Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-06

sibe that the mothers who send little kind
nesses and fragments of good cheer and en-
enlargement to teachers will find that the
essences of these tender things combine
into wonderful quality of patience that
radiates over all the children who gather
in the room when the tasks begin.
OF one thing [ am certain; nerve tor
tured teacher with hurt heart and hope
less spirit is more entitled to sympathy
than blame If her long task is not lightened
with the strong grasp OF appreciation and
cheered with parental good will!
Joy or Sorrowp
Opinions differ somewhat as to whether
tomorrow is to be a day of juvenile joy or
sorrow; l am inclined to believe the sor-
rows have it, For never yet knew a nor
nal child to whom the process of learning
was not bore
Il don't want to learn anything" said
"A sturdy boy of five to me yesterday. Il
want to know it now
And with all my heart I appre ciatcd the
point and subscribed to his philosophy [
never did want to learn either. And il
is great pity that We have to acquire by
long and laboriOus processes what we ought
to know.
Some scientist who has been looking long
into the future thinks that children born
a century or from now will enter the
world with their brain cells packed as full
OF understanding as the AstOr library Is
an attack of pre-schoOl bell toothache ard
other fleeing maladies If the ninctccnth
century had produced scholars ready made
l never see an unfortunate small child try
ing to Wriggle out Of going to school, by
any means whatever. that my heart does
not yearn over him with fellow feeling
which leads me to aid and abet him in his
nefariOuS tricks
L know perfectly well there is no ache
mean enough to linger in a you.hful stOn-
ach after the hours of 9 am. and l pm
But l am not going to say anything about
that. And l feel at one and the same time
pity and JOY to see how well the thread
bare scheme will work with mothers
one is not altogether deceived. All, no.
But she thinks maybe, after all, the dear
child was in pain: and il she should send
him to school and anything should hap
pen
She leaves it there. with a sigh and
catch at her heart that he is too young to
understand. And she comforts linn with
apples" and anything else under the sun
that the wee rascal covets
But in the matter of the opening of the
schools each September the children are
not the only people to be considered That
Joyous event breaks up more good times
Tor the older members of the family than
run Of fever.
After the Lazy Time.
Midsummer Is the quiescent period. II
the sea or the mountains are reached be-
fore coma is actually upon one, so much
the better. But there is only the desire to
rest IN cool shadows and see the world
through half-shut eyes. 1t Is not until
September that life dWakes and sends her
trGmpetcrs through field and forest The
VINE or autumn makes the wood gods mer-
-, and laughs in the hearts Of men The
shoulders of the hills cool. and just as
one dwakes to the delights OF the country
and feels keen zest for the luminous
silenGes OF night. the radiant splendors of
no n NF,F CHI
on and away to the hot, dusty city to put
the children in school.
The tractaDilty of the family man In this
particular is thing TO marvel at Men
who Will not let q business matter inyoly-
ing thousands Of dollars interfere with A
fishing trip will meekIy and mutely fore
swear the joys of the September lanes to
send Tommy or Grisel or Wee Willie Min
kie In To school at morning speed
The two months of scarlet and gold are
the loVcliest in all the year, and the time
for the pilgrimage to the shrine of nature.
Yet for the sake OF these small scepterless
dcspots who must be made WISE men and
women forsake the cool and howery coun-
try and return to suffer in the town.
More signs go up at this season when
the trunks are packed for the return than
at any other time. But no one thinks of
mut!ny. 1T Is for the chi!dren's sake, you
know they say. And that settles It,
But If l had. of sudden. the power to
make the law I would make such magic
music on golden flute that all the little
city children, rich or poor, would follow me
TO the heart of some green, green land of
streams and woods and mountains, even as
the little people followed the Piper of Ham
lin, and l would not let a school OF brick
or wood or stone be opened any where he
fore the list of gray November Then all
the children would be merry and WELL and
all the big folks would grow brave and
kind and happy. And the school teachers
would rise up and cali me blessed
Letter Carriers Elect Officers.