Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-10-20
4 School Romapce

Al LHe OIOSeHeS t1lSn Sc1OOl IN the
far south side of Chicago left
the train at Cover Hill Station Wis,
where a teachers summer school was
in progress.
Prof. Bent-he had sat in a college
chair in his day-was 40 years old
His hair was 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 a 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 a dozen teach
ers whom he knew and half a 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
Theodosia 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
ure, a rather positive manner and a
piquant nose on which reSted a pair
of glasses. Theodosia was 80, and adj
mitted it when it was necessary.
What's your hobby, Prof. Bent?'
she asked. Every one of us has a
hobby, or we wouldn't be here
We'll, 1 confess, Miss Desmond to
a weakness for natural history. 1 like
frogs, snakes, snails, turtles, water
bugs and the rest"
Horrors, all of them. Excuse me,
but l thought you We're Above creep
ing things. l haven't a bit of sym
patty with you or with them. The
proper study of mankind is mainland
mans attributes, let me aGd. 1 study
mental philosophy. It's the only thing
worth studying. We don't get along
at all we'll Thank goodness, 1 am
above the earth a little bit The brain
and the understanding-thes be noble
themes. Snakes and toads, oh, how can
your
We'll, l trust l am a little above
the creepers and hoppers at times.
There are the birds and the trees; they
appeal TO me-"
"Al 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
to hear the other forty. Some of the
other teachers have fallen away. They
are not true blue, though they made
much pretensA at the start. Can't
Introduce you Prof. Searcher? He'll
convert you"
Pray forgive me. but I've heard
Searcher and l found him a bore but
I'll go if you'll take me-"
Theodosia blushed bit She was
past even such a remote hint at gall
Lantry as this. she had thought.
mo, l wont take you" she said
ebut you may come if you will. Go
well up to the front. Prof. Searcher
does not speak any too clearly. and L
git up there 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 Des-
n.ond occasionally went along. This
student of man amused Prof. Bent
and despite her antagonisms she at
uacted him a little.
ON one of the excursions he found
himself alone with her in a woodland
path. Each had books. What have
You there. Prof. Bent?' asked Miss
Desmond.
Il have Z. H. Gosse. a man too little
read now. and Burroughs, and White
of Selborne They are fun of frogs
and snakes and foxes and birds
Theodosia Desmond tossed her head
and her piquant nose became as near
pert as her 80 years would admit.
.sTrash. every bit of IT," she said.
"There's nothing human about it,"
surely there's human interest in the
lives of the frogs and in the loves of
the BIRDS
Loves of the birds, l thought you
we're beyond sentiment Prof Bent.
Well there. I did not mean 10 be rude.
Here have John I4ocke's Human I'M
derstanding. He would not touch SEN
timent with a pole"
Seems 20 me I've heard that Locke
once wrote Il book on how 10 bring up
children properly"
Theodosia Desmond flushed furious
Iy. $50 re did. but I've not read it,.
see how it is; we can't agree. and l
would not read one of your authors
II the reading would make me super
intendent of schools I'll stick TO
Locke AID kan. and you can keep on
reading about the earthwormS."
Nevertheless, they went walking to-
gether again. and when they separated
for the summer there was just a SuS-
picion OF lingering over the farewell.
Better read White and Burroughs,
Mss Desmond. said Prot Bent.
You couldn't hire me 10. Suppose
You try iocke.|
The professor shook his head and
they parted.
Two weeks later Thaddeus Bent
walked into the Crerar library and
wrote an order for a book. He took
the volume andvstarted for table.
He turned out TO avoid pillar and
ran plump into a little woman from
the other side. She uttered smothers
ed exclamation AID dropped book