THE LITTLE RED CUSHION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 16, 22 April 1909, Page 637

THE LITTLE RED CUSHION

' Cornelia Evarts !' Little Miss Prim snapped out the words with as much of air as if she had a hundred or two scliolars instead of a small district school ; so small that you could almost put the wliole. thing under a good-sized umbrella, and walk away with it. ' Yes'xn,' came back a meek little voice from the other end of the room. ( I'm not going to hear this noise any longer. No, I am not,' declared Miss Prim. 'So do you just walk up here to the desk this very minute!' - Two small feet stumbled out into the passage between^ the well-worn wooden benches, and the little girl walked - slowly up to the big desk till she stood exactly in front of the sharp little eyes of the teacher, who looked her all over keenly from head to foot. © •' What have you been doing to make all the children laugh?' at last she asked. ' Notliin', said Cornelia, dragging her well-worn shoe back and forth over the old. school-room floor. And then with a small stop that just saved hex from falsehood, added, ' Only ' ' Only what ?' said Miss Prim sharply, and adjusting her spectacles for better sight. ' Speak out now !' _—- ~- ' Notliin',' said Cornelia, but with a gasp she camo up again. ' I didn't mean ter ; I ' ' I can't help what you meant to do 3 ' replied Miss Prim severely, and she opened a drawer under the old desk. ' Now then ' She brought out what looked like a wad of paper, but when unrolled it proved to be a huge cap, which she proceeded, with great deliberation, to fit on Cornelia' a.head. 'I've had trouble enough,' she said, 'all this morningso that I can't hardly hear myself think. Now I'll see if I can stop it. Wait a bit; you must get the corncob in ' ' Oh., I don't want that,' cried Cornelia, under her fool's-cap, which Miss Prim had jammed, like an extinguisher, over her countenance, and watching timidly the teacher's movements. ' Oh, no, I don't.' ' But it's just what you're going to have,' said Miss Prim, with a nod, ' so, open your mouth.' And she held up a big corn-cob ready to pop in the moment she saw the two rows of little white teeth. So Cornelia had the mouthful slipped in, and then, in obedience to Miss Prim's command, she mounted a little cricket in front of the teacher's desk, and turned a comical face of distress to the other scholars, who,, one and all, set up a laugh at her appearance. She couldn't cry because the corn-cob wouldn't let ' her, nor yet could she beg the teacher to take it out andgive her any other punishment under the snn than to make her the laughing-stock of the whole school. All she could do was to stand there in utter misery, rolling her eyes at the clock to watch its slow hands point out her release. ' Now,' exclaimed Miss Prim, having fixed her as a public -warning for all other naughty children. ' I^hall see what you have been hiding in your desk that has made such a disturbance among the scholars. I shall see for myselfj' So sEe walked down between the two rows of benches, having all eyes upon her, till she came to Cornelia's little old desk. Without a second's pause she flung *back the lid and exposed to view: — what? A little heart-shaped pin-pushion of red silk, sewed with* painstaking care, and stuck with pins that formed crooked little letters, but each one set by loving fingers. And the letters were ( MIS PRIM.'

The little, thin, stern teacher staggered back and rubbed her eyes. Then she picked up the little cushion and started with rapid footsteps for her desk. ' Cornelia ' — out came tie corn-cob at the same mo"ment — ' What is this for ? ' she asked, holding it up. - said.,' __ mumbled Cornelia," rubbing her mouth withLher fat little hand, -' that 'twas your birthday to-•--morrow; I heard you "tell Aunt Johnson so, an' I wanted .-to s'prise you — I did.' ,- ' Well, 'you have I ' cried Miss Prim, throwing lier thin "arms around her, and giving her a dozen or ' more kisses that nearly -knocked, the breath out of. her. - ' Don't "you "ever forget that; I've had the biggest surprise I've ever had in my life, and a lesson, too ! ' she added, with a humble little droop to her voice. ' Children,' and she tore off the foolscap from the little brown head before her, "then turned and faced -them all. ' I ought to wear this myself — only,' and a smile quivered over her thin lips, ' I suppose it wouldn't look very well for yoar teacher to be so punished for ler carelessness, ' - 'Bat,' and she held as high as she could reach the little red pincushion for them all to see, c this will always say to me, " Be sure before you find fault! " '