The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-07-18
We ALL SPEAK IT
Young Gridley'S Letter the Real
"United States"
Expert in English Composition May
Have Had Some Criticism to Make
But She Could Not Misunder-
stand the Meaning.

The members of the English class
had filed out of the recitation room,
with the exception Of Gridley, who,
by special request, was now standing
at the teachers desk.
To the casual observer, Gridley was
a boy of about fifteen, with a wiry
frame, a well-shaped head matched
with straw colored hair, a large o
and gray-blue eyes.
81 am surprised that you should Of
fer this as an exercise in English com
position" Miss Stanhope said with a
note of sarcasm in her voice, point
ing to several sheets Of paper that
lay on her desk.
"You told me to take any subject
that 1 was interested in, If it was
worth while, and then put plenty of
time into 1t, and / Cid. 1t took me
more thar two hours" protested Grid
ley.
"T should hardly call the subject
worth WHILE" began Miss Stanhope.
"It was the best game there's been
this season." said Gridley.
1--WE will let that pass" the teacher
continued. what 1 object to is the
language that you have used. What
am / to make of such expressions as
these: The south paw artist "a free
ticket to the initial bag Duffy was
nailed at the plate two of the Wis
itors crossed the pam? Really, Grid
ley, do you call that English?"
Gridley's mouth widened in a grin.
81 don't know about English, Miss
Stanhope, but / guess it's United
States" he said.
Miss Stanhope smiled herself, al
though she would have preferred not
to. She took her speciality, which was
English, very seriously, and it panied
her when her pupils did not.
cit might be Choctaw, as far as l
am concerned" she said. 1T conveys
absolutely no meaning"
"Why, didn't you ever see a base
ball gamer" exclaimed .Gridley.
"No, 1 believe not" she admitted.
and she perceived at once that her
confession Of ignorance was far more
interesting to Gridley than any dis
play of her knowledge had ever been.
The happy thought occurred to her to
take advantage of the fact. mo-" she
repeated, 81 know nothing abont base
ball, but I should like to learn. Sup
pose you try being the teacher and see
If you can make this all clear to me.
You will have to begin at the begin
ming and be very patient with me-"
'Do you mean it?" said Gridley, with
the ioy of the enthusiast in his eyes.
Then for more than an hour he ex-
pounded baseball, while the English
teacher faithfully CROPPED her way to
an understanding.
"You must think me very stupid
she said more than once, and Gridley,
although he did not dispute her, re-
doubled his efforts to express his mean
ing In words fitted to his pupils capac-
ity. AT the end of the hour Miss
Stanhope was pretty well versed in
the rudiments of the game, and, incl
dentally, Gridley had gained a little in
English and a good deal In his liking
for the teacher.
'Tll hand in a better composition
next time" he assured her as he finally
went his way.
The promised composition was duly
received, although after the lapse OF
some four years, and it came from
somewhere in France"
aPerhaps you have forgotten me"
Gridley wrote, "but l haven't forgot
ten YOU. or the hour that we spent
one Friday afternoon, going over my
baseball piece l little thought that
I should not see you again, but we
moved from the city quite unexpect-
edly the next week. Now ! am far
ther away than ever from the old
school. But here is the composition
that I promised to pass in, not about
baseball this time, but about the big
war over here. I'm in a harder school
than Bayport High and there's no
chance to play hooky. But I'm glad to
be here and it's up to me to make
good"
Miss Stanhope accepted the state
ment. not for it's elegance but as evil
dence of the serious purpose of Grid
Iey-little Gridley of the straw-colored
hair and the contagious grin.
"There will be something doing when
we fellows get into the game" wrote
Gridley, sand, take it from me. we
will hand the kaiser his all right"
The thought was badly expressed
but Miss Stanhope thrilled at the spirit
behind the words.
sit won't be long now before 1t Is
all over and / am back in little old
America again." the letter went on.
The tears came to Miss ~Stanhope's
ewes. "Ah, soldier boy" she thought,
ut is well that you over there have
faith, while so many of us back here
have only hope. Perhaps your faith
will help to make your prophecy come
truer'
81 guess" said Gridley, at the end'
"that this won't take a very high mark
as English, but" and the teacher, al
though her own eyes were a little dim,
could almost see the twinkle in his
gray-blue ones as ne wrote the words,
sperhaps it will get by as 'Uniteu
States youths Companion.
Navy Superstition.