Читать книгу How Hartman Won. A Story of Old Ontario - John Price-Brown - Страница 11
ОглавлениеA SCHOOL EPISODE.
On the morning following the toboggan slide, while Pettigrew was speeding his way by train to Hamilton to further his delectable scheme of self-aggrandisement, other events were occurring in and around the school-house on the 14th Concession.
Miss Finlayson walked briskly in the crisp morning air over the glistening snow to her daily duty. She was in deep thought. Her face was graver than usual, and her eyes bent on the pathway, save when she passed or was overtaken by scholars. Then her features would relax into a smile, as she returned their greetings.
Children were coming in from every direction. Some were muffled up, well wrapped against the fierceness of any wind that might blow, chatting and laughing and playing pranks upon each other as they hurried along the road. Others, more poorly clad, and feeling the keenness of the frost, were scudding schoolward, too intent upon getting beside the hot stove within the walls, to think of anything else.
At the cross-roads, a quarter of a mile to the north, two big lads joined each other from opposite directions. Their meeting seemed to be by pre-arrangement.
"We struck it all right this time, Pete," exclaimed one, as they shambled on towards the school-house.
"Huh, huh! I guess we did, Jack," was the reply. "But my! ain't it cold!"
"You bet; but it's just the day for a lark."
"Ya—ah! It sharpens a fellow up some, and makes him feel like doin' suthin'."
"We can do it all right," said Jack emphatically, while at the same time he made a flourish with his right arm. "I'll tell you what it is; this school-marm biz'ness through the winter in this here section must be stopped. When a fellow gets to be seventeen, an' half a head bigger than her as is put in to be teacher, it riles like the mischief to be bossed like a kid, an' I won't stand it."
The speaker was a big, shuffling, loose-jointed lad, and his companion appeared to be much like himself, as they talked and gesticulated along the road.
"You bet your life I ain't goin' to stand it uther," replied Pete. "Winifred Finlayson's had too easy a game of it, and it's time for her to larn suthin'. I tell you, Jack, if me an' you 'ud jus' go in, we'd make it so hot for her and the blamed trustees, that she'd be glad to quit, an' that mighty soon."
"That's so, an' the quicker they all know it the better."
"That's what I say. Now if us two make a bold face of it, how many of the other fellows can we build on?"
"That's where the fluke comes in. The worst of the darned thing is that all the kids like her. Still, there's Tim Thompson and Ned Laven, they'd stand by us, sure."
They turned the corner, and were within a few rods of the school-house when the bell stopped ringing. The rest of the scholars had gone inside, and as the two approached the door they made a final halt.
"Suppose we start by holdin' off, and doin' nawthin' she tells us to?" suggested Jack.
"All right," said Pete. "Then we'll lay low for whatever happens."
And cocking their heads a little higher than usual, the two public school philanthropists opened the door and went into the school-house with a bang.
Winifred's face was still grave, but it was strengthened by a look of quiet determination, as she opened school that morning. Although she had been teaching for over nine months her position had not been an unpleasant one until very recently. But, unfortunately, she had followed a male teacher, who possessed little force, and under whose control some of the larger boys had become very unruly; and it was the return of these boys that caused the trouble.
At the time we speak of, the use of the rod in schools was very prevalent. The master who could swing it vigorously, and terrify his scholars into obedience, was often considered the best teacher although he could only teach by drill, and never dreamed that it was his duty to develop the reasoning powers of his pupils.
When Winifred, fresh from the Normal School of Toronto, accepted the position of teacher in the 5th school section of her native township, she decided to make an effort to reverse the old plan, and by the use of milder but firmer measures to accomplish better results. This was not done in a day. But the calm, firm face and kindly eyes added much to the words she uttered in evolving order out of chaos, and attention and interest out of carelessness and unconcern.
Her success during the summer months had been very marked, not only in securing order but also in encouraging the scholars to study, and, perhaps what was still more satisfactory to the trustees, in largely increasing the number of the average attendance. It was the latter fact that greatly induced them to urge her to continue in charge for the winter, as the increased attendance meant increased Government allowance, and diminished direct taxation upon the property owners of the school section.
