The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-05-20

,UJPITER JENKINS,
SchOOln1aSter.


EAlLAl LIAIlG.4 LA Lt-- l-@- '-1-
"Jovi non Placet' wrote the red :
headed girl in the back scat OF liie
wide. oblong school-room. Harrison
Jenkins, the presiding genius Oh Inc
place stood scowling behind his desk
struggling with the class in Latin.
These young boys and girls, who look
ed pityingly up to his dark face, were
struggling with the verb sum-
The lesson had been poorly prepared
and the issue of thunderbolts was soon
expected to shower from this pedagoS-
ical Olympus. At last it came.
Mr.. jenkins brought his fist down
unon the plain deal board with a
thump that awoke every languld mlnu
in the room as this what you come
to school for?" he began, as II ADDRESS
ing a Jury. "Is this the way you use
one of the most precious gifts that Gou
has given to you? Here you are,
whole class of bright boys and giris'
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 1or
weak-minded children 1 would nave
some compassion for you. But your
faces are all bright and your eyes are
clear. and yet you will come to me
with such a lesson as thisp' 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
to- not rIa D..
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 mol
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 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 fash, all I can think OF Is
Jupiter sending thunderbolts to earth
and in this remark Geraldine had
ichristened- hiul. Many times he had
thought ne 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 admirin&
parents. who knew he would be pleas
ed, and he was.
But it was with the red-headed gir
that this story is chiefly concerned
She was the only human problem tina
Jupiter Jenkins could not solve. Gel
aIdine Coffin had been an inmate of th
schoolroom only a few days when MI
Jenkins discovered that she possesse
an unusual mind. He laid his plans
make the most he could of her. IL
was accustomed to use the parable c
the talents in the schoolroom, and
say that to whom much was give
much would be required. The gettin
of lessons was an easy matter to Ge
aldine Coffin. She not only learne
them. but the truths and principle
were digested, and sank into her min
clearly understood and stored ava
until the day which would call the
into use.
Jupiter Jenkins was accustomed
say that hardly more than one child
twenty really digested knowledge.
II.
He had come to complain to Ger:
dimes mother that her daughter som
times failed in her lessons, and that
was inexcusable in one who had such
mind. 81 have come to tell you tn
Mrs. Coffin, when 1 would not take t
trouble to inform another mother,
this reason and it alone: Geraldine b
an unusual mind, and she can ma
anything she pleases Of herself. If s
knows you and l are one in this m
ter, she will not care to trouble US
,neglecting to get her lessons"
Geraldine's mother was as much fl
tered as any other woman would
and, of course, Jupiter jenkins was
held, Thus he dealt with Gerald
conscious of his power. He endeavol
tomakeh her fail, and, whenever she
she was compelled to remain af
school and get her lessons.
But, with a wonderful mind, tn
was a somewhat wayward nature
the texture of Geraldine Coffin's pers
ality. She was often rough and b
denish, and she caused no end Of tr
BILE. With the deep interest the yol
master took in her, a sense of POI
developed. When Mr.. Jenkins supI
ed he had her solidly in his cont
there would burst forth a fit of "d'
care" in her which astonished
alarmed him.
Then the thunderbolts few to p1
tuate the masters fluent words of
dignation. when one has the mig
gift of brains," he thundered,
Iffe's road lies before to choose VIII:
best and highest, to be lazy and
guild. and not to reach the arm to G.
the golden apple Of Hesperides, is
greatest wrong"
1t was then that Geraldine, her
slightly brighter and her head
higher, would return to her seat
write, "Jovi non placet'-"It is
pleasing to Jupiter"
There were certain rare facts a
Geraldine that Jupiter Jenkins, In
teachers enthusiasm, had not not
One of these was that she was
pretty girl But If he had been i'm
vious to this fact there were others
had not, and among those were son
the big boys in the school.
Geraldine was growing, and she
now tall and 1.-THE of figure, with
big blue eyes clearer and more exp
i've, as she looked at people. The
soul of rather designing maiden
showing forth from them. She