The Indianapolis journal., 1904-01-24
Gentle Art of Tanning Bad Boy
of IndaneP polls Teacher in Dealing with the
md Morals of Her Pupils

ing to learn. in the hope of pleasing her
BE sure he got his generous need Of praise
for his efforts. even If they failed.
lie even determined TO pass on his newly
acquired virtue TO the younger members
of the family. Patsy had been proudly FOL
lowing in his footsteps in the matter OF
playing hockey must be reformed.
One day, as il was about time TO call the
school to order Miss Marston noticed with
surprise that Hugh was not in his place
one of the boys came in. breathless with
hurry. Miss Marston, he said, connden-
TALLY, Hugh told me 10 tell you that he
be late this mdrning. but it's all right
Patsys playing hockey. and he's laying for
him. He'll come as soon as he gets
him" Sure enough. nearly an hour late,
Hugh seen coming up the street,
somehow managing TO use his crutches ana
also 70 propel the reluctant and recalci-
trant Patsy by the collar. The culprit hav-
ing been sternly turned over TO the maJes-
ay of the law in the person OF hls teacher,
Hugh entered his own room, in such
flush of conscious virtue that Miss Mars
ton mad not the heart to suggest that he
self
There was Donald Campbell. who came
TO Miss Marston with reputation for un-
conquerable, sulen obstinacy. Miss Mars
ton diagnosed his case speedily. The boy
had a brutal stepfather. and was badly
treated at home; at school, disdaining TO
be a sneak. his misdeeds had been found
out and reproVed or punished when other
boys. who had done worse things more
slyly, had gone undetected. He had lost all
expectation of sympathy or even justice,
and settled down into stolid sullen endur-
ance. What he needed was kindness and
justice, and when he got them, he bios
Somed into a good boy and a faithful
student 1t was touching to see the look
OF adoring gratitude in his eyes. as they
followed his teacher around the room.
STILL said Miss Marston Il made il
rule never 10 ask Donald Campbell to do
anything he didn't want to do. If | be-
gan to ask him TO do something. and saw
that balky-horse look coming into his face,
! changed the request 10 something else. /
knew if l once reused that demon OF sui
len obstinacy that was in him, L should
lose all | had gained. OF course, | couldn't
allow him TO be disorderly or disobedienet,
but in neutral matters L steered clear OF
the rocks
Then there was Allen Browa-not a vic
ious boy, but a duh and discouraged one.
Il found out" said Miss Marston. that
though he knew little of his books, he was
an authority on the fauna and flora of the
region, and / took every opportunity to APP
peal TO him for information. Would Allen
tell the class where the rose-spotteG grove
anemone would be found? Or describe the
gray squirrel the red-poll linnet, give
account of the habits of the burying
beetle? And Allen. finding that he really
possessed knowledge that was respected
and valued, that he could tell the others
things they didn't know, determined 10
know other things, also, applied himself
diligently to his detested books. and be-
came student of respectable achievements.
But / knew l had my work cut out for
me when Earl StOneman came into my
room, said the young woman. His gang
came with him. but / knew there would be
no trouble with the others, if | could han
die the leader. He was one of those cool.
Keen, quiet little villains, more like cyn-
ical and blase man of the world of thirty
five. than like thirteen-year-oldb boy. He
behaved himself for two or three days, but
L could see him taking my measure and
looking for vulnerable points TO attack. The
room was SO arranged that the pupils
filed in when the bell rang, they marched
IN CO ffn fro, Is .1,ef l..
third day. Earl marched i'm with a hideous,
enormous caterpillar on his shoulder. L
knew something was coming. before | saw
him, because all his gang who preceded
him were in a twitter of suppressed expec-
tation and giggles. The moment | saw that
caterpillar. | perceived the hour had struck.
was probably expected to scream and rum.
But it is the unexpected that happens when
/ am dealing with bad boy. why, Earl,
| said, with enthusiasm; what a magnifi-
you know what kind of butterfly ii viii
niakeT- t
I, = Nom said Earl, forgetting to be
anything but respectful, while his gang
looked on. stupefed with surprise.
We must find out, said, with increas-
ing enthusiasm. What can we keep ii in :?
know, we can take this chalk box, and
cover IL with a piece of glass-there is some
on my closet shelf?
$50 his caterpillarship was tenderly en-
sconced in his box on the window-sill, with
the glass carefully adjusted to give him
air without letting him out Then L asked
what kind of plant he had found ii on,
and charged Earl TO get him some fresh
| leaves at recess. and bring him sup
ply once or twice day, for the poor thing
mustn't starve. When Earl found that 1
knew the caterpillar would eat only his own
particular plant, it much increased his re-
spect for me.
"Well, that the beginning. More
caterpillarS came in at recess; in a day
or two all the boys and many of the girls
were hunting for rare specimens. Within
a week or so, the deep window-sils of my
five big windows filled with chalk
| boxes and cigar boxes with glass, each
| tenanted by one more pampered cater
pillars, assiduously tended and fed by a
proud owner. We had a succession of splen-
did butterflies and moths from the cocoons.
and the children learned consider BILE ento-
mology--but what more important,
that gang of boys forgot all about being
bad. BY the time the caterpillar enthusi-
asm waned, they had got into the habit of
being studious and well-behaved and found
out that il really was nicer, anyway"
These are some of the more striking speci-
mems of THE deformed transformed that
| Miss Marston (Which is not her name) re-
calls from her past experiences. Her re-
| cent ones would add considerable variety to
| the collection. but, for obvious reasons ii
would never do to publish them.