Post Seven

Proctor was settled in the bottom of the valley – I hesitated, and a young man came up to me and asked if I was the new teacher.  Saying that I was, he told me to get up with him and he would take me to the Teacher’s Dormitory. I did so, climbing on a high democrat wagon used for delivering packages. While going up a winding hill, he told me that he was Jimmy Dutelle and had just graduated that year from Proctor High School, and that it was the largest class ever graduated-number 17. I always remember Jimmy Dutelle and his happy smiling face. He was quite an asset to the town.

When we arrived at the dormitory, I found no one who could tell me where I was to stay, but I did find a letter and a pot of calceolarias from Norma to greet me. It cheered me up to think of her. After about an hour or so, Mrs. Beebe, the wife of the superintendent of the school, appeared and told me that I could sleep in one of the teacher’s rooms, and that a teacher would spend the night with her. It was my first inkling that I was not quite acceptable to be taken in.  Anyway, the next day, I was taken to be seen by Mrs. Curler, who had a room to let. I passed judgment and spent three months there.

A not-very-noteworthy three months, but at least I had earned my bread and board. I didn’t meet any very interesting people, so when next February I
I was asked to come and substitute again, I said “no”. But I got two more letters, and finally my mother said, “You had better go – it will be only six weeks”. Then, too, maybe you’ll want someone to do something for you someday. So I went, all bundled up in woolen that Mother and her friends had made for me.

I went back to Mrs. Curler’s, who took me in before, and the evening before I was to leave, she asked me to walk up with her to get some eggs. I went and found myself at Mrs. Collins, who kept house for two men who were employed by the Vermont Marble Co.  As soon as I entered the house, down the stairs they came – people I had never seen or heard about. But we chatted gaily, and then one of them, Mr. Hunter, who had just been to New York where he had bought a new suit, went upstairs and came down with it on, and wanted to know if I liked it. Of course, I said I did, but I had never met people who rushed you into such predicaments before. When it came time to leave, Mr. Hunter came back with us. And, after leaving Mrs. CurIer, we walked around town, and I found out that he was in the production part of the marble business. The next day, I took the train home and there he was at the station to see me off.

There was no need to urge me to come back to teach the next year. I taught the second grade and lived with Mrs. Stilson. Miss Cary also lived there and became a very good friend of mine. I think she was responsible for my first invitation to dinner with Miss Emily Proctor, who also became a very good friend of mine. But all the Proctors were very friendly and asked me to dine and play cards and go to dances at their house.