The schoolmaster's wife used it for years to keep her handkerchiefs in.
It was the middle of September and the schoolmaster's bride hadn't come-- never would come, we thought.
They were very tired, and the child would have been bold enough to address even a schoolmaster, but for something in his manner which seemed to denote that he was uneasy or distressed.
The schoolmaster looked earnestly at her as she spoke, laid aside his pipe, and rose up directly.
The schoolmaster was sitting at his high desk, with his back to me, apparently haranguing the pupils, who were all gathered together in front of him, with one exception.
"We seem to have chosen an awkward moment for our visit," said Miss Halcombe, pushing open the door at the end of the schoolmaster's address, and leading the way in.
As the face of this young woman might be called pretty good security of the before-mentioned kind, and as her behaviour had been always extremely modest, which is the certain consequence of understanding in women; she had passed above four years at Mr Partridge's (for that was the schoolmaster's name) without creating the least suspicion in her mistress.
The schoolmaster and his consort passed their time unpleasantly enough that evening, but something or other happened before the next morning, which a little abated the fury of Mrs Partridge; and she at length admitted her husband to make his excuses: to which she gave the readier belief, as he had, instead of desiring her to recall Jenny, professed a satisfaction in her being dismissed, saying, she was grown of little use as a servant, spending all her time in reading, and was become, moreover, very pert and obstinate; for, indeed, she and her master had lately had frequent disputes in literature; in which, as hath been said, she was become greatly his superior.
In these good old times, a schoolmaster's blows were well laid on.
"Grandfather," said Charley, "I wonder whether the boys did not use to upset the old chair when the schoolmaster was out."
At this point my companion left me, and I--well, I confess that I retraced my steps to the common and rambled up that green lane, along which the romantic
schoolmaster used to steal in the moonlight to the warm arms of his love.
"Well, Vixen, well then, how are the babbies?" said the schoolmaster, making haste towards the chimney-corner and holding the candle over the low hamper, where two extremely blind puppies lifted up their heads towards the light from a nest of flannel and wool.
Bartel went into his little pantry, and brought out an excellent home-baked loaf; for it was his one extravagance in these dear times to eat bread once a-day instead of oat-cake; and he justified it by observing, that what a schoolmaster wanted was brains, and oat-cake ran too much to bone instead of brains.
'Perceiving the necessity of it,' acquiesced the schoolmaster, 'and making up her mind fully to the separation.
'You are sure you would not like,' asked the schoolmaster, 'to prepare her?'
