The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-10-15
A School RomaDce
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in progress.
Prof. Bent-he had sat In college
chair in his day-was 40 years old.
His hair was a trife gray, his eyes
were kindly and his shoulders a bit
stopped. He was going to the sum
mer school to hear the natural history
lectures Of Audubon Burroughs Wood
and to get bit Of nature first hand
from the fields.
At the big boarding house by the
brook with the great trees at its back,
Thaddeus Bent met half dozen teach
ers whom he knew and half hundred
whom he didn't know. The assistant
principal of the DiOgenes was there,
and had been there for a month. She
felt bound to do her duty by her chief.
She introduced him right and left.
Then she put on her thinking cap.
HE won't care much for those friv-
olous creatures just out Of the nor
NAL" she said to herself Hell want
some one to pair off with. Now, there's
Theodosla Desmond, principal of the
Plato school, way up on Chicago's
north side. She's just his opposite,
but opposites get along well, so here
goes" And the assistant principal in.
troduced Principal Thaddeus Bent to
Principal Desmond. Prof. Bent found
himself in the company Of Miss Des-
mond, on the veranda, the second
morning after his arrival Theodosia
was a little creature, with a trim fig
uFe, rather positive manner and a
piquant nose on which rested a pair
of glasses. Thsodosia was S6, and ad-
mitted 1t when 1t was necessary.
Whats your hobby, Prof. Bent?"
she asked. Every one Of US has a
hobby, or we wouldn't be here"
well, I confess, Miss Desmond, to
weakness for natural history. like
frogs, snakes, snails, turtles, water
bugs and the rest"
Horrors, all of them. Excuse me,
but thought you were above creep
ing things; l haven't bit Of sym
pathy with you or with them. The
proper study Of mankind Is man'-and
mans attributes. let me add. l study
mental philosophy. It's the only thing
worth studying. We don't get along
at all well. Thank goodness, am
above the earth little bit. The brain
and the understanding-these be noble
themes. Snakes and toads, oh, how can
your"
well, I trust l am a little above
the creepers and hoppe1s at times.
There are the birds and the trees; they
appeal to me-"
"All of a kind; mans and woman's
mentality is the thing for me. I've
heard forty of Prof. Searcher's lee
lures on Mind already, and I'm going
10 hear the other forty. Some of the
other teachers have fallen away. They
are not true blue, though they made
much pretense at the start. Can't
introduce you to Prof. Searcher? He'll
convert you"
pray forgive me, but I've heard
Searcher and l found him a bore, but
I'll 60 If you'll take me-"
Fheodosia blushed a bit. She was
past even such a remote hint at gal
lantry as this, she had thought.
"NO, l won't take you," she said,
"but you may come If you will. Go
well up to the front. Prof. Searcher
does not speak any too clearly, and l
sit up there-I mean you can hear bet
ter up there"
There were excursions into the woods
and fields arranged by the teachers
assembled at Glover Hill. Prof. Bent
took the tramps. and through the urg-
ing assistant principal, Theodosia Dee
mond occasionally went along. This
student Of man amused Prof. Bent,
and despite her antagoHisms she at
tracted him a little.
On ene of the excursions he found
himself alone with her In a woodland
path. Each had books. What have
you there, Prof. BentT asked MiSs
Desmond
II have P. n. Gosse, a man too little
read now, and Burroughs. and White
Of Selborne. They are full OF frogs
and snakes and foxes and birds"
TheOdosia Desmond tossed her head
and her pIquant nose became as near
pert as her sb years would admit.
Trash, every bit Of it." abe said.
There's nothing human about L."
Surely there's human interest In the
lives Of the frogs and in the loves Of
the birds"
Loves Of the birds! I thought you
were beyond sentiment. Prof. Bent.
Well there. l did not mean to be rude.
Here l have John Lockes Human un-
derstanding' He would not touch sen
timent with a pole"
Seems to me I've heard that Locke
once wrote book on how to bring up
children properly"
Theodosis Desmond bIushed furious
ly. 80 be did. but I've not read 1t.
| see how II Is; We can't agree. and l
would not read one Of your authors
II the reading would make me super
intendent Of schools. III stick to
Locke and Kant, snd you can keep on
reading about the earthworms."
Nevertheless, they went walking to-
Refhar aRafn and whan fhav seDa rated