Netty Seagraves School

.I dont' think she wlU 6ty at teachng yitv long about here," remarked Air. Jonathan Coles, one of the members of The school conwnlttee oï lïurrilltrtiwn, to Uis associatie, Dr. Mlller, ai thcy sta.rted lor their homes on a erisp December eveni&g íwwn a meeting of the c woamlttee. Aft-r a liiii.ï and fnharmonious dis; ui ilir oommlttee had resolved. ly a vote of ihree to two, to begin the next term -vitii a new teaeber, a gradúate oí The State Normal School, trotead tyl the old Teacher, nkknamed "Boozie." Wbose dJaslpated ha hits made him iinfit to lead children m the way they oughi to vro. Mr. Coles and Dr. Mlller were the minoiity. "Boozie" was a distant rolative o! Coles, who adhered to him uixreasoning obstinacy, when hls harteomlngs and dissipation alienA all wiio had the Intereata i the ►ol c-hildren at heart, and Dr. MilTOted -with roles beeause he was hifi family physician, and was aided by liis lellaw committeeman ín procuring other practice, especially among the toivn poor. The new teaeher. Miss Nettie Seagrave, began her work alter the Christmaa holidays. It was her flrst enineiii. bat she had graduated viry ditably irom the Normal InstitutïDii. and Hiere could be little doubt that. -with a fair deiiree of enronraseim-nt. Bhe wonld be Bucceaeful in eondncting the little crossroad? school at r.urrilltowü (orners. ïrained and educated in the city, the little home OU the l.anks of West ïtiver. near the ruins of an old faetory, luid a loneaome, cfhilling air nader the somber winter Bky; but Nettie represscd The feelings Whlch BWelled her heart. and determined to do her beet, mindful of the vidowcd mother to whom her darlins's weltare waa We itaelf. .oï opened on Monday. It con-isle 1 only of two classes, one maiiily scomposeil ol the larger and the other ■"of the Kinallor boys and girls. The worst boy Su the school was Sam 'Vtoles. Nbt That he was naturally bad. bul his erratic, slovenly Oispoaltion had been fostered by hls tonner teacher, on accovint of the lather'a Bup■port as committeeman, and, knowing his parent's antipathy to the ohange, Sam set out to make tblnga as onpleasant as poaalble ior the new teacher, who was "nothlng but a gtrl," as he rejnarked scornfnlly To his BChool'inatrs. Sam might liave acted diflerently had his motlier been alive to Vliroct him. ■Yith all her softness and beauty of ■feature there -was a nood deal of eharBCter in the steel grey eyes of Nettie .vatiavi'. She liad come there to le-ao.i that school, and meant to be a teacher wblle xhe rexnained. There■iore, -when after two admonitlone Kam Coles indulired in loud eonve.rsation ïor the third time, to the disturbance ♦ol the other acholara, and even to the evident annoyanee of the girl to whom iie addressed lus remark, he was promptly summoned to the desk. Siim stepped forward with an air ■ .jf lndepetndence and defiance. The ■command, and especlally the imperative -tone in which it was delivered, had taken him by surprise, but he was resolved to brave out the issue vind prove to The others that he could orowlx-at the new teacher. "Hold out your hand, Samuel Coles!" ■wijd Miss Seagrave, ealmly and firm"You' re nol gomg to hit me. nir you?" askert Sam In gemuine ast-onishinent. for he was truly astonished that 'any t'acher shoulil have tlic icmerity o -wliip the son of the conimitteeman. "Hold out your hand, I say!" was "tdie only answcr, in the name tone, un emphasized by a gleam in the eyes that did not fail to Impresa Sam that "the teacher meant business. Sloivly and reluctantly 8am held -Hit his hand. -S:iin Coles." said tlie -teacher in a gentier volee, as wltb a woman's tenierness sUc hesitated to inflict the ..innishincnt she feit to bc deserved, voii know that you cleeerve