South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-17

Some children learn by asking
questions: others learn by original
Investigations. The latter learn
more rapidly and rem ember longer
what they have learned.
We have just been entertaining
one of the investigating kind. His
mother left him over here while she
went TO a bridge party.
Don't try 20 amuse him at all 30
she said as she kissed him goodbye.
He is wonderful at finding things
10 do. He can entertain himself
with anything at all"
We soon found that she had not
over estimated the capacity of her
child for self entertainment. In
fact. il would have been impossible
for any one 10 over estimate it.
even the most doting of mothers.
We hunted up the earthly re-
mains of toys long since left idle by
children who are now using college
freshmen for playthings There
were a few blocks, a decapitated
rocking horse, the wreck Of a train
of iron cars and some fragment
airy games.
These we placed on the porch
and set the young visitor down
our business.
Ten minutes later I heard the
same kind of a sound you hear after
the comedy villain is chased from
the stage by the comedy hero and
impinges on a comedy bay window
off stage.
Fearful lest the child had climbed
up on the window seat in the living
room and fallen through the glass,
1 hurried down stairs.
NY fears for the child were quite
unnecessary. He was unhurt and
calm and business like. He had a
midiron over his shoulder which he
had found in a bag in the hall. He
had Just found out that a midiron
properly directed would break one
kind of a window, and was i'm the
act of discovering whether it would
break another kind Of window.
I yelled at him as loud as / could
10 attract his attention. He looked
at me with a cheerful smile and
said:
Look see, Man"
IL was useless TO try 20 stop him.
He had made his second discovery
concerning the midiron before l
could reach him.
ne EftlMtu a llkllt utAAtu NIACM 4
took the club away from him. He
followed me into the hall. watched
me solemnly while I replaced il in
the bag, and was about 10 accom-
pauy me upstairs 70 find out what
I was going 10 do with IL. l made
him understand that this was not
20 be, and without any manifesto
tion of displeasure he returned to
the fr.tur nOrCh
The Lull Before.
Somehow or other ! couldn't work
steadily after that. even though I
had locked the door so ne could not
return to the living room.
But for half an hour everything
was perfectly quiet. and I gradu-
ally began 10 forget him.
Then the canary. which ought to
have been securely cabined. cribbed
and confined in his gilded cage,
came hurrying into my room and
perched on one of the curtain poles
His feathers were ruffled, his voice
was shrill and complaining. and he
was evidently dissatisfied about
something.
went down stairs 70 see what
had ANNOYED him. The little guest
was thoughtfully regarding the open
cage. with the cat, scratching ener-
getically 10 free herself, tucked
firmly under one arm.
cat try eat bird. Bird fly. fly, he
said in the engaging tone Of one
imparting interesting information.
His brow puckered when I asked
him how he got into the house. but
ne finally caught my drift and point
ed 10 the window he had smashed
with the midiron. I hadn't thought
OF that. But I did think OF the dam
ace ne might have done 20 himself
crawling through the glass toothed
panes. There were scratches on his
little arms and legs and rents in his
blouse. but a close examination
showed that he was not seriously
hurt.
He submitted 10 washing and TO-
dine and court plaster with a quiet
attitude He nodded when I told
him he must not so out on the
porch again. ! offered 20 bring the
TOYS into the living room. but he
made II plain 20 me that he did not
care for them
So giving him - picture book to
look ar. I went back 20 the job.
His silence OminOus.
Before. I had been pleased with
silence below stairs Now as II be-
came prolonged. 1 began 10 worry