The National tribune., 1904-06-30

She opened the Bible and read in her soft
young-girl voice. 1.-The Lord is my shep-
herd" Then she said: Take out your sing
ing books, children. One! Two! Three!
The 56 statues that were her class came
to life. Tie 112 hands uhfOlded. In a
right-hand corners of the desks, and the
112 hands folded themselves again.
page So" Miss Perry commanded.
The 56 books and the 112 hands formed
an instant's combination. There was a
rapid fiutter of leaves. The little girl in
the front seat tiptoed up to Mr.. Quinn and
handed him her book. print painstakinSly
toward him. Then she tiptoed to- an empty
seat at the back Of the room and took the
book from it. She passed Pat on the way
and he, with no pretense of concealment,
tripped her SO adroitly that she fell in a
blushing heap against little. correct, POM
padoured Michael Vincent. The latter
virtuously ignored the incident.
Take out your book, Pat" Miss Perry
commanded sweetly, ignoring it also.
Pat looked at his father and. extracting
encouragement from his naughty mien,
drew his book with jerk from his desk.
pulling onto the floor in indiscriminate
chaos pencils, pens, and papers. He
slammed it onto his desk. and then with
an air superbly degage he collected the
scattered articles and put them back one
| the page and the position he considered
most comfortable. This brought his body
across the width of his desk and the upper
corner Of his book into the neck of the
little girl in front Of him. She turned and
frowned on him. Then Indignantly she
Perry waited carefully. Mr.. O'Quinn con.
| templated his son.
The children sang the song through in
their earnest. sweet voices, their little
faces sobered to suit the occasion. Pat
kept up droning monotone through it all
| trailing in the rear Of his mates by an
exact two beats. Miss Perry said nothing
| of each verse for Pat to finish. Mr.
OQuinn contemplated his son.
The hymn sung, the song-books disap
peared again. The little girl who had
given Mr. O'Quinn her book, making this
time a wide detour that put her out OF
Pats reach. tiptoed up to him and whis
peringly relieved him OF it, Miss Perry
took up volume Of poems that lay on hel
desk.
1t was one Of her new-fangled notions
to read a poem to the children every day
| and afterward they talked it over. They
had taken Longfellow and Whittier in this
way. They were on Lowell, and Miss
Perry hoped to complete Bryant and En-
erson before the year was out. She Liked
pOetry-work particularly. She was con
vinced that it was bound to have on tn,
children of poverty an uplifting influence
The children liked it, too. They knew moth
ing about uplifting influences, but they
knew it was "easy," and that they die
not have to take examinations in it.
Miss Perry read the poem on the dande
lion, but first she told the children tha
each one of them must remember anl
quote from it some line that he liked.
Il Whom che hQOan fn road Dat Eutfh -
elaborate air Of uncOncern put his heat
on his desk and appeared to fall into
swift and unnatural tOrpor. Miss PER-,
stopped. Come to position, Pat" she sale
TRANQUILITY.
Pat lifted his head. He gave one glanc
at his father, scowling in lordly possession
OF the platform. The glance encourage,
him. Il don't like poitry," he announce,
loudly.
Il think you'll like this" Miss Perr,
informed him politely; "come to position.
Pat dragged himself slowly to . spineles
reproduction Of the attitude OF the othe
children. He dropped his under jaw, half
with an excruciating expression of ennu
Mr.. O'Quinn Contemplated his son.
After she had finished her reading Mis-
Perry called for questions, for comments
] for favorite lines. Inspired, perhaps, b
the presence OF q stranger the childre
| ASc ScponuSu 6Cuctahys uuo VIII COuSluSGaUt
animation. Even Michael Vincent's enis
matte choice, NOR wrinkled the lea
brow" cast no perceptible gloom on til
/ occasion. In return, Miss Perry told tn
. class the lines she liked and why she like
, them. She made many references to tn
, bunch Of dandelions in the sauatty ginger
> jar on her desk.
J "Now. Pat" Miss Perry conclude
} pleasantly, "what did you think of n?''
Pat stole another glance at the iowerin
visage on the platform. II think Il wa
/. r-r-rotten," he promulgated calmly.
!. The silence Of the instant that folEowe
, was death-kke. Then Mr.. O'Quinn turne
to the teacher. "YOuse haven't amy suc