Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-20
Girls Who
Win Out
Teachers Final Success
by JANE M'LEAN.

Miss Smith taught school. There
was nothing remarkable about that
fact, nor was there anything extra
ordinary about Miss Smith herself.
She did not look upon her work in
the light Of profession, nor OF ca
rcer carefully chosen and painstal:-
ingly adhered TO.
She was inst one OF a thousand
other school teachers. She had
never heard Of special branches Or,
II she had, j. never occurred 10 her
TO think whether or not she was
suited TO her work. She simply
taught school because her education
in the normal college made it pos
siblc.
From the time that she was a
small girl her mother had always
said with d gfatiied smile that they
were making a teacher out Of Maud.
Her father and ! never had the
chance, but We want Maud 10 have
real education"
And so Maud had conscientiously
worked her way through the high
school and normal aud was now a
regular teacher. She taught arith-
metic, geography history spelling,
reading and nature study. She had
no knack Of making these subjects
Of peculiar interest 10 the children
who met in her room every day
She simply ploddcd carefully
along, preparing her lessons care.
fully day by day bored, if she had
stopped to think OF il at all, and yet
she considered herself worker
However. there was just ono
thing that made Miss Smith differ
ent from some OF the other teachers.
She loved children. She liked their
shy attempts at friendship, she liked
II when they brought their small
problems for her 10 solve, and,
strange to say discipline in Miss
Smiths room was not so necessary
as il was elsewhere.
II all came about through Johnny
Deerlng, who was the acknowledged
bad boy Of the school Teachers
dreaded him, and when it finally
came time to hand him over TO Miss
Smith. Miss Bascom Of the grade be.
low gave him up with sigh OF relief
at the knowledge that year OF tor
ment was happily over.
Johnny knew all the lodges that
are usually employed TO make teach
ers furious. He knew how TO aim
spit balls, and how TO draw atrocious
pictures Of teacher in heavy chalk on
the blackboard. But Miss Smith
never struck his fingers with a ruler,
nor did she keep him in after school
She lust laughed at the awful pic
lures and pretended not TO notice
when Johnny aimed balls across the
room. And when Johnny discovered
that nc was not making such hit,
he didn't find il as much fun as he
had under fidgety, fretful Miss Bas-
com.
Other teachers asked Miss Smith
how she endured life with Johnny
Deering, and Miss Smith always
made some laughing rejoinder. Ev-
eryonc maryeled, and life continued
to go on for Miss Smith in quite the
same way as usual, only she was
really interested in Johnny Deering.
She wanted to make him like her
One day she encountered Johnny's
eyes regarding her interestedly as
she explained point in nature
study, and their absorbed interest
made her think of a story that she
promptly told, 10 illustrate her
point
She forgot herself and told the
story well, the children hung on her
words, and for the first time in her
life she was flushed and happy. The
principal had come quietly into the
room as she spoke, and coming up
to her desk after school he said
evenly:
Il think you have quite a knack
with children, Miss Smith. ! think |
shall put you in charge of the chill
dren's special you are certainly
qualified"
Miss Smiths usually quiet hands
frightened in her lap, but her cup of
happiness was not quite empty,
Johnny Deering slid softly up 10 her
desk and held out a rough little
hand impulsively.
SAY, you're a peach" he said shy
", Il like you" And Miss Smith at
last knew what it meant to have a
real career.