a whlp-. but if you promise me on your cl that you ■will behave yoursell ifter 1 v, ill pive you another chance." Sam looked up at the sweet, young Mace bendlng tenderly above him. He eanght the glaace of the steel grey ■yi-s. umi hr read in those eyes only Mndnese and good will. He prromlaed. Sam Coles went home a different boy. Hik [ather was surprised and altogether pleaaed to hear him epeak well oí the new teacher. l!ut Mr. Jonathan Colee was botb surpri.1 1 and pleased to observe, as time 1,-ts-c I. the change tliat carne his 1 1 i ii , ;i fc-Jiow evidence of ifcnowlng tomething besldes bivd hunt.i mi rabbil eatching. And he was wllliog to iId hls slia ■ ■ oí the chores, tead of l-avinji all that, as ín times - . to liis fa; li ■■ an 1 the hired man. On ■ (lay Mr. Colea heard his son ginging a temiperance tune as he sawed iway at the flre-wood. "Where did you learn iharV" he '..■d, with considerable Interest. "The new teacher taught us," iniBwered Sam: ''we have a singing c-iass uw." "I mus; go dOWU and si-e the new cacher," eald Mr. ('oles. ! liad de■u i ucii never to .170 near iliat school again wil' : 'Boozle' was turned out, I gueee ril take a lo-okin, for once, a,t any Tate." "It's examina! ion day uext Friday," said Sam, "and that might be the best ñme to vleit the school." Th fat her a -sen led and Friday al '1 ü'eloek in the afternoon ue siood at the ent.ry of bhe school house in his flnnday-go-to-meetln' a1 1 Ire. It ivas with cliarm, as well as dttgnlty that Miss Nettie Searave wi-leomed Mr. ('oles to a geat on the lilatform. He had heard a good deal from Sam 4ilut the new teacher'a attractlons amd üttributed ïnuch of it to boyish suserptibility. Xow he was convinced that Sam Had not exaggerated. There was as marked an improvemént in the BCholars as in the teacher sinee the old days when "BoOle" Wielded the ferrule wlth tremMins; grasp; and Mr. Ooles' cup of satisfaction was full- ere he thought it was - when Sam, as leader of hle elaSB, declalmed a pieee of elocution wit merit and effect. That evening Mr. Coles visited the mu teacher al her resldence. As usual at the end of the term the acholara had a week's vaeation, and Miss Seairrave's inotlier eaine trom the city to apend a few days wlth her dauirhter. Mr. Ooles was nut a honiely man. Ilis forty yeai-s rested tlghtly npon liim. for he had always lived moderately 'and temperately, and thongb aot educated he was iar trom lgnorant. il,, made a Favorable Impreaslon on Miss Seagrave, and ahe gave nim a sini ere Invitatlon to cali again. The calla were oft repeated, until at length it became a matter oí gosslp that "Coles was a-co-mrtiu' iiii' school teacher." The summe.r passed, and autumn and the Chrtetanaa holidays wrre approachlug agaln. The subject of engaglng ; '.ie teacher for another year would liavi' to come up at the next nitetinfï of the committee. it was not without evident nervousness that Mr. ('ole.s alluded to tliis. one winter evening at the teacber's liome. ■'Vou've bralned Saín so well that I should hete to have you go," sald Mt. ('oles, figitlng In his cbalr. 'Tm glad you are eatisfled wlth the boy's progrese," replied Miss Seagrave dem-urely, "lam very mudh tntereeted in htm." 'All- hem- well" uttered Mr. (.'oles, eatehinu; at the remark as a long souulit peg to his snit upon, "perha]s you're interc.sti'd emough in Sam to take charge of his edueation alone. Hem- well- you know what I mea 11." Miss Seagrave was too sensible a woman to pretend not to know. "I tliotiüht you told me the new teacher would not stay very long at teaching about here," remarked Dr. Millar, jocosely, when he met Mr. ('oles woon after the wedding. ■And I am happy to be able to say tihat she dicln't," was the beaming reply oí Mr. Coles.