The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-05-26

headed girl in the back seat of the
wide, oblong school-room. Harrison
jenkins, the presiding genius of the
place, stood scowling behind his desk.
struggling with the class in Latin.
These young boys and girls. who look
ed pltyingly up to his dark face. We're
struggling with the verb sum-"
The lesson had been poorly prepared
and the issue of thunderbolts was soon
expected to shower from this pedagog
ical Olympus At last it came.
Mr.. jenkins brought his fist down
upon the plain deal board with a
thump that awoke every languid mind
in the room. us this what you come
TO school forY he began. as If address
ing jury. rs this the way you use
one of the most precious gifts that God
has given to you? Here you are, a
whole class of bright boys and girls,
with brains enough to do anything you
desire in this great world, throwing
away the greatest opportunity of your
lives. If this was an institution for
weak minded children | would have
some compassion for you. But your
faces are all bright and your eyes are
clear, and yet you will come to me
with such lesson as this" Mr. Jen-
kins punctuated every sentence with
that echoing thump on the desk which
carried conviction and modification to
the minds of each boy and girl before
him.
1t was then that the red-headed girl
on the back seat wrote "Jovi non
placet' cit is not pleasing to Jupiter')
Geraldine Coffin was Mr.. Jenkins
pride. He had no favorites; at least
such never appealed in the little COM
monwealth which he held in the hol-
low of his hand But in Geraldine he
was intensely interested, and he often
| found in her his greatest irritation.
/ While Mr.. jenkins held the whole of
his fifty odd young spirits in the hol-
low of his hand, the red-headed girl
was the one person he was not quite
sure of. Geraldine had given him the
name of Jupiter" and it fitted so we'll
that 1t was ut once adopted by all his
subjects.
when he pounds his desk and that
4 great shaggy head shakes so, and his
blue eyes flash, all | can think of is
Jupiter sending thunderbolts to earth
and In this remark Geraldine had
christened him. Many times he had
thought he had heard the name of Jupi-
ter Jenkins, but he had never been able
to capture one of these errlng mortals.
OF course, he knew he was called Jupl-
ter-he had been told so by admiring
parents, who knew he would be pleas
ed, and he was.
But it was with the red headed girl
that this story is chiefly concerned
She was the only human problem that
Jupiter jenkins could not solve, Ger
aldine Coffin had been an inmate of the
schoolroom only few days when Mr.
jenkins discovered that she possessed
an unusual mind. He laid his plans to
make the most he could of her. He
was accustomed to use the parable OF
the talents in the schoolroom, and Il
say that to whom much was giver
much would be required. The getting
of lessons was an easy matter to Ger
aldine Coffin. She not only learned
them, but the truths and principles
were digested. and sank into her mind
clearly understood and stored away
until the day which would call then
into use.
Jupiter jenkins was accustomed Il
say that hardly more than one child IL
twenty really digested knowledge.
ii.
He had come to complain to Geral
dimes mother that her daughter some
times failed in her lessons, and that |
was inexcusable in one who had such ,
mind. II have come to tell you this
Mrs. Coffin, when | would not take tn
trouble to inform another mother. 70
this reason and it alone: Geraldine ha
an unusual mind. and she can max
anything she pleases of herself. If sh
knows you and | are one In this mat
ter, she viii not care to trouble us b,
neglectlng to get her lessons
Geraldine's mother was as much fat
tered as any other woman would be
and, of course, Jupiter jenkins was uu
held. Thus he dealt with Geraldine
conscious of his power. He endeavore,
to make her fail, and, whenever she did
she was compelled to remain afte
school and get her lessons.
But, with a wonderful mind, Their
: was a somewhat hayward nature /
the texture of Geraldine Coffin's person
4 atty. She was often rough and hoy
denish, and she caused no end of tror
bic. With the deep interest the youn
. master took in her, a sense of powe
developed. When Mr.. jenkins suppos
ed he had her solidly In his contro
there would burst forth a fit of don
care" In her which astonished an
alarmed him.
Then the thunderbolts few to pun,
tuate the masters fluent words of II
diguation. when one has the might
gift Of brains" he Numbered. IAN
life's road lies before to choose what
best and highest, to be lazy and lal
guild, and not to reach the arm to gras
the golden apple Of Hesperldes. Is ii
greatest wrong"
1t was then that Geraldine, her colo
slightly brighter and her head trif
higher, would return to her seat an
write, "Jovi non placet'-"It is n,
pleasing to Jupiter"
There were certain rare facts abo'
Geraldine that Jupiter jenkins, In
teachers enthusiasm, had net notice