The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-02

80, mother, can't go to school to-
day. just can't My tooth aches
worse than ever O dcar"
| Mrs. Stevens looked at the clock.
then at her little black eyed. curly
haired son. As1he fates would have
it, the book shelf was between the
cuckoo clock that Harold loved and
the pretty couch on which he had
i thrown himself after breakfast, and
mothers eyes. which could see SO
much at once. rested for second on
a most attractive looking book--a new
book that Harold had received the
night before from his uncle, who
taught history in big college: and
this book, mother knew, was filled,
just full, of enhancing stories of the
heroes of the Civil war.
And mother knew something else
besides. She could tell you just what
her little boy thought of arithmetic
fifth grade arithmetic--that meant
long division so much OF the time
| What did a row of figures amount to?
Why. If they were line Of soldiers
or a row of guns. they would be worth
observing Studying arithmetic did
not make you feel good and sort OF
wriggly inside as reading history
stories did. And the day he invented
his arithmetic game, calling the
figures m the dividend Southern sol
diers and those in the diyisor the Van
KEGS that were about to charge upon
them, he was SO excited trying 10 find
how many were left after the battle
Cor. in ordinary words the quotieuu
that he forgot some bothersome
ciphers and had to remain after
school The sirangest thing about il
was that some OF the children grew
more excited over arithmetic than any
other study. 1t was Il queer world
But life was we'll worth living during
the twice a-week study periods. How
he looked forward To being in the
grammar grades where 1t was taught
every day Miss Ellory. the teacher
had told mother that Harold knew
more history stories than she did
Harold lay with his face toward the
wall as his mother stood looking at
him so thouGhtfuly He hoped she
would put her soft hand on his fore
head as she usually did when he was
not exactly well.
Harold. dear" she said az last as
she bent over him Just ~ be wished
is your class 10 have a test this
morning In arithmetic"
Harold opened two astonished eyes
and looked at his mother. Why
sometimes we do on Friday. But you
know you can't take a test when
you're suffering SO" And the black
eyes closed again.
Mother started for the medicine /
closet and stopped for a minute at
the mirror 70 straighten her tie And
there she saw a reflection OF Harold I
leaning on one elbow and looking /
lunRingly at his new book. She waited
AaE%a -+.saa- 1!aea- sat
down beside him and drew his head !
into her lap.
LITTLE SON" she said. Il will tell .
you a story, and perhaps you will 4
forget that dreadful toothaehe for n /
few minutes"
~ history story?"
That is for you IN decide" said /
his mother, dra wing him closer To !
her Away dnwn South, in the State I
of Alabama. lived a little girl--ae
little colored eirl-wl1o
could hardly wait to go 70 school {.
every morning In her eagerness 10 seq
her playinatcs and her lovely white .
angel teacher from the North, place
that to it-r seemed as far away as
heaven one morning. after the OPEN
ing Of the exercises. the teacher said
Now. children. / VIII collect the
tuition money Thirty-uine little .
faces be3mel with pleasure as they
passed in the money that they had
been treasurirg SO carefully. But one /
little face looked bewildered. What /
did the teacher mean? Would she .
sCo!d her because she had no money?
@. no. The beautiful teacher simply
called her 10 the desk ana told her
hat had been carefully explained be- (
fore. that on the tenth Of each month I
seventy-fiye cents must he brought to
help pay fer their education. as this 4
was not a public school. You see,
Harold. that this was very strict I
rule. and Il was sometimes necessary .
10 send the children home TO remind
their parents Of the date And If the
children would not grasp the idea. the
fathers and mothers knew that IL &