Tillie: A Mennonite Maid

nd the weary, dreary mother of the family cleaning fish at the kitchen sink,

ired whether she m

o the barn and tell pop Teacher's here and wants to speak somepin to hi

brought to her. Mrs. Getz went on with her work at the sink, while

en't you?' Miss Margaret asked, with a

et it ready yet, I just start it. W

e y

ister's folks f

hey strang

scraping of the fish t

a'ready. Us we're well acquainted. But to be sure they don't live wi

t exa

me sayin' so) but you do talk awf

Miss Margaret symp

the room, and Miss Marg

you," he said awkwardly

on the mantel, then tu

long a'ready?

e answered with an appreh

threatening little nod as he drew

astened to say, "I made the chil

Getz, "then we'll l

to what was for the highest and best good of his daughter. Eloquently she pointed out to him that Tillie being a child of unu

eing entirely novel, did

. That's long enough fur a girl; a female don't need much book-

could earn money," Miss Margaret argued, kn

earnin' herself to be intelligent enough fur to b

aying board here when she be

d Mr. Getz; and Margare

nough educated fur to be a teacher, and I'm one of them," he maintained, "that holds a child is born

for their highest good," she suggested,

," he insisted. "You needn't plague me to leave Ti

crush everything in them that is worth while?" Margaret dared to say to

d foolishness!" J

grown and realizes all that she has lost, will

she's been learnt to work and serve them that raised her. And what I think is that a person a

that it was time

ly said, fixing on her a suspicious and sear

illie even more than herself. "What a question to ask

But the way you side along with childern ag'in' their parents suspicions me that the Doc

o one ever before asked me such questions. Indeed," she said, i

"I wouldn't put it a-past you after the wa

returned Miss Mar

with a look and manner of apology for

ou stay and eat along? We'r

waiting for me at the hotel

ittle face pale. Miss Margaret drew her to her and held he

y visit has proved so fruitless. You don

re lent them Books to Tillie-corruptin' the young! I can tell you right now, I ain't votin' fur you at next election! And the way I wote is the way two other members

election?" imperturbab

nty-fifth of February.

position until the first of April unless the Board can show rea

side along

d out of school when you can well afford to keep

d in wide-eyed curiosity, realizing with wonder that Teacher wa

l bring it up in Board meeting that you mebbe leave

all hold the Board to their c

y high ground, of which, in

as certainly a new species of woman! Never before had any teache

anyways, be elected to come back here next term! That's sure! You'll have to look out fur another place

had her triumph, which she was qui

going to resign at the end of the term. I am go

o neatly eluded a reckoning at his hands. A tingling sensation ran along his arm and he had to restrain his

d any steady comp'ny. To be sure, some says the Doc likes you pretty good. Is it now, mebbe, the Doc? But no," s

y would greatly increase Mr. Getz's sense of defeat. "It is Mr. Lansing, a nephew of t

ty! The State Superintendent's nephew! That's even a more way-up person

her eyes wide and strained with distress, "if you go

the Normal School only a few miles

ot to help with the work, still. O Miss Margaret!" Tillie sobbed, as Margaret sat dow

l come to see YOU, then, if you can't come to see m

he little girl fro

urged him. "She could go to the preparatory school, and if we stay at Millersville, Dr. Lansing and

r all this here?" Mr. G

ms in the Normal School building and doing my mending and darning for me. A

agerness with which Tillie heard th

ld answer, Mrs. Getz o

in the kitchen and never dare set front-always away

a bedroom, a bath-room, and a small room next to mine that can be T

o, I'm nothin' to her but a neighbor woman. And she tole Sophy, when they eat, still, Sophy she couldn't eat along. I guess she thought Sophy Haberbush wasn't good enough. But she's as good as any person. Her mother's name is Smith before she was married, and them Smiths was well fixed. She sayed Sophy'd have to go in and out the back way and never out the front. Why, they say some of the town people's that proud, if the front door-bell rings and the missus is standin' right there by it, she won't open that there front door but wants her hired girl to come clear from the kitchen to open it. Yes, you mightn't b'lee me, but I heerd that a'ready. And Mary Hertzog she tole me when she hired out there fur a while one winter in town, why, one day she went to the missus and she says, 'There's two ladies in the parl

argaret resumed her assault upon t

ference all this would make

to up and sass her pop when she was growed

inly wou

no use to us where owns her," he said, as though

you in the summer vacati

myself-where's my right as her parent. What does a body have childern fur? To get no use out of 'em? It ain't no good you're plaguin' me

n't lose heart, Tillie. I shall not go out of your life. At least we can write to each other. Now," she concluded, bending an

he scholar ag'in' the parent," and yet he could not definitely have stated just how. He was quite sure that she would not dare so to defy him did she not know that she had the whip-handle in the fact that she did not want her "job" next year, and that the Board could not, except

w this extraordinary young woman tak