Arizona silver belt., 1896-05-14
TALKING UNITED STATES.
A sma.i IIoy Enlightcps Ills Teacher q
 the Real yerpncuiur.

~
 the Real vernacuiar.
 In four-roomed house in short thoroughfarc in the most populous part of the west side live "Jamesy" and his family. His family consists of father and mother, and younger brother and younger sister. Although "Jamesy," as the eldest child, is perhaps the most important member of the family, he is less than seven years old, and not very large for his age. The greater portion of his brief life has been spent on the sidewalk, where he learned to fight his own battles and take few hard knocks without grieving. His father and mother are hard-working people. but they have been so busy for two or three years getting soup bones and iirewood to throw at the wolf that "Jamesy's" education has been neg lected. The boy learned many things, but he didn't get them out of n primer. For.two months he had been "hustlin' papers, until n truant inspector found him one day and took him home. "Jamesy's" mother was told that the boy belonged in school, and thnt he must be started in at once. She was a wcll.meaning woman md agreed that next morning.
 The boy went to the schoolhouse half determined to duck" at recess, but the teacher treated him so kindly and there was so much of novelty in the show that he decided to remain. He soon began to feel at home, and he scraped up n whispering acquaintance with a small Jew boy at his right. The teach CT interested him greatly. He watched her draw n picture of n cube, and then heard her read off n TOW of figures from the blackboard, and he concluded that she was the smartest person in the world, except the man at the one cent show who made a beautiful eolored landscape while the orchestra played one tune.
 Toward the close of the morning ses- sion the teacher said:
 Now, children, am going to read to you a little piece out of this book, and want you to listen very closely, so that you can repeat it to me when 1 have finished.'
 This aroused Jimmie. If there w'us anything he delighted in it was repeat ing, with sundry emphatic gestures, to his younger brother at home accounts of the daring exploits of Tom Dalton and Jesse James as he heard them from the lips of older boys. He was certain ly interested, and if school was like this he made up his mind 10 put up with several disagreeable features and return the next forenoon. He straight cned himself in his seat at the request to "sit erect" prepared to absorb every word of the expected story.
 The teacher said: Now, l will read this from this little book. and any of you who wish to can repeat it to the class in your own words. Dor't try to say it as read it, but just rs you would say it." Jimmie's eyes grew big, and he was all attention. The teacher read this short lesson from the first reader:
 "See the COW! Is it not a pretty COW? Can the COW run? Yes, the COW can run. Can the COW run as fast as the horse? No, the COW cannot run as fast as the horse"
 ''Criminy!" thought Jimmie, lis at all? Ats dead easy" His hand was up in twinhling, in imitation of sever al others. His interested face caught the teacher's.eye. and she said: Well, James, you may try it. but be careful to get it right. You may stand up by your seat"
 "Jamsey" arose. Ordinarily he was not bashiul. but now his face was flushed, and he was trembling with im- portance. as he said:
 Get onto de COW. Ain't she beaut? On she git move on? Sure. On she hump herself as fast as de horse? Nav, she ain't in it wid lie horse, sce."
 The teacher was overcome, but. never theless, ''Jamesy" was n favorite from that Chicago Record.