El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-20
THE PIOUS LIE
1By Leon Frapie)

FILE JEANNE. the new teacher e.,
MI in the kindergarten, tall
VA blonde with timid eyes ano
charming features beaming with Kind
ness asks the inspector, an elderly
stern-lookfng man with long gray
heard 1.-The main part of my Work mere
consists in telling moral stories, ouo
what am to do not TO repeat myseli
1 do not know enough tales TO vary
them every day, and, altnough can
make UP a few myself, L am oIteh III
need of q. subject for a story.
The inspector said with smflei
At Will tell you a secret: The chill
dren are our superiors in everything,
ond orc an inexhaustible source from
which we may Away get new Ideas
Ever since that day Mile. Jeanne was
able to tell a story each day, contain !.
ing moral lesson, which was OF g
benefit to all, and principally 10 her-
self
81 will tell you whatever you want
children" she would say. Now Will
one of you please get up and tel me
inst what kind of story he would ike
mile Jeanne has never learned so
much herself as a teacher, as since the
dav she started this idea. the nature
of tho stories asked for gave ner ma
learned for instance, that chldren
have an infallible sense of Justice
which is part of their natural instincts.
They divine the necessity OF superior
mower. which upholds the scales oi
equity in this world and metes out JUS
tice TO everybody according TO MS oe-
serts From this feeling arises their
unsuitable craving for stories and love
of the wonderful They love 10 I'M
6oo1 a
perfect justice and want 10 see Vlrtue
rewarded and vice punished.
= They Furthermore possess the intui-
+ion of art You cannot tell them
story in which all the people are good
and happv. there must always be VII
lain in the stories they ask for.
Sometimes this villain is none but
the child who suggests the story MINI
self. The child often chooses for the
subject Of story the evolution ana re-
sults of a thing which he is afraid OF
doing himself. although he is tempted
to risk it. To drive away this tempta-
tion he has discovered the wonderful
remedy to have grown up person tell
him all about It's deplorable conse-
quence.
The other day Totor, who likes to
roam the streets and who is very o1ten
late at school, expressed the wish TO
near the story VI llll1C ooSANNSs w
ran away from school,
Mile. Jeanne described little boy,
who is always brought to school by his
mother who also calls for him after
school hours. One day, however, he
takes advantage of the fact that the
mechanics are repairing the lock OF the
front door and runs away during the
noon recess without being discovered
by anybody.
OF 10 CIV
Little Jacques is threatened by thou
sand dangers while he is running about
the streets He loses his way, is run
over by a bicycle, and bitten by a big
black dog.
But Jeanne. who had expected her
little audience to be greatly interested,
is surprised to notice that her tale does
not impress or interest the children
very much and especially not the boy
who had suggested the subject.
Suddenly however, something tells
her what the sensation is for which
the children are waiting, and she goes
on-the teacher all at once discovers
that Jacques is missing, she calls his
name, looks for him, but cannot find
him.
Now the drama evidently begins to
grow interesting. Mademoiselle's own
emotions are what the children have
been waiting to see. The dangers OF
the street and the accidents which they
have known were likely to, happen are
nothing compared to the fact that
Mademoiselle is looking for Jacques.
Immediately the little faces grow tense
their eyes sparkle and their lips open
with the excitement Of the situation.
The story grows more absorbing in
its effects upon the minds of the little
ones. After lining uD all the children
in the Fairgrounds, Mademoiselle
rushes through all the elassrooms, into
the dining room. from there into the
yard and to the ianitor's rooms. She
looks behind the radiators. into the
great closet where the books and