The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-28
A ROMANCE OF THE SCHOOL


enes high school. 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 a trif1e gray, his eyes were
kindly and his shoulders bit stopped.
He was going to the summer school to
hear the natural history lectures of Au-
dubon 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 it's back,
Thaddeus Bent met half a dozen teach
ers whom he knew and half a hundred
whom he didn't know. The assistant
had been there for 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 frivO-
lous creatures just out of the normal"
she said to herself. He'll want some
one to pair off with. Now there's Theo-
dosia Desmond, principal of the Plato
school, way up on Chicsgo's North Side.
She's just his opposite, but opposites get
on well, so here goes. And the assist
ant principal introduced Principal Thad-
deus Bent to Principal Desmond. Prof.
Bent found himself in the company of
Miss Desmond, on the veranda, the Sec
Ond morning after his arrival. Theodosia
was a little creature, with a trim figure,
a rather positive manner and a piquant
nose on which rested pair of glasses.
Theodosia was IS, and admitted it when
1t was necessary. W
whats your hobby. Prof. Bent?" she
asked. Every one of us has hobby.
or we wouldn't be here" ..... -, .-
well. I 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,
things. I haven't a bit of sympathy
with you or with them. The proper
study of mankind is man'-and mans
attributes, let me add. I study mental
studying. We won't get along at all
WELL Thank goodness. I am above the
earth a little bit. as high as mans head
at any rate. The brain and the under
Snakes and toads. oh. how can your"
'FWell, trust 1 am little above the
creepers and hoppers at times There
are the birds and the trees; they appeal
to me-" 10 h,ar as4
"An- of kind: mans and woman's
mentality is the thing for me. I've heard
forty of Prof Searcher's lectures 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
pretense at the start. Can't I induce
you to hear Prof. SearcheF? He'll con-
vert you"
'"Pray forgive me. but I've heard
Searcher and I found him bore, but
I'll go if you'll take me-
TheodOSia bluShed bit. She was past
even such remote hint at gallantry as
this, she had thought.
No, 7 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 100 clearly and. I sit up. there
II mean you can hear better up there.
There were excursions into the woods
and fields arranged by the teachers as
sembled at Cover Hill. Prof Bent took
the tramps. and through the urging as
sistant principal, Theodosia Desmond,
of man amused Prof. Bent. and despite
her antagonisms she attracted him
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 Des-
mond.
IT have P. H Gosse, 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 he'd
and her piquant nose became as. near
pert as her 80 years would admit.
Trash every bit of it," she said.
lnoIe'S mourning HQIIldn dbOOL H.
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, I did not mean to be rude. Here
have John Locke's Human Under
standing Now that's the proper study
for a student He isn't read much now,
but he ought to be. He would not touch
sentiment with pole.
Seems to me I've heard that Locke
once wrote a book on how to bring up
children properly
Theodosia Desmond blushed furiously.
80 he did, but I've not read It, l. see
how it is: we can't agree, and would
not read one of your authors if the read
ing would make me superintendent of
schools I'll stick to Locke and Kant,
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 sus-
picion of lingering over the farewell.
BETTER read White and Burroughs, Miss
Desmond" said Prof. Bent.
You couldn't hire me to. Suppose you
try Locke"
The professor shook ms heau anu theS
Two weeks later Thaddeus Bent walked
for a book. He took the volume and start
ed for table. He turned out to AVOID a
pillar and ran plump b nt1 uttered sde M1i
cred Exclamation and dropped a book.
Thaddeus Bent stopped, picked the book
up, looked deliberately at the title, and,
With q how handed it to Theodosia Des-
mond who was standing with heightened
color and flashing eyes looking at him
How dare you look 10 see "haO am
II thought / recognized the cover as
that of an old friend" said the professor,
cnoIIv ssrhey always bind Burroughs
works nicely. The book I'm about to read
is snuff color. Do you know the au-
He turned the book back 20 her and she
read Truman Understanding. Locke
"Don't YOU think, Theodosia, that we
would better do the rest Of our life's read
- They f put the books on the table and nd
az The 5eslS noticed that the glasses which
the little woman wore were dimmed,
though the face below was smiling.-Cni-
cago Record Herald