Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you.
And let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Why Mr Cropper changed his mind.
Well,
Miss Maxwell,
How did you get along today?
Asked Mr Baxter affably when the new teacher came to the table.
She was a slight dark girl,
Rather plain looking,
But with a smart energetic way.
Mr Baxter approved of her.
He liked her style,
As he would have said.
The summer term had just opened in the Maitland district.
Esther Maxwell was a stranger,
But she was a capable girl and had no doubt of her own ability to get and keep the school in good working order.
She smiled brightly at Mr Baxter.
Very well for a beginning.
The children seemed bright and teachable and not hard to control.
Mr Baxter nodded.
There were no bad children in the school,
Except the Cropper boys,
And they can be good enough if they like.
Reckon they weren't there today then?
No.
Well,
Miss Maxwell,
I think it only fair to tell you,
You may have trouble with them when they do come.
Forewarned is forearmed,
You know.
Mr Cropper was opposed to our hiring you.
Not of course he had any personal objection,
But he set against female teachers.
And when a Cropper's set,
There's nothing on earth that can change him.
He says female teachers can't keep order.
He started in with a spite at you,
And on general principles,
The boys know it.
They know he'll back them up in secret,
No matter what they do,
Just to prove his point.
Cropper is sly and slippery,
And it's hard to corner him.
Are the boys big?
Queried Esther anxiously.
Yes,
13 and 14 are big for their age.
You can't whip them,
That's the trouble.
A man might,
But they'd twist you round their fingers.
You'll have your hands full,
I'm afraid.
Maybe they'll behave all right after all,
We'll see.
Mr Baxter privately had no hope the boys would,
But Esther hoped for the best.
She could not believe Mr Cropper would carry his prejudices into a personal application.
This conviction was strengthened when he overtook her walking from school the next day,
And drove her home.
He was a big,
Handsome man with a very suave,
Polite manner.
He asked interestedly about her school and her work,
Hoped she was getting on well,
And said he had two young rascals of his own to send soon.
Esther felt relieved.
She thought Mr Baxter had exaggerated matters a little.
That plum tree of Mrs Charlie's is loaded with fruit again this year,
Mr Baxter remarked at the tea table that evening.
I came past it today on my way,
Across lots home from the woods.
There'll be bushels of plums on it.
I don't suppose poor Mrs Charlie will get one of them any more than she's ever has,
Said Mrs Baxter indignantly.
It's a burning shame that's what it is.
I just wish she could catch the croppers once.
You haven't any proof it's really them,
Mary,
Objected her husband,
And you shouldn't make reckless accusations before folks.
I know very well it's them,
Reacted Mrs Baxter,
And so do you,
And Mrs Charlie knows it too,
Though she can't prove it,
Was the pity.
I don't say Isaac Cropper steals those plums with his own hands,
But he knows who does,
And the plums go into his preserving kettle.
There's nothing surer than that.
You see,
Miss Maxwell,
It's this way,
Explained Mr Baxter,
Turning to Esther.
Mrs Charlie,
Cropper's husband,
Was Isaac's brother.
They never got on well together,
And when Charlie died,
There was a tremendous fuss about the property.
Isaac acted mean and scandalous,
Clear through,
And public opinion has been down on him ever since.
But Mrs Charlie's a pretty smart woman,
And he didn't get the better of her in everything.
There was a strip of disputed land between the two farms,
And she secured it.
There's a big plum tree growing on it close to the line fence.
It's the finest one in Maitland,
But Mrs Charlie never gets a plum from it.
What becomes of them then?
Asked Esther.
They disappear,
Said Mr Baxter with significant nod.
When the plums are anything like ripe,
Mrs Charlie discovers some day there isn't one left on the tree.
She's never been able to get a scrap of proof as to who took them,
But nobody has any doubt in his own mind that Isaac Cropper knows where those plums go.
I don't think Mr Cropper would steal,
Protested Esther.
Well,
He doesn't consider it stealing,
You know.
He claims the land and says the plums are his.
I doubt he's quite clear in his own mind they are,
And he does hate Mrs Charlie.
I'd give considerable to see the old sinner fairly caught,
But he's too deep.
I think Mr Baxter is too hard on Mr Cropper,
Said Esther to herself that evening.
He's probably some private prejudice against him.
A month later,
Esther changed her opinion.
During that time,
The Cropper boys had come to school.
At first,
She had been inclined to like them.
They were handsome lads with the same smooth way that characterised their father,
And they seemed bright and intelligent enough.
For a few days,
All went well,
And Esther felt decidedly relieved.
But before long,
A subtle spirit of insubordination began to make itself felt in the school.
Esther found herself powerless to cope with it.
The Croppers never openly defied her,
But they did precisely as they pleased.
The other pupils thought themselves at liberty to follow their example,
And in a month's time,
Poor Esther had completely lost control of her little kingdom.
Some complaints were heard among the ratepayers,
And even Mr Baxter looked dubious.
Esther knew that unless she could regain her authority,
She would be requested to hand in her resignation.
But she was baffled by the elusive system of defiance which the Cropper boys had organised.
