The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-11-10
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Lessons Out Of School
BY GERALD ST. ETIENNE.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)

Newspaper Syndicate.)
EDHE stay on the farm movement
carried no appeal t6-John Peters.
= Not that John disliked farm life,
but his soul crayed for something big
ger and better. Education to him waG
the most wonderful thing ip life.
Graduating from the country school
with the highest marks In the county
had been his first inttmation that
there were big things in store for
him in the educational world and he
had gone to high school In the city
with big aims stored up in his heart.
II was in the first term he had
discovered how different country
people were from city people. Grad
ually II had dawned upon him that
there were little rolloQuialisms in htb
speel that the city pupils lacked.
and straightway he had setto work
correcting himself.
Twenty zone found John back on the
farm for the vacation season, but
Geady to break into university the
next year. The two years he had been
teaching had only made his longing
for more education stronger. Up to
the time John had confined his cor
rections in speech and department to
himself, but apparently the teaching
bug had got into his veins, for be had
not been at home many weeks Defort
he was correcting every member Of
the family.
See here, John Peters, his father
had declared, at last worn out by the
everlasting corrections, "if this farm
and the manners Of US that is on it Is
too all-firingly small for your high
toned nations, then you know what
you can do. All can see is that edu-
cation has made a dunn fool Of you,
and the time is come when you will
have to make choice between US and
it. II you are willing TO settle down
here, this big farm that requires
twenty four hands to work it and nets
me an income something over 10000
year is half yours now and all yours
when | get too old to take an interest
In it. II not, you had better leave
now"
John left. 1t was necessary for him
to teach school seven long years more
before he had the coveted sum to COM
plete his education, but he stuck to
1t admirably. At the end of the sew
enth year he decided that he could
manage his way through university.
Every vacation since the one which
had ended in his leaving home he haG
worked in the city, but now the long
ing for the big outdoors came over
him Somehow he found his way up
in the lumber camps and his services
were engaged as timeKeeper.
John had met ignorance in his day,
but never such ignorance as he found
among those lumberjacks. Why he
was about the only man there that
could speak correct sentence OF
English. II it had not been for Jean
his existence would have been I'M
bearable. But in her he found a
companion worth having. Seeing
that Jean was the daughter OF the
superintendent OF the camp, 1t is
only to be expected that she was diff
ferent from the others. That is why
John took such liking to her.
Something should be done to i'm
prove the education of the men
here" John confided to Jean one
night when they were out Of the lake
in her canoe. 81 wonder if they would
attend school"
why not try them and see?" she
suggested. 81 was reading novel
today about sky pilot that worked
wonders in lumber camp"
my dear girl, you don't read novels,
do you?" John asked. a mingllng OF
surprise and horror in his tone.
why certainly" she answered in
wonder. Don't your"
~ read nothing but the classics"
he told her proudly. you don't know
what you are missing"
"oh, don't know" she smiled, "the
very name classics wearies me out
here-they are SO heavy, so hard to
wade through"
"Ihey are wonderful" he tried to
assure her. LET me go over some OF
them with you"
please don't" she pleaded.
Nevertheless, from that day John
started to work out Plans to make
Jean acquainted with the classics. On
canoe trips, indoors on rainy even
ings, before the big camp fires when
the nights were chill, he managed to
make some reference to them or tell
her parts of some Of hds faVorite pieces
Of fine literature. Gradually Jean
seemed to fall in line with, his plans;
she began to soak in what he told her
Of the master writers. Once or twice
she had quoted Shakespeare, mora
than once or twice she had referred to
Bacon. Indeed she was an apt pupil.
AS the vacation season neared its
and and the changing of the leaves
reminded John that university was
soon to open, great longing came
over him. It was different long
Ing than the old one. This time it
wasn't learning he longed for, but
love. Yes, in spite OF the "old mas
ters" Cupid had squeezed in his work.
It was just a week before John was
! 10 20 back. They were on the lake
probably for the last time. The au-
surpn moon was casting CLOVIS over the
water as the canoe glided to and fro
among the shadows. John dropped the
bars and, without causing as much as
! rock of the canoe, found place by
Jeans side. Just as II it belonged
there, his arm slipped about her waist
As IL in answer to his touch her head
nestled against his shoulder.
Dear little girl, he began, Il have
been wanting to say something to-
Hi2ht hut haven't had the conraRa -