|
MISS MOLLY
Today is my birthday. I have now lived upon this good earth, my allotted time of three score and ten. From here on in I guess you might say that I’m on a bonus!
In looking back over these many long years the truly wonderful people that have touched my life comes to mind. There are many and I am deeply grateful for their help and friendship.
Of all the people, except my parents, one person stands as tall as anyone I can think of, a beautiful redheaded schoolteacher, Molly Denny, and everyone called her Miss Molly.
Miss Molly taught school in the small mountainous community where I grew up. The roads were almost impassable and we were forced to live in a small world of our own. We were almost isolated from the rest of the world. We had no electricity, telephones, radios or any other modern appliances. Our culture was somewhat rural to say the least.
My Mother was one of the best cooks and was known to have the best and cleanest featherbeds within these mountains. The difficulty in travel forced the teachers to board with the student’s parents. Miss Molly refused to teach at our school unless she could stay at our house! She paid my Mother a small sum each month for room and board. They became the best of friends.
Miss molly and I had a dual relationship and an understanding. At school I was no different than any other student. She was the teacher and I was the pupil. She made that absolutely clear.
When we were at home we were the best of friends and I dearly loved her. We would romp and play and she taught me all kinds of games. She would tell me stories and would read to me, mainly from the old classics. She impressed upon me that it was who you are and not what you had that was important. Those simple words have stayed with me all my life. Throughout these many years, whenever I was about to stray, Miss Molly seemed to appear from nowhere, tap me on the shoulder with her ruler and whisper these words once again.
After three years, Miss Molly left. I sorely missed her, as a teacher and as a friend.
I never saw her again!
I walked into Miss Molly’s school,
A one room shanty shack,
With worn out shoes and fresh new dreams
And a nap sack on my back!
It contained an old frayed primer book,
And some apples, things and stuff!
A pair of patches on my rear,
When things were mighty tough!
Miss Molly ruled that one room school
With a big, long, keen birch switch!
The bigger boys said she rode a broom,
A real spellbinding witch!
With long red hair and peeper specs,
Miss Molly was a sight.
My first thought, when she looked at me was
"Good God, those boys are right!"
It didn’t take me long to learn
That they were plumb, dead wrong!
She’d been sent so we’d repent
And grow up big and strong.
And to punish us for all our sins
Compiled in that short life.
In five minutes flat, I’d figured that
Miss Molly was God’s wife!
Miss Molly strode across the stage
With a big, black bible book.
She paced about and stopped real quick
And with a keen, long piercing look,
"In the beginning was the Word
And the Word is our real God."
She quoted from the Book of John
And she ended with a nod.
She laid that scripture book aside
And this is what she said.
"I’m here to teach you to understand
The words that I’ve just read."
She flashed an old green primer book,
"This task has now begun.
This book contains some simple words
And we’ll learn them one by one!"
Little Nell came to our fair school
But she never joined our play.
Her only words were " yes" and "no"
And this went on each day.
Miss Molly had tried most everything
But she would not participate.
She finally quit and gave up hope
And left Nell to her silent state.
Each Friday afternoon at two
We had recital time.
We took turns upon the stage
Where we quoted, verse and rhyme.
We’d read a story, sing a song,
Or tell a tale in jest.
Miss Molly gave a token prize
To the one she thought was best!
For several weeks I had got my share
Of these tid bit token treats!
I’d memorized a lot of things
And performed some daring feats.
Then one fine day we got word
And I prepared for mental war.
The gift-wrapped packaged prize that week
Was A Babe Ruth candy bar!
I took my place at center stage
All clean from head to toe.
I told them ‘bout that big black bird,
By Edgar Allen Poe!
I took my seat and sat back down
And I watched Miss Molly grin.
I could actually taste that candy bar
That I was sure to win!
Miss Molly then called out Nell’s name
And we were all surprised to see
That pigtailed gal in her homemade dress,
Just as calm as she could be,
Take center-stage and spread her feet.
We almost fell over dead,
When in a voice so clear and sweet
This is what she said!
"When I was a little girl
About the size of little George Washington,
I came to be very hungry. I stole a custard,
And stove it through a wall nine feet thick,
Fell back in a dry horse pond and was drowned.
The very same day an old sow cat
Had nine she-hen turkey gobblers."
"About the same time along came Yankee Doodle,
Knocked down a frying pan,
Killed nine dead pigs and the deaf and dumb
Talked to Saint Peters.
Lord, look down and bless
All of us little scholars!
They’ve hired a fool to teach the school
And gave her forty dollars!"
There was an awful silence in the room
As we saw Miss Molly rise.
Her right hand held that big birch switch
And in her right she carried that prize.
I couldn’t see Miss Molly’s face,
Her back was to the class,
But I could feel the stinging switch,
That would fall on this young lass!
Miss Molly laid her switch aside
And embraced the little dear.
She gently stroked her frayed pigtails
Then whispered something into her ear.
When Miss Molly sniffed and brushed her cheek
I knew I’d lost my war.
Nell just looked at me and smiled
As she ate that candy bar!
My tale would usually stop right here,
But an epilogue is due.
Miss Molly lived a rich full life
Teaching kids like me and you!
Nell learned most all the words
And as gently as a dove
She whispers in her pupil’s ear
That our true God is love!
It took me many long, hard years
To learn them one by one;
To place the words together
And I feel I’ve just begun
To appreciate and to understand
The awesome beauty of that scene;
Miss Molly and her big birch switch
And the pigtailed beauty queen!
|
