The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-02
By MIGNoN HALL

AHNt N 10 AiCtAiAt4S AhpAV olAAlCuil lIdH teaching-and I almost said less ap- preclated
 It is task almost overwhelming to consider-that. of walking into a room filled with youngsters, each of whom Is different in mind and tenn perament. each of whom is problem by himself,-knowing that 1t Is your job alone to inject knowledge into all of them speedily, helpfully and permanently
 You are prisoner to million whims, childish subterfuges that that would evade the lessons you must teach. and when you enter, you practically give so much of your life and strength to the work that home and school are the only things you have time for. Pleasure for yourself Is almost out of the question.
 The Real Reason
 An old maid teacher was once ask ed why she had never married.
 What foolish query she laughed, T never had enough time to spare to be eourted. If l had, wouldn't have been a good teacher"
 But vacation time, what about that?'
 Well. you see had even less time then. I had to be getting ready for next years work, making clothes and things. And you know you can hard ly entertain young man sitting at a sewing machine"
 And that's the attitude of your born teacher the one who really is called to the profession, I might say, and who through thick and thin, keeps tryst with it through the years.
 How Mrs. Cecile Wilson of Ensley. rIn In tot in, Ensley. and 37 years in all. ever did manage to find time to get married Is an actual mystery. unless it was that her husband really just walked into the school room with club and marched her out for the length of time it takes to say banns.
 For you never could meet anybody whose heart, soul, strength and be- ing Is more wrapped up with the training of bright eyed. clean faced or dirty legged. studious or lazy, mischievous. conflding or tender- hearted children, or young Indians.
 Making Citizens
 Her very life has been absorbed In filling the soil of their minds, and making 1t produce citizens of broad minded calibre. generous impulses. good educations, and leaders of use- fulness in almost every line of en- deavor.
 Take off your hat to Mrs Wilson for you are looking at a laborer who has never shirked her duty-and who, worshipped, revered and so greatly depended upon, is still not shirking
 Day by day in the Bush school she puts in full time for the meager pay allowed to Alabama teachers. She remembers Ensley when 1t was an in- fant in awaddling clothes. before 1t could even lisp, and has the proud distinction of having literally "started" four schools. They are the Moore, the Bush, the Tuxedo. which was the beginning of Minor school, and the Baker. For the last three in that vicinity-she has taught at the Bush school
 With her work, having been left widow very early, she has reared her three boys-W. D. Wilson, now married and with two little girls of his own, and who lives in Bessem- CT; H. W. Wilson, who is superin- tendent of mill in Duluth. Minn., and her youngest boy. Beckwith Will son, who Is a draftsman and check CT.
 For Her Own
 Mrs. Wilson explained: They have always been my inspiration toward any success. You see I am consci- entiously a first grade teacher, and of course. dealing with little chill dren. there are many trying mo- ments. But always. no matter how mischievous one became, 1t seemed that in that child I saw one of my own. l knew I could be consider ate with my own children. and that made me considerate of others.
 T love little ones so much--and 1t seems that they love a teacher better, too. I am particularly fond of boys. probably because all my little folks were boys
 Mrs. Wilson typifies so magnifi- gently the pioneer teacher who gave all for her work and who did not spare herself. She has spent her life teaching In old stores and shacks. She has taught ten consecutive years without being either absent or tardy, and has instructed so many of the present teachers of Birmingham; so many of the parents of the children who go to school to her
 It was extremely interesting to hear Mrs. Wilson tell of Birming- ham of the long ago, some of it's
 
 her experiences in school work. She mentioned the names of many pio- neers.
 When I was married I was living in Lebanon, Mo. I commenced teach ing when I was 16, and taught 15 years in Missouri. l was only 23 when I was left a widow with my babies, my eldest son being only IS years younger than 1 am. As soon as the two eldest boys were old enough they came to Birmingham to work. and one of them having the misfortune to lose hand, they wrote me urging that I come on and make my home in Birmingham. immediately wrote them that they must get me position for I could not be without work.
 Send Recomme endations
 This was in 1900. Right back from them came the answer, Get the best recommendations you can and send them I presume nobody really could have had any better recommendations from our little town. But, while I knew I had done my duty. they did seem very flat tering.
 "At that time the school board of EnSley was composed or J. w. Minor N. W. Scott and J. J. Walker, Mir. Scott being mayor My recommen- dations were sent to them, the re- suit being telegram from my son. Come at once. You are in the school at $50--' and as this was as much as I was making at home, was able to come immediately. A
 T shall never forget my impress sions when I arrived. Out of the