The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-04-22
z5&jGtriIUlfruIS
CUPID IN SCHOOL.
81 STANLEY +. JOHNSON.

| ed girl in the back Of the wide. oblong
| school-roOn. Mr.. Harrison Jenkins,
| the presiding genius CfIhe place, stood
scowling behind his desk. struggling
with the class il latin. These young
boys and girls, who lacked pitying!y
up TO his dark face, we're stru ggliog
with tie verb "suin =
The lesson had been poorly prepared
and the issue OF thunderboit8 were
soon expected 10 shower from this
pedagogical Olympus. At last il Game.
Mr.. Jenkins brought his fist down
upon the plain deal board Will. g
thuup that GwoKe every l2nguid
mind III the room. Is this what YOU
come to school for?n he began. as #
addressing jury. as this the way
you use one Of the most precious gifts
that God has given 10 you: Here yea
are. a whole class Of bright boys and
girls, with brains enough - do anv-
thing you desire in this great world.
throwing away The greatest 0pnUr-
institution for weak-miuded children
| would have some compassion for
you. But your faces are all bright
and your eyes ri! clear, and yet you
will come to NE with such a lesson as
this" Mr. jenkins pHIctHa:ed every
sentence with that tcEoirg thump on
the des;; which ca: ieil conviction
and modification 10 tie minds Of each
boz and girl before him.
it was then that the red-headed girl
on the back seat wrote "Joyi non
placet' (lt is not pleasing to Jupiter.
Geraldine Culfin was Mr.. jenkins
pride. He lad 10 ftVOrites, at least,
such never appeared in the little com
mOuweaith. which ne held in the hui-
low of his hand But IN Geraldine he
Was intensely Interested and he often
found iii her his greatest irritation.
While Dir. jenkins held the whole Of
his fifty ndd young spirits ia the hnl-
low of his hanI, the RED headed girl
was the ore person he was not quite
sure OF. Geraldine had given him the
name Of Jupiter" and it fitted $.
well that it was at once adopted by all
his subjects.
When lie pounds his desk and that
great shaggy head shakes so, and bis
blue eyes tiash, ali you can think Of is
Jupiter sending thunderbolts to
earth''-and in this remark Geraldine
had christeUei him. Many times be
had Thought lie heard the name of
Jupiter jeuklCs''-but lie had never
been able TO capture one Of these err
ing mCrtals OF course, he knew lie
was called Jupiter" he had been
told So by admiripg parents. who
knew he would be pleased, ard he
was.
But it is with the sed-headed gir!
that this story is chiefly concerned
She was the only human problem that
Jupiter Jenkins could not solve. ter
altiine Coffin had been al inmate OF
the school-roOm only q few days wheu
Mr.. Jenkins discovered thar she pos
sesseG an unu-na! mind. He laid his
plans 10 make the most he could OF
her He was accustomed 10 use the
parable of the talents III the school
room. and to say that of him to whom
much was given much would be re
quired. Tie getting Of Lessons was an
easy matter TO Geraldine Coffin
she not only learned them, but the
truths and principles we're digested,
and sunk into her mind. clearly uu-
derstood and stored away, until the
dav which would cali them in use
Jupiter Jenkins was accustomed to
say that hardly more than one child
in twenty really diSested knowledge.
He had come to complain to Ger2l-
dimes mother that her daughter
sometimes failed in her lessons, and
that it was ineXcuSa bic i'll one who
hal such IL mind. Il have come 10
tell you this, Mrs. Coffin, when |
would not take the trouble to inform
another mother, for this reason, and
this alone, Geraldine has an unusual
mind. and she can make anything she
pleases Of herself. If she knows you
and are one in this matter, she will
- Il
get her lessons
Geraldine'S mother was as much
hattercd as any other woman would
| be, and, Of course, Jupiter jenkins
| was upheld. Thus lie dealt with Geral-
dine, conscious of his power. He en-
| deavored to make her fail, and when
ever she did she was compelled 20 re-
main after school and get her lessons.
| Bat with a wonderful mind there
was a somewhat waywarl nature ia
| the texture Of Geraldine Collins per.
| s0nalty. She was often rough and
! hcydepish. and she caused no end of
| trouble. With the deep interest the
Young master took iii her n sense OF
| power developed. When Mr. Jenkins
| supposed he had her solidly in his con
! troll, there would burst forth fit of
don't care in her, which astonished
and alarmed him.
| Then the thunderbolts flew to punct-
uate the masters fluent words OF in
diguation. when one has the
mighty gift Of hrains,n he Numbered
and LIES road lies before, 10 choose
what is best and highest, to be lazy
and languid, and not to reach the arm
TO grasp the golden apple of the intel
lectual Hesperidcs, is the greatest
wrong"
1t was then that Geraldine, her col
or slightly brighter and her head &
trife higher, would return to her
seat and write "JOYi non placeUn ct
is not pleasing to Juriter)
There were certain rare facts about
Geraldine taat Jupiter Jenkins, in his
teachers enthusiasm, had not noticed.
One of these was that she was a very
pretty girl. But ii he had been i'm
pervious to this fact, there were Others
who had not, and among those were
some of the big boys of the school
Geraldine was growing, and she was
now tall and 1.-THE Of figure, with her
big blue eyes clearer and more ex
pressive rs she looked at people. The
true soul Of q rather designing maiG.
en- was showing forth from them. she
was glad to receive attentions, and il
smote Jupiter hard when ae observed
that he walked with one and then
with another n tH2 stit! aid hsiml
spring evenings. just what it smctl
him rs it did, Mr.. Jenkins never kuew
until few years later.