The St. Johns herald., 1898-06-11

! wide. oblOng school-room. Harrison Jenkins, the presiding genius of the place, stood scowling behind his desk. struggling with the class in Latin. 1 These young boys and girls, who look ed pityingly up to his dark face, were 1 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. MT. Jenkins brought his fist down upon the plain deal board with a thump that awoke every languid mind i in the room. '1s this what you come to school fOr?' he began, as if address ing jury. ''1s this the way you use one of the most precious gifts that God has given to you? Here you are, 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 l 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 thisY' Mir. Jen- kfns 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.
 It was then that the red-headed girl on the back seat wrote 'Jovi non placet' C'It is not pleasing to Jupiter'O.
 Geraldine Coffin was Mir. 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 MT. 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 well that it was at once adopted by all his subjects.
 "When he pounds his desk and that great shaggy head shakes so, and his blue eyes flash, all I 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 erring mOrtals Of course, he knew he was called Jupi- 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 MT. 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 to say that to whom much was given much would be required. The getting of lessons was an easy matter to Ger aldine COff1n.> 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 them into use.
 Jupiter Jenkins was accustomed to say that hardly more than one child in 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 1t was ineXcusable in one who had such a mind. 'I have come to tell you this. Mrs. Coffin, when I would not take the trouble to inform another mother, for this reason and 1t alone: Geraldine has an unusual mind, and she can make anything she pleases of herself. If she knows you and 1 are one in this mat ter, she will not care to trouble us by neglecting to get her lessons"
 Geraldine's mother was as much fiat tered as any other woman would be. and, of course, Jupiter Jenkins was up- 1 held. Thus he dealt with Geraldine. | conscious of his power. He endeavored to make her fail, and, whenever she did. | she was compelled to remain after school and get her lessons.
 But, with a wonderful mind, there 1 was a somewhat wayward nature in | the texture of Geraldine COffin's person ality. She was often rough and hoy | denish, and she caused no end of trou- ble. With the deep interest the young | master took in her, a sense of power | developed. When MT. Jenkins suppos- ed he had her solidly in his control, there would burst forth a fit of don't | care" in her which astonished and | alarmed him.
 Then the thunderbolts flew to pune tuate the masters fluent words of in- dignation. When one has the mighty | gift of brains," he thundered, 'and i Iifes road lies before to choose what Is best and highest, to be lazy and Ian guid, and not to reach the arm to grasp | the golden apple of Hesperides, Is the | greatest wrong"
 It was then that Geraldine, her color slightly brighter and her head a trife higher, would return to her seat and | write, "Jovi non placet"-"It Is not pleasing to Jupiter"
 There were certain rare facts about | Geraldine that Jupiter Jenkins, in his teachers enthusiasm, had not noticed. l