New Britain herald., 1926-09-09
Love and Tears

Love and Tears
 People wonder, perhaps, just what my feeling was toward Mrs. Hall
 Mrs. Hall is the kind of lady it is hard to have any feeling toward. could never think Of Mrs. Hall as a person with red blood and warm impulses or emotions or anything like that. She must have feelings, of course, everyone has, and once I saw her cry. But even then l cant remember having a pang over 1t, as my chum did.
 It happened when my chum and were in Mrs. Halls Sunday school class. She always taught in the Sunday school, and even after this awful thing happened, she went right on. We never could get in- terested In anything she said. There seemed to be no heart in it. She couldn't put things so you could care about them. We used to think of everything on earth but what she was reading or saying to us. She simply didn't have way with children or young people, which was no fault of hers. just a misfortune.
 There was a big stained glass window right opposite where we sat in Sunday school, with a life size figure of Moses on it, dressed in colored robes and sandals, and while Mrs. Hall would be reading about St. Paul and St. Peter, I would be trying to draw pictures of Moses. Sometimes I got him pretty well. every feature and fold of his clothes, and each Sr/day I would try and improve on 1t; I remember I always had a I/rd time with his feet and hands.
 But that is what I was thinking of. not the Sunday school lesson, and all the others in the class were the same way. It was simply tor ture to sit there.
 " Niiy pAt lil4lt IldlI HdDltu to give a pageant. It was religious, and all the countries were to be represented. My chum was to be Japan" and I was to represent China" which I didn't particu- larly care for because my costume was to be made out of burlap! When the time for rehearsal came, not a soul showed up. Mrs. Hall came to an empty room.
 It was terrible of Us, but that is how we felt about it. When we saw Mrs. Hall the next day she said how disappointed and humili- ated she felt, and she cried. My chum was sorry and tried to say something. Some Of the others said they were willing to come and work at rehearsals. But I was as hard as nails and made no apology at all. I knew I ought to, but couldn't open my mouth.
 The pageant never was given.
 I only tell this to illustrate how Mrs. Hall affected me and a good many others too. We just couldn't feel for her, or towards her, no matter what the circumstances were. I am sure she meant to be nice and that she was very good and kind In her way. But she never got under your skin; always left you cold.
 She couldn't be any different, I suppose, and I feel sorry for any body who has that manner. The only friends they have are people who belong to them or want some- thing from them.
 The Sunday school teacher we had the year before, having been a totally different type, 1t made us girls even less inclined to love our new instructor. ] regret to say that we drew comparisons, not realizing, l suppose, that a person has to be whatever their nature makes them. The other teacher used to bring us slices of chocolate cake wrapped in wax paper, and at Christmas, Easter and New Year gave us lit tie presents - handkerchiefs with . flapper painted on one corner, or some cute thing.
 She would take us on hikes and to pick flowers in daisy fields, and she used to tell us travel stories and all sorts of interesting things In between Bible les sons, We used to wonder why Mrs. iIaIl didn't follow the same meth cd, and we got as mad as hops when she gave us pamphlets on Loving your Neighbor" and Be Kind to Dumb Animals" and Steps to the Altar" We used to wish she would give us a ten-cent handkerchief or string Of beads in- stead.
 We were always half afraid of her. think all the church people felt that way, she was so distant and stiff and formal. She didn't mean to be patronizlng, I guess. but We all felt we were being stopped down to. The only enthusi- 1sm she ever had was a sort of religious fervor.
 Personally I like people to have ceiling and enthusiasm even if they Ire wrong, and make all kinds of Mother was that sort and 70 was Mir. Hall. Mother had a emper all right, but seldom show d 1t unless she was driven too far, nd even then, she only showed ight when she was sure she was fight.
 l remember how she sometimes ] ought our battles for us when Dan 'nd I were little.