Year: 1877

AS~~' ~~-~" A--S3 -
your face wins trust. You can have the
school if you are satisfied with the terms,
which are two dollars week and board
around, or four dollars and board your
SELF"


81 care not so much for the terms if
they are only sufficient to support me
and my child. would also much pre-
fer to board in one place. l should like
to board with you-may ?"


My husband glanced inquiringly at
me, so l answered:


"Why, yes, if you can put up with
our fare"


20, l am so thankful The Lord
will bless you for taking stranger in"


CHAPTER IL.


THE SCHOOL.


Notice was circulated through the
district that school would commence on
the following Monday, and then parents
and children wondered whom the teach
er could be.


Soon one of our neighbor's little girls
called upon us and saw Mrs. Graham
and little Blanche, and concluded thro'
childish instinct that the former was
the new teacher. She hurried home as
fast as possible to be the first to tell the
news. She could hardly wait to get in
to the house ere she cried out:


"Ma, I've seen the new teacher"


"Have you, my child? How do you
like her looks p


"She looks so gentle and good 1 love
her already, and l am sure | shall nev-
er want to grieve her. Her face looks
almost like laughing and almost like
crying at the same time. She has lit
tie girl about as large as 1, and her eyes
are so wild and sharp that was afraid
of her. l couldn't make her talk to me
at all and still it seemed just as if she
could look right through me. She clung
to her mothers dress and said mamma
so pitifully. 1t didn't sound like lit
tie girls voice and l couldn't help but
cry, and then ran straight home.


The report soon went around that
strange lady with wild-looking little
girl who couldn't talk was going to
teach the school. This was told over and
over through the district a hundred
times. and the people were wonderfully
interested to hear something more of the
teacher. Every child must 60 to school
the first day for certain, to learn all he
could and tell it when he went home at
night.


Mr.. Brown went with Mrs. Graham
and little Blanche and introduced her to
the children.


She looked and spoke SO pleasantly
that they were delighted with her.


And SO the school began and prosper
ed. The kind little girls tried in vain
to win the confidence of little Blanche,
but she would trust no one but her mo-
ther.


The pupils all said, "How we love
our teacher. We have had good teach
ers before but never one we loved as we
do this. And we are SO sorry for little
Blanche who can only say mamma in
SO sorry and fearful way"


No child wanted to stay out of school.
There was a power in the teacher to
draw and hold. And the term passed
away SO pleasantly that it was gone even
before they thought. The pupils clung
to their teacher as if they could not let
her go.


"Come teach our school again we
don't want any other teacher now. we
all love you SO.


And she told them perhaps she would
and they were quieted.


Mrs. Graham was sorry, too, when
school was out, for her summers work
had occupied her mind and her thoughts
had been so much for others that she
had become quite cheerful, only the look
of sadness could never be entirely re.
moved from her face.


Mr.. Brown and [ had become inter.
ested in Mrs. Graham and little Blanche
and loved them as we'll as the children
did. We sometimes sat for hours anc
listened to her reading. She had 6
strangely sympathetic voice that wen
straight to our hearts and held us BY
. its fascination.


Mr.. Brown said one day, 81 wondel
where Nellie thinks of going now he
school is out ?''


eve both called her by the informa
name of Nellie.)
| 81 fear we shall be lonesome if sh
leaves US. Since our children are al
gone l would like her to stay with us i
she only will" And my heart echoe'
the wish.


CHAPTER III.
MR.. BROWNS Suspicious.
t A day or two after the close of he
E school, Mr.. Brown said, "Nellie, here i
the order for your wages. If you vii
just sign it. | will draw the money fc
? you