The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-22
sPicnic


The suggestion of a sane and safe Fourth of July
In this column, coupled with short sketch of how the
day used to be observed in the country towns re-
minded a friend Of an experience of his youth. He
was living with his parents in southern state His
father leading minister on whom calls for edu-
catonal and patriotic addresses frequently made
One year hurryup call for Fourth Of July address
came while the doctor was absent and the relator OF
this experience thought to try his hand he volun-
teered to go and read Of his father manuscripts
to the people The substitute was accepted and the
youth found himself facing big crowd, whose enthu
siasm braced him for his task But alas for human
calculation he had brought with him to recite to that
reeating southern audience Fourth of July speech
his father had used in the north It contained
remarks about jeff Davis and other interesting south
heroes which like pouring water hot
stones For the first time he learned that PATRIOTISM
like the tariff, is a local issue:
Is school teacher a natural terror or does he
transpositon7 Is the school teacher who is bad
is it the bad boy who works him up in his imagination
to that point where he is as big an ogre as ever
stepped out of the pages of fairy books have in
mind school teacher who may have been quite
gentleman but who is associated in my memory with
cyclones, dark cellars graveyards dim church asles
and all the things would not put up with again
if youth could be renewed. He may have been gen.
tleman of the highest caste, he may even have had
sense of humor like another school teacher told
about the other day. This one also was stern. He
was especially upon boys who threw mud balls
from willow twgs against the painted sides of houses
Some school teachers silly enough not to know that
this is great sport and this of that kind He
took Will into his confidence on the subject. WILL
he asked, do you ever throw mud at houses?' VIII
promptly prevarcated. "Will, did your father ap-
prove of those proceedings when he came down
townq''
Will was getting dry about the throat. He couldn't
think Of anything to say, but he managed to blurt
out: ''No, sir father didn't have time to stop.'
civilian, you may CO., said the teacher and
turned away suddenly That night the teacher at
the house and alone with father for half hour.
VIII had uneasy feeling that they arranging
program to scalp otherwise do him bodily harm.
Nothing of it, however, and his fears gradually
off. It not until years after that his father
told him the teacher had down to have good
laugh the idea that the only for his not
admiring the mucking of house walls that he dig
not have time to stop. This shSws that scho6l
teachers very often beneath theft professional coats
carry human hearts. Let us all try to believe it.
One Of the judges of the district court told this
curious story: was being tried before him and
after it had proceeded several days his stenographer
to him and said the lawyers both sides were
curious to know why he was taking such .voluminous
notes of the testimony. It seemed tho he was not
going to depend upon the Transcript of evidence, but
write the whole thing up himself The Judge sent the
stenographer back to the lawyers. The fact
Of the matter that he contemplating an addi
ton to his house and trying to draw plan which
he found much more complicated process than taking
notes Of testimony. The official minutes of the cass
went as usual james Gray.