Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26

gel1ne was one OF the nOn-dramat1c works
of Shakespeare.
When the instructor came to examine this
"surprise paper, she found the other work
SO listed was "Grandfather's Chair"
IF the living Mrs. Malaprop, as they say,
NAV be found in every city, her children,
assuredly, go to every school. Little Sally
Malaprop will write composition whole
page long describing her exposition into the
country with her payments. Jenny Malaprop
will admit, upon questioning, that Tommy
Johnston made an exile from the room. Ara
minta Alalaprop, who has reached high
school, knows that Addison was of a serious
temperature, and tells us that she learns
from her chemistry the curious facts that dy-
namo is violent explosive and that the pen
dulum osculates continuously on account of
Newton's law of gratuitv. Lanier." she
will write eloquently, if you ask her to put
some of her thoughts into less perishable
form than speech, is truly musitlon in his
art. He was a trained mlnd but his prose
are invaluable to children
After all, what can one expect from chill
dren when their home environment is what
it is? What showing would some of the
grown ups make in school, we wonder, after
perusing a few of the excuses the children
bring from their payments =? Poverty and
lack of opportunity and education will not
excuse all cases; for often the funniest, or
saddest, of these notes from home are
brought by deliberately gowned children of
wealthy people.
Dear Teacher" writes one mother,
PLEASE to excuse Bobbie being absent on
account of the rain yesterday. He got wet
in the A. NJ. and dident get dry in the P NJ
ONE is forced to admit that, as amusing
~ as these mistakes are. a supcrf1uty of
them act as damper on the self esteem of
, the poor woman who has been working so
hard to teach the young idea. And where,
moreover. do those children find some of
their answers?
What is a poet laureate?" was asked a
class III had Just finished reading Enoch
Arden'
! A small boy answered promptly. d" It's the
place where Enoch broke his leg"
Where did that idea come fromo Surely
not from the lips of the teacher who had
toiled so laboriously to make them grasp
another.
To be honest, the shots of the Young idea
are not all so wide of the mark Oftentines
a child's reply to a question will give evil
dence of original thought as well as grasp of
the subject matter of the lesson. Equally
interesting these latter incidents are far
lllOIc W lllt LII lllC Sd1Ilc
class in which the boy, stumbling over poet
laureate, accused it of having caused an
other accident, such an instance of real
thought occurred.
The death of Enoch had caused consterna-
ton among the little girls who were just en-
tering the sentimental age. While they were
exctedly arguing that Enoch should have
gone back home to his wife and children and
lived happily ever after, one of the boys
listened with evident disapproval in his
face.
What do you think about it," asked the
teacher, noting his expression.
II like it the way it is.
"Why?"
"Wel," gravely declared this thirteen
yearold Solomon, if Enoch had gone back,
he would have upset the whole thing. He
couldn't have been happy himself. knowing
this, and both Annie and Philip would have
been miserable. AS it is, there is only one
life ruined
Not only do many children brighten the
teachers long day as this youngster was
likely to, by their own individuality, but,
aside from the moral and ethical pleasure in
the fulfilment of her duties. she has unlmit-
ed chance for the study of psychology.
TN,+. of-, I