Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-11-05
When Class "A Gave Thanks
By LUCY COPINCER
Copyright, by ]. B. LippincOtt Coz

bers and snobbish in its attitude.
This club was, as 1t were, the inner
circle of teacherdom, and from its SUI
perior heights its members could af-
ford to turn up their pedagogical
noses and stick out their pedagogical
tongues at their less favored sisters.
1t was known as the Society Of Schol-
astic Sociology, which high-sounding
title was, however, perverted by en-
Vious outsiders into the Sour Spinster
Social. Miss Lucy and her frivolous
companions had been among these ir-
reVerent scoffers until the time came
when Miss Lucy herself was invited
to aspire to its membership. She then
took to speaking in rhetorical periods
only, and to snubbing her former as
sociates.
The requirements for admission to
this society were few but rigorous.
The candidate wrote a thesis upon
some problem of school life, and was
then visited by a committee of three.
who listened to the working out of the
problem. With her usual cheerful
conceit Miss Lucy had scorned the
humber phases of her work, and had
taken for her subject "a Teachers In
fuence Upon the Moral Tone of Her
Class" A week before Thanksgiving
she received notice that the commit.
tee of three would visit her.
The next morning Miss Lucy,
clothed in foolish confidence and her
very best white shirt-waist, stood be-
fore Glass A, while in the back of the
room sat judicially the dread commit.
tee' made up of the principal, the SUI
perVlsor and visiting teacher-a
long, thin, specialized person whom
Miss Lucy in her unregenerate days
would have designated as one of the
Sour Spinsters, but whom she now
viewed with the reverence given to a
high priestess in the ranks of Schol.
astic Sociology. Miss Lucy had taken
for her sub-topic why We Give
Thanks" and, fortified by her new
waist she swallowed the lump in her
throat and began.
Children" she said, smilingly, %
want to talk to you a little about a
holiday we are going to have soon
Who knows what it is? Hermann"
"Holler eve," said Herman.
D. "Oh, no, Herman, not Hallow eve"
said Miss Lucy. 1T is Thanksgiving
And now who can tell me what
Thanksgiving means? What do we
do then? Sophie?"
Miss Luzy," began Sophie Bauer.
schmidt, "efery year we hat a party
init beer, and my father gifts drunk
and my mother says he amt nothing
but guzzler."
In these heart to heart talks with
her class Miss Lucy allowed a Ger
tain freedom of expression, but al
the disclosure of this exchange Of
connubial compliments she looked
shocked.
Yes, Sophie, DEAR" she began. but
the talkative Sophie was not so easily
checked.
And Miss Lucy" she continued
my sisters got a beau, but my
mother says he amt nothing but g
kissing-bug."
AT this Miss Lucy looked apprehen
sively at the committee. The prin
cipal was shamelessly amused, but
the supervisor, a correct gentleman
looked panied, and the blush of out
ragged modesty was rising upon the
spinSter cheek of the visiting teacher
That will do, Sophie" said Mis-,
Lucy, severely; you are not tellins
me what l asked you at all. Children
some of you can surely tell me what
Thanksgiving means! Anna, what dc
we do them"
Anna Karenina, in her seat at the
foot of the class, had been sitting il
scornful silence that she always Cd
posed to these attempts of Miss Lucy
to uplift her moral tone. Even thi,
obvious appeal did not affect her.
"Nothun," she said, rudely.
At these repeated refusals to re
spond to her questions a suspicion
was growing upon Miss Lucy that a:
subject of scholastic sociological re
search Class A might be a failure
Her cheeks were beginning to show
flaming signals Of distress, but she
kept bravery on.
"Oh, yes, Anna, surely you car
think of something you do on Thanks
giving"
"Nothun," repeated Anna, blankly
Having thus spoken, she withdrew
herself from further discussion by
sulkily putting her head down on hel
desk.
Just at this moment an inspiration
seized Bum O'Reilly. His quick Irish
tact had told him that there was some
especial answer desired by Miss Lucy
He remembered that she had always
shown an interest in the numerous ad
ditions to his family.
I'VE got baby last Thanksgivun.
he volunteered, obligingly, "but VIC
amt goin' to git none this year."
At this point Miss Lucy, without
a.