LONG AND SHORT BUT SHORT GET’S GIFT

During the war years School Teachers were kind of short. Some were short in statue but were tall in ability. Of course local applicants drew first pick when possible for jobs. Sometimes these people had at one time lived a hard life but since leaving dear ole Ogden had done very well and in the process kind of forgot what hard times were. Without naming names I am sure some of the readers will remember the teacher when I recall her and her Husband were (behind their backs of course) referred to as Mutt and Jeff the husband being very tall and His wife was very short.

Blue Jeans had just come out and a boy that got a pair was something else. Especially if the boy was from a poor big family and usually wore hand me downs. One day H.L got in some little minor incident in which He swore He was innocent. H.L. probably was right because He never even would talk about doing some thing even as minor as a rubber gun war. He was told to sit in the floor. The floor was naked boards covered in floor oil and was always dirty. Mr. Hatton, the Principal came around making an announcement and asked H.L. why He was sitting on the floor. He told Him the Teacher made him. Mr. Hatton told him to get off that dirty floor with them new Jeans on, looked at the Teacher kind of funny and left the room.

Now with any other student that would have been the end of it including H.L. the nice student but no, that did not end it. During the warm days of spring students were allowed to work around the flower and shrubbery beds, and H.L. volunteered himself and me of all people. I asked why me and He said just come on and be a witness. I had forgotten the new Jeans incident but he had not. The teacher was teaching with the window up where she was standing and H.L. got a shovel full of dirt and I begged no and He filled Her hair and an some went down her dress. He threw the shovel down and all the apologizing and His begging forgiveness would have made any Baptist proud. She accepted every thing with a red face and He put the tools in and we got back just as school was dismissing. As we went out the door he told me, ‘that is one fooled teacher”.