Emma Gardner’s father was the leading member of the board of education
of a New England school. The Gardner home was the largest and finest in
the surrounding country. Mr. Gardner was a man of wealth and influence.
Emma was a leader in school.
One day in winter she put chestnuts on the stove at recess time and they
popped about the room after the next school session began.
“Who put those nuts on the stove?” asked Mr. Bain, the teacher, in a
loud voice. “Whoever did must pick them up and stand up here.”
Emma arose defiantly from her seat and said, “I did. I won’t touch them,
and if you touch me I’ll tell my father.”
Needless to say, Mr. Bain let the incident pass. Emma at the age of
sixty still boasted of her independence at school during her girlhood
days, because she was Squire Gardner’s daughter. She remembered further
that this was only the beginning of disobedience throughout the school.