One day,
She resolved to go to Mr Cropper himself and appeal to his sense of justice.
It had been an especially hard day in school.
When she had been absent at the noon hour,
All the desks in the schoolroom had been piled in a pyramid on the floor,
Books and slates interchanged,
And various other pranks had been played.
She felt like sitting down to cry,
But she did not.
Instead,
She set her mouth firmly,
Helped the children restore the room to order,
And after school went up to Isaac Cropper's house.
The woman himself came in from the harvest field,
Looking as courtly as usual,
Even in his rough working clothes.
He shook hands heartily.
He began talking about the weather.
Esther was not to be turned from her object thus,
Although she felt her courage ebbing away from her,
As it always did in the presence of the Cropper,
Imperviousness.
"'I've come to see you about Alfred and Robert,
' she said.
"'They're not behaving very well in school.
' "'Indeed?
' Mr Cropper's voice expressed a bland surprise.
"'That's strange.
"'As a rule,
I do not think Alfred and Robert "'have been troublesome to their teachers.
"'What have they been doing now?
' "'They refuse to obey my orders,
' said Esther faintly.
"'Ah well,
Miss Maxwell,
Perhaps you will pardon me by saying "'a teacher should be able to enforce her orders.
"'My boys are high-spirited fellows.
"'They need a strong,
Firm hand to restrain them.
"'I've always said I considered it advisable "'to employ a male teacher in maintenance school.
"'We should have better order.
"'Not that I disapprove of you personally,
Far from it.
"'I should be glad to see you succeed,
"'but I've heard many complaints regarding the order "'in school at present.
"'I had no trouble until your boys came,
' "'retorted Esther,
Losing her temper a little,
"'and I believe if you were willing to cooperate with me,
"'I could govern them.
' "'Well,
You see,
' said Mr Cropper easily,
"'when I send my boys to school,
"'I naturally expect the teacher will be capable "'of doing the work she's been hired to do.
' "'Then you refuse to help?
' said Esther in a trembling voice.
"'Why,
My dear young lady,
What can I do?
"'Boys soon know when they can disobey a teacher with impunity.
"'No doubt you'll be able to secure a school easier to control "'and will do good work.
"'But here,
As I've already said,
"'we need a firm hand at the helm.
"'You're not going yet,
Miss Maxwell,
Are you?
"'You need some refreshment after your long morning.
"'Mrs Cropper will bring you in something.
' "'No,
Thank you,
' said poor Esther.
"'She felt she must get away at once "'or she would burst into tears "'under those steely,
Bland blue eyes.
' "'There was nothing for her to do but resign,
' she thought dismally.
"'On the following Saturday,
Esther went for a walk to the plum tree.
"'She looked for a moment "'and then an odd smile gleamed over her face.
"'She lifted up her camera.
"'Then on Monday evening,
She called on Mr Cropper again.
"'After the preliminary remarks in which he indulged,
She said,
"'Saturday had been a fine day.
"'There was an excellent light for snapshots,
' she went on coolly.
"'I went out with my camera "'and I was lucky enough to get a very good negative.
"'I brought you up a proof.
"'I thought you'd be interested in it.
' "'She rose and placed the proof on the table before Mr Cropper.
"'The plum tree came out clearly.
"'Bob and Alf were among the boughs picking the plums.
"'On the ground beneath them stood their father "'with a basket full of fruit in his hand.
"'Mr Cropper looked at the proof and from it to Esther.
"'His eyes had now lost their unconcerned glitter "'but his voice was defiant.
"'The plums are mine by right,
' he said.
"'Perhaps,
' said Esther calmly,
"'but there are some who do not think so.
"'Mrs Charlie,
For instance,
"'I'm sure she would like to see this proof.
' "'Don't you show it to her,
' cried Mr Cropper hastily.
"'I tell you,
Miss Maxwell,
The plums are mine.
"'I'm tired of fighting over them.
"'I decided before this I'd let her have them after this.
"'It's only a trifle.
"'And about that little matter "'we were discussing the other night,
"'I've been thinking it over "'and admit I was somewhat unreasonable.
"'I will talk to Alfred and Robert and see what can be done.
' "'Very well,
' said Esther slyly.
"'The matter of the plums isn't my business "'and I don't wish to be involved in your family feuds,
"'especially as you say you mean to allow "'Mrs Charlie to enjoy her own in future.
"'As for the school,
I hope matters will improve.
' "'From that time out,
"'the Cropper boys were models of good behaviour "'and the other turbulent spirits,
"'having lost their leaders,
Were soon quelled.
"'Complaint died away "'and at the end of that term,
"'Esther was re-engaged.
"'You seem to have won old Cropper over to your side entirely,
' "'Mr Baxter told her that night.
"'He said at the meeting "'you were the best teacher we ever had.
"'He moved to raise your salary.
"'I never knew Isaac Cropper "'to change his opinion so handsomely.
' "'At this,
Esther smiled.
"'It had taken a powerful lever "'to change Mr Cropper's opinion.
"'But she decided it was probably best "'to keep her own counsel about that.
'
