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UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 



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Digitized by the Internet Archive 

in 2012 with funding from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/teachersstoriesOOmill 



TEACHER'S STORIES. 



BY MRS. M. E. MILLER. 




AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

1 50 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, 
by the American Tract Society, in the Office of the 
Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TEACHER'S STORIES. 



CHAPTER I. 

ABOUT CHARLEY FISK. 

Charley Fisk is a little gen- 
tleman. His kind words and 
gentle manners please me every 
day. He never leaves them at 
home, for they spring from his 
gentle heart. 



4 teacher's stories. 

The school children love him 
dearly, and think no game is 
complete without him. He 
loves play as well as any boy ; 
but he is never rude. 

Out of school, he spends half 
his time out-doors, with eyes 
and ears open to all the won- 
ders and beauties God has 
made. I don't see how he 
could be content to live in a 
city. 

In the early spring he comes 



CHARLEY FISK. 5 

out of the woods with his hands 
full of flowers ; and until snow 
comes again the wild flowers 
are his delight. Mosses and 
ferns, wintergreens, and all the 
berries, as they come and go, 
just when they are richest, and 
where they hide, he knows by 
heart. 

No boy so eager as Charley 
to hunt rabbits and squirrels. 
Woodchucks and weasels, and 
other little pests that do mis- 



6 TEACHERS STORIES. 

chief among his chicken-coops, 
he traps with as good luck as 
any old hunter. 

He knows where the cunning 
chipmunks hide all winter. He 
can tell the habits of any of his 
game, in his simple boyish talk, 
that I like better than a chap- 
ter of Natural History; and it 
teaches me as much. He may 
write one in time. 

He loves to go fishing too. 
His bright eyes grow brighter, 



CHARLEY FISK. 9 

if we wander towards the pond 
at noon ; and his merry laugh 
seems to set all the birds in the 
schoolhouse woods to singing. 
Spry as a squirrel, he springs 
from tree to tree down the steep 
bank. When he comes up, he 
is sure to bring me some pretty 
thing, if he has not had time to 
coax the fish — queer pebble- 
stones, or a spray of bright 
leaves, a rare flower, or a twig 
of odd shape or beauty. 



10 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Mr. Fisk's old gardener is 
Charley's warm friend. He is 
teaching the boy how to take 
care of the garden and nursery. 

Loving Nature so well, Char- 
ley also loves his heavenly 
Father, who makes the woods 
green and 'the flowers lovely. 
This seems now as easy for him 
as it is to love his father and 
mother, that he sees every day 
filling his pretty home with 
comfort and love. 



CHAPTER II. 

SUSIES MISHAP. 

Susie and Anne, two dear 
little sisters that come to my 
school, are out-door children 
too. 

As we walk along the coun- 
try road, their bright eyes spy 
every blackberry shining in the 
bushes, every ground-bird's 
nest, or scampering squirrel. 



I 2 teacher's stories. 

From ant-heaps to sailing 
clouds, they see everything that 
can lend a charm to their quiet 
daily walk. 

When grapes were ripe, I 
went to visit them. I found 
them out in the arbor with their 
mother. 

While we were eating the 
fine fruit, laughing and chatting 
under the vines, Susie slipped 
from the rack she was climb- 
ing. She was not far above 



SUSIES MISHAP. 13 

the ground when she fell ; but 
her foot turned, and made her 
give a cry and moan of dis- 
tress. Her ankle soon began 
to swell. 

The - doctor told us it was a 
bad sprain ; and bad, indeed, 
Susie has found it. She has 
not walked since without pain- 
ful limping. 

The last time I went to see 
her, a shoemaker was there, 
that her papa had brought out 



H TEACHERS STORIES. 

from the city, to fit a stiff high 
shoe to the poor lame foot. 

We are hoping this may 
support the ankle, so that when 
spring comes again, Susie may 
be as strong and fleet to run as 
her sister Anne. 

I asked her why she thought 
God sent such a trial to her. 

" I wondered about it a good 
many days at first, when I 
couldn't go to school with 
Anne; most of all, the day of 






! tod 

(hat I 
i mamma 
how m 

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• I it. 

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I 

I I 
l! 

' 

Mill pt< M.l! 

Is and i 
nd oh, how much my mc 



SUSIES MISHAP. l 7 

the school picnic, when all the 
scholars marched by, and I sat 
in the big chair at the window 
with mamma, to wave to you," 
she said. 

" Well, what do you conclude 
about it, Susie?" 

" Mamma has helped me 
think, you see," said she, "and 
I think now there are lots of 
reasons why it was best that 
something happened to shut 
me up." 



