The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-12
DICKS STAR.

month. Each day Miss Margaret, the
teacher, wrote new word on the
blackboard, and the children copied it.
But one morning instead of writing
a word, as usual Miss Margaret gave
each child a sheet of paper.
Nov, little folks" she said, I'm
goign to see who can write what we
learned yesterday, without having a
copy to help
Several of the children smiled and
went to work.
But Dick sat still, with the sheet of
paper on his desk, and with his new
yellow pencil held tight in his hand
Travis, Dicks deskmate, was scrib-
bling on his paper.
Dick knew what the word was
"Mother!" But he couldn't remember
how to make an M! He knew just
how the others letters looked, and af-
ter while he slowly began to make
them, "o-t-h-e-r." Over and over he
wrote the letters.
Il can put the M in afterward if /
can think of it," whispered Dick to
himself.
Presently Miss Margaret spoke.
1.-TWO minutes more boys and girls!"
she said. do your very best. l am
going to put bright golden star on
the best written papers, and you may
take them home"
Dicks heart beat fast. How pleas
ed mother would be if her boy carried
a star paper! But try as he would
he could not think of the way to make
an M. You see, he was very little
boy, and had not learned much about
writing.
All at once Dicks eyes fell on some
words on blackboard at the other
side of the room. Miss Margaret had
written them for the reading class.
There, at the very beginning, was
big M. Dick remembered now! He
thought it looked like two VS. Joined
together.
The new yellow pencil began to
work very fast. All at once Dick
stopped.
Hadn't Miss Margaret said the class
was to write the word without any
help, and wasn't the big NJ on the
blackboard helping?
The little boy sighed and swallowed
a lump in his throat. But somehow
he couldn't write another curly M.
Instead, he stood the yellow pencil
on its rubber end, and began slowly
to rub out the two Ms he had made.
Before he had quite finished Miss
Margaret stood by his desk.
Why, Dick, you mustn't rub out
your Ms, little boy! See, you haven't
any, all the way down the page! Why
are you rubbing out the only ones
you have made?"
All the children were looking at
Dick, and his face grew red.
Il couldn't remember k3w to
make Ms, Miss Margaret, i.ll'--a.n'
you said we mustn't have anything to
go by-but l couldn't help seeing TINT
one on the blackboard over there! Al
l started to make some, an thea / |
thought it would be like--like steal
ing Ms; so | was rubbing them Quit"
And then, even If he was a six-year
old boy, Dick put his head down be- |
hind his desk, and the children knew
he was crying, even if he did pretend |
to be looking for something in his |
desk.
Miss Margaret did not cotiect any
more papers. Instead, she went over
to her table, and worked busily for |
minute. Then she came back to
Dicks desk.
Children" she said, and Dick rails
ed his head, winking hard to stop the
tears from running out of his eyes,
II want you all to see what | have put |
on Dicks paper"
Then Dick forgot his tears; for
there, right where everybody could see
see it, was a beautiful golden star.
Listen to what | have written nv
the star, boys and girls" said Miss /
Margaret. "'This star is given Dick
the boy who would not steal
an MI"
Dick has good many star papers
now, and his mother keeps them in a
special corner in her desk. But she
says the first star is the most preci-
BUS one of all.-S s. Times.