Year: 1861

| be Just the thing for you" Her words certain
/ " implied that she considered me somewhat
blind, but smo thered my vexation. Pretty
soon very old lady near me made a number
of fruitless attempts to thread a fine needle
please let me thread it." said 1.


"Massy on US, child, if you're asnear sighted
as the children say, you can't do it to save your
life. If you viii try, jest put on my specs;
they'll be a sight Of help to you"


Deaf and blind! shouldn't have been sur
prised after that TO hear that had cork leg
false teeth, and wore a wig.


The gentlemen came in after supper, just as
they do now at the sewing circles, and it was
then that saw your uncle Jeremiah for the
first time. He has told me since that he had
heard stories about me and my doings all sum
mer-that was cross grained old maid ,and
had whipped Tom Jones little girl within an
inch of her life. But somehow, he said, when
be saw me that night he didn't remember the
stories at all. Well, went to my boarding
house that evening, feeling as if had just es.
capped from some horrid place or torture and
dreamed all night, as l always do when am
troubled, that was floating on a shoreless sea
in rudderless boat, while monstrous sharks
gaped around just ready to devour me.


There had been q school committee appoint.
ed to superintend the school in the town, but
in those days they were no more faithful in dis
charging their duties than they are now in
many places. So had not been troubled with
school committee visits and advice But feel
ing somewhat proud of the progress the pupils
had made during the term, determined to in
Al, - 10 81. L.
delinquent school officers, in to hear the reci
tations the last day of school. l did not ex-
pect to see more than dozen of the parents,
but was ready to cry when the afternoon came
and only two old, wrinkled up women, with
their knitting work, made their appearance
in the scbQFoom TO listen to the exercises
The old ladies clicked their needles and
went through with my lessons with sorrowful
heart.


had counted upon having few remarks
made by the minister that afternoon as a clo-
sing exercise, so after getting through with
the appointed duties turned almost mechani-
celly to the old ladies, asking them if they had
any remarks to make saying that I should be
most happy TO hear them. Just the words
had intended to say 10 the minister. Mrs. Be
mis-, the elder Of the two, responded to my in.
vitation.


"I aint got much to say" said she, rising,
while her fingers picked nerv, usly at the corn
er Of her apron IAN that is, that I'm right
glad that you We been trying so hard to larn
our children. An now boys and gals, want
you TO bear it in mind That this ere dear little
gal has been a working aud worrying the flesh
all off On her to edicate your minds, an you
mustn't forget it as soon as you leave the
school house l wish your fathers an moth
ers had come up here today TO sCe how faith
ful the little crceter has been to you. l haint
much larnt, you all know that by my talk, but
know when folks do their work well, il can't
tell jest how IT'S done. An it's my mind that
your school marin deserves to hear the text,
well done thou good and faithful sarvint.'


Mrs. Bemis sat down, and l tried hard to
keep my tears from choking my voice as dis
missed my school. Dear old soul, could the
minister himself have spoken words half SO
soothing to weary, unsustained teacher?-
People may talk and preachers may preach that
we ought to lean upon a Heavenly Fathers
arm for support in time of trial, and this is all
well enough, but l knOw-everybOdy knows
that human arms to lean upon, the voice of
human sympathy, are great helps and consola.
tions at such times; and to no person in any
situation in life are words Of sympathy and en-
couragement so necessary and so often denied
as TO the schoOl'teacher.


hardly need say that the remarks of old
Mrs. Bemis did me a vast deal Of good, and
that went home half willing to undergo the
same trials another summer. But father and
mother came to the conclusion that school
teaching did not agree with my constitution;
SO after l had regained my lost plumpness,
they consented to let me go to the factory. l
laid by money enough in three months 10 set
me up in housekeeping in good shape and then
Jeremiah and got married and settled down
on farm.


l dent know now that / am sorry that had
that little experience in sch0ol-teaching. One
ri ght minded woman can do deal of good in
neighborhood, and when strangers come into
our place to teach school, they find pretty soon
that they have my encouragement and sympa'
thy to cheer them while they are teaching, and
somebody to commend them, if they are the
least deserving of it, when their labors close.
Besides, niece, | don't know as your uncles
name wouId have been jeremiah if | had not
kept that school"