18 TEACHERS STORIES. 

"Tell me some of your rea- 
sons, Susie." 

" Oh, they are God's reasons ; 
mamma and I have only found 
them out. One is, so that I 
could see how much mamma 
has to do in a day ; how much 
she works and sews while Anne 
is in school, and does n't see or 
hear or think anything about it. 
That makes me love mamma 
more. That's one good rea- 
son, isn't it?" 



SUSIE S MISHAP. 19 

"Yes, a very good one," I 
said. 

"Well, then, I've had time 
to see what a nice home I Ve 
got — so neat, you see. Then, 
when I was n't hungry for bread 
and butter, I Ve had such good 
things to eat. And then the 
books — such nice books, and 
papers with pictures ! Mamma 
reads and explains to me every 
day. So I've learned a heap. 
And oh, how much my mother 



20 TEACHER S STORIES. 

knows — about Joseph, and Mo- 
ses, and all the Bible folks. 
She carries it all in her head; 
did you know that ?" 

"Yes, Susie, I knew it very 
well. I knew you had a Bible 
mother, by the way you walk to 
school." 

" How funny ! What do you 
mean?" 

" I knew she had taught you 
to love the things God scatters 
along our road to school; the 



SUSIES MISHAP. 2I 

bits of his love you love so well 
to find and point out to Anne 
and me." 

"Yes, I know — clouds and 
birds and things. Yes, mam- 
ma taught us all we know about 
birds and flowers. She sings, 
" My Father made them all." 

I was sure this was the way 
these little girls had been taught, 
though I had not been told so 
before. 

When the mother came in 

Teacher's Stories. O 



22 TEACHER S STORIES. 

presently from the tea-room, I 
said, 

" Susie has been telling some 
of her thoughts." 

" I dare say she has not told 
you how patient she is with all 
her pain. And no one can tell 
you how much more we seem 
to love her than we did before 
this mishap." 

Her mother kissed Susie's 
white forehead, then wheeled 
the big chair to the tea-table. 



CHAPTER III. 

MEDDLESOME CARRIE. 

Mrs. Evans brought to my 
school last summer her plump, 
pretty, laughing Carrie. 

" Do you know your letters ?" 
I asked. 

"Yes 'm; I can wead em, 
but I can't spell 'em." 

That meant that she knew 
the letters, but did not know 



26 TEACHER S STORIES. 

how to make words of them. 
I knew she was a pet, and 
expected she would soon cry to 
go home; but she stayed till 
school hours were over, and 
skipped beside me to her own 
gate as I went home. 

She came to school for a few 
weeks, and learned to spell quite 
well, and we were all growing 
very fond of her. 

One day she did not come. 
We missed her chatter and 



MEDDLESOME CARRIE. V 

laugh and pattering steps about 
the schoolroom more than I 
can tell. 

On my way home, I stopped 
to see if she were sick. 

Her mother said Carrie was 
in trouble. It was a showery, 
chilly day. 

" Come into the sitting-room 
and rest." Mrs. Evans led the 
way. "We had our first fire 
made in the grate this morn- 
ing, and my lady Carrie must 



28 TEACHERS stories. 

poke it to see the bright coals 
fall, till her dress was on fire." 

Tears came into her eyes as 
she thought in what danger 
her darling had been. 

" God was very good," she 
said. " He saved her for us to 
love a while longer." 

Little Carrie stole shyly into 
the room. I was sorry for her 
as she stood, still and sad, look- 
ing at the burnt, spoiled dress 
pinned up on the wall. 



CHAPTER IV. 

DUTCH CARL. 

There is a bright young 
Dutch boy among my scholars. 

His father crossed the sea 
two years ago. He bought a 
farm near us, and works hard 
to make money come out of 
his fields and orchards and 
stone-quarry. 

The boy's mother is careful 



32 teacher's stories. 

and saving. Besides doing her 
own housework, she washes 
and irons for other people. 

She sends her Willie to 
school to learn for himself and 
her. She can read and write 
German ; but in this new coun- 
try she says she cannot under- 
stand the talk, nor read the 
Child's Paper Carl brings from 
Sunday-school. So as she 
works she studies English. 

One Saturday I found her 



DUTCH CARL. 35 

ironing. Carl sat by her table 
giving out the words, which 
she spelled after him. 

Did you ever before hear of 
a boy's teaching his mother to 
read and spell ? 

Ah, he must do much more 
for her by-and-by, to pay in 
part for her loving care of him 
through all his boyish years, 
while she has had other and 
harder work to do. 



Teacher's ilturlca. 



