
aid he didn't want no lesson. so !:
he instruction was over and school Z
uk in again with all the scholars pres
Mt except John, who couldn't recite Z:
With broken jaw, and he was excus !:
d from school for the rest o. the day /:
When school was out ! walked home I:
nth Liz. She was the most grateful !;
irl you ever seen. She said | needn't !:
ONE any more. cause she'd give me I:
rivate lessons. but went the next !:
ay to see the effect o. my instructions /;
I department !.
1t was the quietest school you ever !:
zen. John williams never come back, !:
nd the other two o. my behavior 4
,holars was as quiet as mice. After !;
,hool / tole 'em that If they needed Z
ny more lessons Miss Bunker would !:
End for me. but they'd learned it all 4
/ oncet, and Liz didn't have TO send I;
)r me. z
The private lessons wasn't much I;
nod m mo for Iarnip' hf1f thav woe for z.