The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-07-10

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verses down as she had learned them by
ear. She had puzzled out meaning of
her own for some of the phrases. She
was asked for instance, to explain
"pried,' and answered, why, pry means
to come where you are not asked to
come" "Then the Pilgrims pried into
American" YES, think so. Nobody
invited them" Temper pills. she
thought, were pills for temper, and
though she had never seen any she
thought she'd like to have some. Her
ideas about poetry open up possibilities
for an objective study of poetry as seen
from the child's standpoint She did
not know what "tissuf" was, but thought
May be it is to fill out the line. Poetry
has something that is called metre; may
be 'tissuf' makes the right metre" Fur
Their cross-examination brought out this:
why do you love riots and chills?'" II
don't" But you say here that you do. -
"Oh,I don't say it; it's the poetry says it.
l think it means that we must forgive a
great many unpleasant things about our
country, and say we like them Just out of
politeness.' A sound little patriot ten
year old, epen if all is not quite clear in
her small noddle. Her idea of hatcher"
was that it sounded like disease, be-
cause 1T says, like that above'-and
there are chills few lines above; and
thrills are sort of chills anyhow l
looked it up in my dictionary" An in
telligent child who tries to find out, and
has read Jabberwocky, and has learned
that poetry" may be without meaning.
This startling home experience led to a
visitation of public school on day
when patriotic exercises" were held. A
class of fifty bright-eyed boys and girls
was inspected whose average age was
trifie over ten years and whose last per
centage in spelling had been SO. The ex-
ercises were very satisfactory; there we're
speaking of pieces and singing of war
songs and saluting the flag, and excite
ment and enthusiasm. Then came the
examiners prying questions like wet
blanket on scholars and teacher alike.
For the oral cross examination allowance
must be made, of course, for the con
fusion arising in childrcn's minds when
an answer that had been previously sat
isfactory is inquired into more closely.
Many of their elders would be put out if
cross examined on conventions they ac-
cept every day. There was no doubt
that their hearts We're in the right place
and that they were boiling over with
patriotism, but they had given little
heed to the words with which they ex
pressed it, nor had they been trained to
inquire into and define their own ideas.
They thought that liberty meant being
out of Jail, and that you got protection
if you could find policeman and that
self government was doing as you pleased,
which, it will be admitted, are only par
tial truths. One little girl answered the
question, What has your country ever
done for you that you should love it?"
by declaring that it had given her an
"exquisition," putting her head down
upon her desk and refusing to explain
herself or to receive comfort. Her nat.
riotic day had been spoiled for her.
The examiner carried his inauisition
to the point of securing documentary
evidence. He made the children write
a verse or two of their favorite patriotic
songs with dire results. The Star
Spangled Banner" seemed general
favorite, but every line was distorted,
"dawn's early light" for example, became
don selery eye" and "durn surly pie"
"blest with victory and peace" was turn
ed into LESS the fig trees and peas" and
"bless with big trees apiece" and the
appeals at the end of the stanzas were
transformed into oh say does the Star
Spangled Banner get weighed? or the
home of the free! or the land of the
brave?" and"Does the Star Spangled Ban