Gilpin observer., 1910-12-08
THE STUDY
HOUR

sons. All the other boys have started
for SCHOOL,"
Horatio Sydney Talcott, Jr., who
rarely suffers from his full name,
shrugged his small shoulders and
went on bouncing his ball against the
front Of the apartment building.
They go too early" he said.
Mrs. Talcott sighed. 1t would be
two weeks, the doctor said, before Ju-
nior would have sufficiently recovered
from his recent illness to go to school,
and meantime she was struggling with
his education at home "They'vs been
gone fifteen minutes now," she per-
sisted.
Jest lemme see how many times I
can bounce it before miss
"Junior!"
"Shucks!" He picked up his ball in
disgust and started. Il hit the parlor
window forty-five times an could
have made 1t fifty If you hadn't inter-
rupted me-"
THE parlor window! told you not
to throw at it any more"
But this is soft ball, mother
couldn't break anything. Just feel it."
She glanced at the ball and declined.
1T may be soft, but 1t rolls into mud
puddles and then you clean 1t on my
parlor window. Look at that!" She
halted him In the parlor doorway on
his way to arithmetic in the dining
room.
"Gee!" he remarked, with an inter
ested grin. Say, we could almost
count the times it hit"
Now" said Mrs. Talcott when she
had seated her son in the dining room,
with emphasis, your first problem
for his allowance and breaks q pane
of glass by throwing his ball against
it, how many weeks will 1t take him
to pay for it,"
That isn't in the book! can't
catch up with the other boys If you
make me do examples outside of the
book"
This is your punishment for diso-
beying me about the window. The
sooner you solve it the sooner you'll
get at the examples in the book"
She closed the door and gave Junior
five minutes. Have you finished SOM"
she asked then, opening the door.
He did not hear. He was leaning
far out of the window. Advancing
with spirit, his mother seized the
small portion of boy that was inside
the house and set him on his feet
why aren't you studying?" she de-
manded.
IL ami" he assured her, breath
lessly
Junior Talcott, sit down in this chair
and work that problem"
Mother. honest-I can't! l tried
awful hard"
Use your mind. You must think"
Did think a lott" Junior whim-
pered.
Thereupon his mother, with stern
I-will-be-obeyed expression on her
mouth, sat down and worked the prob
lem for him.
"There!" she said when it was done.
Don't you see how easy it is when
you try? Open your book and take
the first example. Let's see. "A wom-
an took to market four pounds of but
lcl dl oO CCAlo a pouho, dlo bCoohs
two pounds of coffee at 35 cents. How
much money did she get?"
Not any. she paid him money for
coffee"
NO, dear; she she paid him butter"
A long explanation followed, and at
last a CLEAN Of interest lighted Ju-
nior's face. You mean they made
trade-like marbles for q jackknife?"
That's It,"
"Oh, l see! But that examples no
use, 'cept for farmers"
Yes, 1t Is. Suppose you were q
grocer. II you couldn't figure out
thing like this somo farmer might
come In and cheat you"
"Aw, farmers don't cheat. They're
honest"
You can't be sure. Now. listen
We'll, I'm not going to be grocer.
anyhow, mother. I'm goin' to be q
painter like the one at painted our
house. Don't you member how he sat
on the lumber pile an ate his dinner
out of a pail-big sandwiches an
things? Gee! wish l could have
dinners out Of a pail"
"Horatio Sydney Talcott. Jr.. she
addressed him. rising suddenly.
you'll never deserve a dinner in or
out Of 9 pail at this rate. Now. you
can have ten minutes to finish that
example and II It isn't done then 1t
will be the worse for you'll"
She closed the door behind her with
a slam, the sound Of which grew
louder and louder as 1t echoed in her
memory. Losing her temper did not