The daily Alaskan., 1906-11-09
The Coed System
TOriginal1

[Or.EiDaLl
 Miss Rose Harding was trying to beat the three R'S into the heads of the Ignorant in a small Sch0olhouSe located in the midst of sheep raising country In the far west. Miss Harding was the daughter of those who had been wealthy in the east. Her father had died inSolyent. but. fortunately for Rose. he had given her a college educa- ton. The laws of supply and demand work the same in education as any where else. Where there Is the most ignorance there k the greatest need for teachers. At any rate, Miss Hard ing received an offer in Montana and accepted it. She waS surprised to find her scholars oG mixed ages. ranging from ten to tweDty-S:N years old. But she had no difficulty in arranging her classes. for the oldest scholar knew no more than the youngest. But lt was hard work. Rose had taken prizes in college and Was h,ted 10 instruct young people of advanced scholastic At- taiuueuts in the sciences.
 One morning while she was trying to teach her scholars how Co spell yacht and such other words in the English language a$ are spelled fartheSt from their sound sheep herder rode up to the schuolhouSe door and asked If any one had seen flock of sheep in the urtghhurlOOd Miss Harding put the question to her scholars, and all answered in the negative. While this was being done the sheep heCder was rc-alju@ his eyes with the sight Of the refined and comely Miss Hard lng Such a sight, especially at that time. WAS not usually to be had in that region. and the herder evidently did not propose to let the opportunity slip Say. miss" be said do you thiul, you could drive any larnin' into my nOdde:' The teacher looked at him scruttuiz- Inrly. He did not look at all stupid, | though he might not even know bis letters. That would depend upon what help | you would give me ia the matter. The young man threw himself from | bis horse and. hanging the reinS to ! hook screwe7l to the cabin for the pur- ! pose went in and took position in the spelling class. Fire away. Schoolmarm," he said. "Spell the word salt" "S-0-lt." "Try again"
 "S-o-U.l--. "Try again"
 "S.a-u-.t." "Oncc more" "S-a-w-l-t"
 There was a smile On the teachers |. face. Although her new scholar was evidently more unteaChable than any 1 of her other scholars the lines of his l face We're entirely unlike theirs. There 1, was Sou'athing tucoUEruOus in his iG- ! noraucc and his puySiognOmy. "Tearlcr" sad 8 gawk of twenty | three. "I kin tell ynu how 10 larn him . how to spell .r Tnu him f he gets it . right next time he k.a KISS the purtyest | gal ia ,hn room.
 . tht< proposition. but Miss Harding de . murred However. since her scholars 1 would have .r SD assuming that the . purrvc>t -a." meant those among the . scholar ~.,. rrIr.Hurly consented. "Very wr.L" she said. try again
 "S.a.lr." ~aappcI rhe herIer and ad- . vanccL tp take his reward of the teach 1 CT. Blu~h.ug a. rosy rel she ordered . him back t-.,u- him that she was not . included There was au UprOar among . the scholars and much pOutiug among i. the girls. for rlr h"rler. since he could . not kiss Jl.. teacher. would kiss none Of them You have struck a vital principle in pedagogy" said Miss Harding 10 the herder. There was a twjukie in her ! eye Perhaps iJ came from a sus- | plcion that be knew how 10 spell the . word salt from The beginning. Some day you may be teacher yourself and . can introduce your srimulant among the co-eds.' The herde- looked at her scruiniz- |. ingly. as if he suspected some covert !.
 
 meaning in her remark whats cO-edS:" he asked. "I once listened 10 a very interesting lecture on the subject by a young pro- lessor. Larned EtOu. When you learn to read I'll give you copy of it taken i. from a magazine in which it was pub ushed." This. especially the mention of the name Lsrued Eton. had a marked ef- feet upon the herder. Her words when you learn to read" were spoken In Satirical tone Even the thick headed scholars got au idea that there was some game going on between their teacher and the herder. Dropping his western way of speaking. the latter said: ..I fear the plan would not be allow ed Iu the coed system of the more con ventional east"
 "I marvel" she replied, that one who cannot spell a word of one sylla- ble should know the meaning of 8 word of two-co-ed."