CHAPTER V, 

A POOR MANS RICHES. 

Farmer Briggs lives be- 
yond the Hollow Swamp. He 
has a poor farm, an old horse, 
and very little to give him 
earthly comfort or joy besides, 
except his children. But he 
has a good many of those, and 
is, I think, the happiest man 
who sends a child to me. 



A POOR MANS RICHES. 37 

Let me count. There are 
Maggie and Ellen, John and 
Charley and Robert, Sarah and 
John, little Ned, and baby Fan- 
ny — four girls and five boys. 

Their clothes are plain, and 
often patched. But out in the 
country, folks are not afraid of 
patches ; they are hardly afraid 
of anything but debt and ill- 
doing. Maggie and Ellen can 
do all the patching now the 
mother boasts; and with five 



33 TEACHERS STORIES. 

boys to keep pushing elbows 
and knees through jackets and 
trousers, there is a deal of patch- 
ing to be done. 

The older boys help their 
father. They can catch and 
harness a horse, and ride him 
or drive him to mill or to mar- 
ket, as he bids them. 

They mix work and play to- 
gether, so that they enjoy both. 
While father seals the letter 
that Johnny is to take to the 



A POOR MAN'S RICHES. 4* 

postoffice, Johnny drops down 
on his knees, (on Meg's patches,) 
to have a bit of a game of mar- 
bles with Charley. Joe watches 
the horse and keeps count of 
the game. 

They have plenty of play- 
things, that are all home-made. 
Mr. Briggs has been a carpen- 
ter, and has a shop in his wag- 
on-house. He works there 
with his boys, enough to teach 
them how to use his tools. 



42 TEACHER S STORIES. 

Carts, wheelbarrows, and sleds, 
besides dolls' wagons and cra- 
dles, come out of this shop; 
where often you may hear the 
boys whistle and saw, sing and 
hammer, learning something 
useful while they play. 

Charley is head carpenter. 
He has just made a sled for 
little Robert, and has cut the 
little fellow's name in a bold 
style, that suits him exactly. 

They are so happy as to have 



A POOR MAN'S RICHES. 45 

a good grandmother, who knits 
warm mittens and stockings 
for each of these nine children. 
Do you think her knitting- 
needles are ever idle? It is 
funny to see how these little 
people take care of each other. 
Robert is trusted with little 
Ned and baby Fanny, hour 
after hour, out-doors. He is 
horse or man, just as they 
please ; so kind and good, that 
he deserves a new sled. 



46 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Sarah takes care of Robert 
and Johnny. She is so nearly 
of their age, they love her 
dearly. They say she knows 
almost as much as a boy. 

She is not big enough to do 
much work in the house; but 
they trust her to " see if those 
boys are in mischief again;" 
to "run see if Ned has hurt 
his fingers at the grindstone,' , 
or "if Fanny is asleep in the 
wheelbarrow." She is the fleet- 



A POOR MAN S RICHES. 47 

footed, light-hearted handmaid 
of all. 

With those happy, hearty, 
hungry children at his right 
hand and his left hand, three 
times each day, Mr. Briggs 
gives thanks for the blessings 
before him, for the life and 
health of his dear ones, and for 
their daily bread. 



CHAPTER VI. 

HARRY STETSON. 

We have a hero of old times 
left in our neighborhood — 
" Grandpa Stetson," ninety-four 
years old. 

He was so fortunate once, 
when a boy, as to dine at the 
same table with George Wash- 
ington. 

He used to be proud to tell 



HARRY STETSON. 49 

what he remembered about the 
great mans fine face and noble 
form, and the kind words he 
spoke to him that day. But 
grandpa has forgotten all that 
now. 

His great-grandson, Harry 
Stetson, is one of my bright 
hopes. 

The first time I went to the 
Stetson farm, Harry and I had 
a long chat together, while his 
mother was busy in the dairy. 



50 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Old Mr. Stetson sat in his 
arm-chair at the west window, 
enjoying the clear sunset, that 
seemed the brighter for the 
afternoons rain, although he is 
almost blind. He smiled often, 
catching Harry's merry laugh, 
although he is quite deaf. He 
is 'most always cheerful; but 
sometimes he seems tired of 
everything. 

" S'pose you Ve heard 'bout 
Washington ?" said Harry. 



HARRY STETSON. 5 1 

" Oh, yes," I answered. 

"Well, grandpa ate dinner 
with him one day. And he 
knew lots of soldiers — great big 
ones — majors and generals ! but 
now he would n't know General 
Washington from a red Indian, 
if they should walk in this min- 
ute." 