Miss Finlayson was naturally flattered by the offer, particularly when the trustees likewise stated that they would advance her salary, to remunerate her for the increased labour and responsibility. So, in spite of personal misgivings and numerous family warnings, her services were engaged for another term.
Whether it arose from the excitement of the toboggan slide, coupled with Cleveland's accident, or thoughts over the impending school difficulties, which for some time she had felt coming, Winifred could not tell; but sleep scarcely closed her eyelids that night, and during the long wakeful hours she thought out a plan, and by the time she reached the school-house was prepared for action.
Following out the custom authorised but not enforced by the Board of Education, Miss Finlayson had always made a practice of opening the school by reading a passage of Scripture, going systematically chapter by chapter through one book after another, usually confining herself to the New Testament, the Psalms and the Proverbs. This was so much a matter of custom that many of the scholars brought their Testaments with them, to follow her through the reading. This time, however, although she had just commenced the second book of Corinthians, she had decided for once to break the rule.
"Order, please," she exclaimed, as the scholars took their seats. "I shall read this morning part of the fourth chapter of Proverbs, and I want you all to pay particular attention."
Then she commenced in a slow, clear, determined voice: "'Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand or to the left; remove thy foot from evil.'"
"Now, scholars," she said, standing very erect at her desk. Pete and Jack were sitting together at one side broadly grinning; but she paid them no attention. "This passage of Scripture applies to girls as well as boys. Now all of you except those in the first book are old enough to vote upon it. The scholars in the second, third, fourth and fifth books who believe this teaching to be true, hold up your right hands."
Immediately a body of hands shot up into the air. Those that were chary began to look around, and when they found the vote to be nearly unanimous, they also joined the number. Finally, with the exception of the two rebels, all were up save those of Tim Thompson and Ned Laven.
To the two former she paid no attention.
"What, Timothy!" she called out in a cheery voice. "Are you not going to vote? Don't astonish me, please."
The lad's face grew as red as a beet, and slowly his hand slid up past his ear. He was sitting in front of Jack and Pete, and could not see exactly what they were doing.
"And Edward!" but his hand was up by the time she had mentioned his name, for he usually followed Timothy's lead.
"Now, scholars," she called out again, "all have voted in the right way but two. We'll not mention their names; but just call it unanimous, for I'm sure if they didn't vote for, they wouldn't vote against."
All eyes were at once turned towards the two refractories, whose faces commenced to flush.
"This way, scholars," she called out again; "no looking round, please. Now for your lessons, boys and girls. Let all do your best, and remember the last Proverb that I read is to be your motto: 'Remove thy foot from evil.'"
Jack and Pete sulked away all forenoon; but no attention was paid to them by the teacher. She gave them no orders. If they cared to come out in their classes they could do so. If they didn't they could refrain. Their presence was practically ignored, and as the morning wore on, a general aloofness seemed to develop between them and the rest of the scholars.
At eleven o'clock intermission came, and the two big lads slunk off, to have a huge guffaw outside. At first they tried to badger Tim and Ned, but it wouldn't take, so they wandered off into the woods by themselves.
"Anyway she's game," muttered Pete, as soon as they were out of hearing of the other scholars.
"You bet your life."
"She don't give a darn for us."
"She's cute as they make 'em. Who'd a thought that she'd go an' read them there tex's, just to clean us out."
"The deuce of it is the whole school's laughin' at us."
"It's the darndest thing I ever see in all my life. P'raps we'd better slide in. We're sure to larn with her if we try; and she don't give a continental if we don't. As for the kids laughin', let 'em laugh. Who cares?"
That afternoon the tables were turned a little. The sapient youths had decided to give in, but slowly.
Miss Finlayson saw the way the wind was blowing, and so indicated no desire to have them lay down their arms openly. They did it by degrees, and in their own rough way; but in a few days they became as diligent and well behaved as almost any in the school.
"Well, how did you bring your big boys to order?" Robert asked the next time he met Winifred.
"Oh! I'd no trouble at all," she replied with a ringing laugh. "They just subsided." And that was all she would say about it.
