The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1918-08-02
We ALL SPEAK IT
Young GTidIey'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.

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
boy of about fifteen, with q wiry
frame, a well-shaped head thatched
with straw colored hair, large mouth
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 / was interested in, If 1t was
worth while, and then put plenty Of
time into it, and l did. 1t took me
more than two hours" protested Grid
ley.
81 should hardly call the subject
worth while" began Miss Stanhope.
1T was the best game there's been
| this season." said Gridley.
1--WE will let that pass" the teacher
continued. What l object to is the
language that you have used. What
am l 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 vis-
ltors crossed the pan'2 Really, Grid
ley, do you call that English"
Gridley's mouth widened in a grin.
81 don't know about English, Miss
Stanhope, but l 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.
1T might be Choctaw, as far as
am concerned" she said 1T conveys
absolutely no meaning"
"Why, didn't you ever see base
ball gamer exclaimed Gridley.
mo, 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 about 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 it2" said Gridley, with
the joy of the enthusiast in his eyes
Then for more than an hour he ex
pounded baseball, while the English
teacher faithfully groped her way tC
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 Mis-
Stanhope was pretty well versed il
the rudiments Of the game, and, Incl
dentally, GridIey had gained little II
English and a good deal in his liking
for the teacher.
"Tn 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 o
some four years, and it came from
somewhere In France"
perhaps you have forgotten me,
Gridley wrote, "but I haven't forgot
ten you, or the hour that we spen
one Friday afternoon, going over m.
baseball piece / little thought tha
I should not see you again, but w
moved from the city quite unexpect
edly the next week. Now l am far
ther away than ever from the oil
school. But here is the composition
that I promised to pass in, not abou
baseball this time, but about the BIZ
war over here. I'm in harder schoo
, than Bayport High and there's n
chance to play hooky. But I'm glad t
be here and it's up to me to max
, good"
Miss Stanhope accepted the state
ment, not for its elegance but as evi
dence of the serious purpose Of Grid
! ley-llttIe Gridley of the straw-colore'
hair and the contagious grin.
"There will be something doing whel
we fellows get into the game" wrot
Grldley, "and, take it from me, W
will hand the kaiser his all right"
. The thought was badly expresse
but Miss Stanhope thrilled at the spirl
behind the words.
'It won't be long now before it
all over and am back in little oil
America again. the letter went on.
The tears came to Miss Stanhope'
eyes. "Ah, soldier boy" she though
at is well that you over there hay
faith, while so many of US back her
have only hope. Perhaps your fait
will help to make your prophecy com
truep'
Z "I guess" said Gridley, at the en'
"that this won't take very high mar
. as English, but" and the teacher a
though her own eyes were little din
could almost see the twinkle in hi
gray-blue ones as he wrote the words
perhaps it will get by as Unite
States. youths Companion.