The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-13

poems 10 the boy and he read Pau. Re-
ysre's Ride" as easily as II he haa known
IL by heart Not cnly that. he shut ur
the book and recited Il with appropriate
gestures. and his grandmother caught
him in her arms and said: Just like your
father. He could recite that so that peo-
pie always wanted him 10 repeat IL i'm
mediately''
You can imagine how pleased sydney
was at this praise from his grandmother,
but he not allow Il 70 turn his little
head. He took his other books and stud
led each lesson and found that one
reading fixed II In his mind. He was able
90 do examples in fractions that had
merely given him a headache formerly.
and as for geography. before bedtime
came ss had read the whole book through
from beginning to end and could draw
maps and color them and print the names
OF cities and counties in most beautiful
letters. AS he did each thing his grand
mother would say: Your father ell over.
my dear"
Some boys would have been eager TO
show of next day TO tie class, but II
never entered little Sydney's head. He
was very happy that he was going to be
like his father; that father who had died
when he was a small baby. and he would
be glad not 10 vex Miss Greene any more.
but he was not al all anxious TO show OF
i must say that n little bit Of that spirit
would have been natural and perhaps
commendable, but / am not trying 10
draw a picture OF a boy who might have
been. but of a boy who was
The first lesson after morning exer-
cises was geography. Bob Addoms was
asked 10 go to the board and draw a
map OF Africa and to name oil the Dutch
possessions. Aodoms was the champion
map drawer Of the school, and he knew
il, and suppose that that fact made him
careless. At any rate, when IL was done
and Miss Greene bad said, Excellent,
Bob. / will give you two extras" Sydney
raised his hand and said: rs it quite
right at the Cape OF Good Hope?
A shout went up from the scholars and
Miss Greene herself smiled. Sydney, who
cid rot know the difference between Eu-
rope and South America. TO be crlticising
Bobs map.
Perhaps you can draw a better one"
said Miss Greene. l didn't like the sar-
castle way in which she talked. Teach
ers have no business TO be sarcastic.
'rll try" said Sydney, and he went up
to her table and selected crayons Of diff
ferent colors.
Then he drew such a map as had never
been seen on the school board. 1t was as
accurate as the map in the geography.
even 10 the smallest inlets and tiniest
capes. And when he had drawn il he col
ored all the divisions and printed all the
names. amid the dead silence of the class.
Just as he finished it the door opened
and the superintendent OF the county
board of education walked in.
In spite OF his coming. the boys and
girls clapped their hands at Sydney's
work. and Miss Greene said: Beautiful.
Sydney! I'll give you ten extras"
Sydney stood erect and felt that at last
he had come to his own.
And the superintendent, who was quite
a good draughtsman himself, said: Miss
Greene. / consider that map so remark
able that | am going 10 have the black
board removed and sent to the Paris Ex-
position as d sample of American school
work"
And the scholars rose TO their feet and
gave three cheers for Sydney, quite un-
checked.
Now, il you go to the exposition next
spring you ask them TO show you sgd
hey Puners map of Africa.
But iont vouch for its being there.
III was drawn under fairy influence, and
II may have been withdrawn under the
Same influence.
But this | do know Sydney Puffer Is
.a" the best scholar in Malburn school
MISS Greene says ii is awakened ambl-
ton, bis grandmother says 1t is his he--
ltage from his father. and Sydney SAYS il
Is the fairy
Copyright. BY the Author, Charles BatteI Loonls)