Omaha daily bee., 1912-06-10

consciousness Of knowing his subject
thoroughly. ] do not recall ever having
a teacher who commanded the respect
and confidence of those under him. and
associated with him. as did Prof. Lewis,
The high school under him was orderly,
and he was seldom called upon to enforce
discipline, more seldom to enforce 1t
on the same boy or girl twice. He re-
mained at the head of the school until
ne returned to his native New England
town to become principal of Worcester,
Mass He has been out here since then,
his hair and mustache grown white, but
the same buoyant manner and the same
benignant character. ,.. ,
Holding a position something like that
of chief-of-staff was Miss Lena. L. Hill.
She taught me algebra, and taught others
higher branches Of mathematics. She was
a sweet-faced brown haired, blue-eyed
woman whom everyone liked, and par
ticularly fitted to make the children un-
derstand what Is usually their most diff
cult exercise. Miss Hill not long after
left the school, and married in Buffalo,
n. Y, where her husband, Charles A.
Severance, is now secretary of the Buff
falo Historical society and its librarian.
Mrs. Severance, with her husband and
grown daughter, came through Omaha
about a year ago, returning from a trip
10 the orient. and was delighted to be
entertained by some Of her pupils Of long
ago days who remembered and admired
her. ,,.a -
The third member of the high school
staff was Alonzo Norton Henshaw a
young man just out of an eastern coll
lege, who devoted his efforts chiefly to
Latin and history. We boys made a
great deal of fun In secret over Mr.. Hen
shaw. stimulated by his punctilious dress,
and what we thought was his as
sumed pose, That was Just the time OF
the Oscar Wilde aesthetic cult, and as
he wore his hair rather long and parted
IN the middle, We dubbed him "a dude
and We parodied his name by calling him
'''Dudeshaw" As matter Of fact, he
was a, tolerably good fellow, and his
mannerisms were not at all his fault
We really regretted when he went back
east. where. am told, he entered tbs
ministry and had successful career.
Still another high school teacher was
Miss Ida M. Street, petite, dark little
woman, who had studied at Vassar
which was something to be wondered al
in that period Of 0maha's history. Miss
Street taught English, composition
rhetoric and, English literature and made
these subjects as interesting as they
could well be made. She was determined
to devote herself to literary culture
and after becoming student herself
again taught In higher educational in
stitutions-at one time. and possibly still
in Michigan university.
The fifth and last member of this higf
school faculty was Miss Mary r. Harris
who took the boys and girls through the
various branches Of science, which were
then restricted to physiology, zoology
physics, chemistry. astronomy ant
geology. Miss Harris was gracious and
benevolent looking, wore her back hall
combed tightly back to coiffure on th'
top Of her head. She was an indefatlg
able worker and regarded by her pupil'
as .unususriy exacting, She was, how
ever sympathetic and tolerant, as vel
as persevering and forceful teacher
Her retirement from the school was du'
TO, unfortunate G ,umstaness that Gu
short q useful teaching career. .-s.