Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-02-20
Lessons Out of
School
BY GERALD ST. ETIENNE

VopyTlBht, l5lS, by the Mcclure NeWb-
paper Syndicate)
The stay on the farm movement car
ried no appeal to John Peters. Not
that John disllked farm life, but his
soul craved for something bigger and
better. Education to him was the most
wonderful thing in life. Graduating
from the country school with the high
est marks in the county had been his
first intimatlon that there were big
things in store for him in the educa-
tional world and he had gone to high
school In the city with big aims stored
up in his heart.
1t was in the first term he had dis
covered how different country people
were from city people. Gradually it
had dawned upon him that there were
little colloquialisms in his speech that
the city pupils lacked, and straightway
he had set to work correcting himself.
Twenty-one found John back on the
farm for the vacation season, but ready
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 this time
John had confined his corrections in
speech and department to himself, but
apparently the teaching bug had got
into his veins, for he had not been at
home many weeks before he was cor
recting 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 1t
Is too all-firingly small for your high
toned notions, then you know what you
can do. All can see is that education
has made dun fool of you, and the
time Is come when you will have to
make a choice between us and 1t. If
you are willing to settle down here,
this big farm that requires "a hands to
work 1t and nets me an income some
thing over $4,000 year. is half yours
now and all yours when l get too old
to take an interest in 1t. If 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 It
admirably. At the end of the seventh
year he decided that he could manage
his way through university. Every va
cation since the one that had ended in
his leaving home he had worked in the
city, but now the longing 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 Eng
fish. 1t 1t had not been for Jean his
existence would have been unbearable.
But in her he found companion worth
having. Seeing that Jean was the
daughter of the superintendent of the
camp, 1t Is only to be expected that
she was different 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 on the lake In her canoe.
II wonder If they would attend school,"
"Why not try them and see?" she
suggested. 81 was reading a novel to.
day about a sky pilot that worked won
ders in a lumber camp.
"My dear girl, you don't read novels,
do you?" John asked, a mingling Of
surprise and horror in his tone
"Why certainly" she answered In
wonder. Don't your
II 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"
'They 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 ca
noe trips, indoors on rainy evenings,
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 his favorlte 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 mas
ter writer's. Once or twice she had
quoted Shakespeare; more than once
or twice she had referred to Bacon
Indeed she was an apt pupil.
AS the vacation season neared its
end and the changing Of the leaves re-
minded John that university was soon
to open, a great longing came over him.
It was a different longing than the old
one. This time It wasn't learning he
longed for, but love. Yes, in spite Of
the "old masters" Cupid had squeezed
in his work.
It was just week before John was
to go back. They were on the lake
probably for the last time. The autumn
moon was casting CLOVIS over the water
MS the canoe glided to and fro among
the shadows. John dropped the oars
and, without causing as much as rock
OF the canoe, found a place by jeans
side. Just as II It belonged there, his
arm slipped about her waist. As II in
answer to his touch her head nestled
against his shoulder.