Harry was sitting on a chick- 
en-coop and whittling away on 
a twig from the willow-tree; 
in a little while he made a 



52 TEACHERS STORIES. 

whistle, and came and sat in 
the doorway to try it. 

Very shrill and loud was the 
noise he made with the whis- 
tle, and it vexed grandpa. 

"What upon earth do you 
make such a noise for?" he said. 

Harry blew another blast. 

" Oh do, pray, be still !" fret- 
ted grandpa. 

" He can't let a boy have a 
bit of fun !" Harry whined. 

" Fourth of July is almost 



HARRY STETSON. 55 

here," I said ; " shall we have a 
picnic for the school, Harry?" 

"Oh, yes, if you'll let us 
have powder - crackers ! We 
could play soldier, and march 
all day, and sing ' Hail Colum- 
bia' and 'Yankee Doodle.'" 

"To be sure we could. Let 
me hear you try one of those 
good old tunes, Harry." 

He sang very well, and " Hail 
Columbia" made a neighbor 
riding by swing his hat. 



56 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Before the second verse was 
finished grandpa said fretfully, 
" Cant you be still ? You 
make noise enough to craze a 
body!" 

"Shouldn't suppose an old 
soldier would get cross about 
'Hail Columbia!'" 

Grandpa has a great many 
notions. One day, although it 
rains, his shade must be down, 
making the room gloomy. The 
next day, perhaps, although the 



HARRY STETSON. 57 

hot sunlight streams in at the 
window, the shade must be up ; 
grandpa wishes it ; and no mat- 
ter if it is unpleasant for oth- 
ers, his good grand-daughter 
lets him have his way. " He 
crosses us only in little things," 
she says, "and it will not be for 
long. He has lived a long, 
busy, honest life, and deserves 
to have his own way." 

She does not own that this 
ever troubles her; while Harry 



5§ TEACHERS STORIES. 

does not try to hide that it 
vexes him very often. 

When " Hail Columbia" and 
" Star-Spangled Banner" were 
sung through, and sung pret- 
tily, I asked him, 

"Wouldn't you like to be a 
hero ?" 

"Yes, ma'am," said he, "a 
fighting soldier, and have a 
drum and a red sash, and a gun 
and a bugle! Ha! wouldn't I 
like it!" ' 



HARRY STETSON. 59 

" Why, no one soldier carries 
all those treasures," said I. 
"And they all have to do what 
the officers think best. They 
can not choose the battlefield, 
nor do much as they like after 
war begins." 

Harry tooted on his whistle 
because he did not know what 
to say. 

"The best and greatest hero 
I know — " Here Harry inter- 
rupted, 



60 teacher's stories. 

" Grandpa, of course ; he s 
the oldest hero anybody ever 
saw, I guess." 

" No, sir ; that is not what I 
was going to say. Grandpa is 
the oldest, but your own moth- 
er is the greatest hero." 

"My mother! Ha! ha!" 
laughed Harry. "Why, she 
wont set a mouse-trap, she is 
so 'fraid of hurting anything !" 

" But most afraid of hurting 
anybody s feelings, I see." 



HARRY STETSON. 6l 

Harry looked not a little 
ashamed. 

" When I watched your moth- 
er waiting upon grandpa so 
gently, and thought of her do- 
ing so day and night, all the 
year round, I thought she was 
a hero, although she had never 
carried sword or musket. The 
Captain she follows has given 
her hard battles to fight in- 
doors, I suspect, or she could 
not be such a faithful soldier. 



62 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Good soldiers are not made in 
a hurry, you know, Harry." 

"Yes, I know that. Cousin 
James is at West Point, and it 
will take two or three years be- 
fore he '11 be a soldier." 

"Yes, years of strict duties 
and hard studies ; and he may 
be sent hundreds of miles from 
home, to be killed at the first 
shot ; or he may live through 
many battles, and be as old a 
hero as grandpa ; and, after all, 



HARRY STETSON. °3 

he may not please the great 
' Captain of our Salvation ' as 
well as your dear mother does." 

Harry dropped his whistle, 
and did not know it. I knew 
by his sober face he knew now 
what kind of a hero I meant 
he might be. 

"Your mother, dear, is a 
Bible hero. I will show you 
where the Bible says : ' He that 
ruleth his spirit is better than 
he that taketh a city.' Think, 



64 TEACHERS STORIES. 

Harry, you may be a hero of 
that kind now. You may nev- 
er have troops to order here 
and there, but you may com- 
mand your own temper.'' 

"I don't know about that," 
said Harry sadly; "but I s'pose 
I can try." 




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