The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-19
THE NEW
GENERATION
MARGARET VISITS MRS. CoREY's
SCHOOL.
By JANE PHELPS
Chapter 10


Margaret received note from Mrs.
Corey, the director of the girls school
Joan attended. asking her to call. She
said nothing to Joan about it, but to
Hannah she frankly confided that she
was worried.
II am afraid Joan has broken the
rules again." she said. Only a short
time before Joan had been reprimand-
ed for some misdemeanor, trifling to
be sure, yet causing her mother to feel
anxious. I do hope she has done moth
ing very wrong"
Don't you worry, ma'am. Miss
Joan amt goin' very far out of the
way. Children will be children, and
them fancy schools fergits it some
times. I amt no ways taken up with
them schools nohow. Seems to me
the kind the United States has for the
children is good enough for anybody,
even Miss JOAN"
Ever since Joan had gone to Mrs
Corey's Hannah had invariably called
it fancy school, and rather scorned
it. ~
Public schools are just as strict
perhaps more so. in discipline" Mar
garet replied. Then: ooh, do hope
she hasn't done anything too dread
fuli'
Sometimes Margaret wondered, in
the back of her mind. If by any quirk
of fate she had made an irretrievable
mistake in bringing Joan up as she
had-in allowing her perfect freedom
of thought and action.
II won't believe I am wrong! 1t is
the child's right" she said aloud. as
she so often did when a bit worried
about Joan or something she had done.
1t was almost as If she were trying to
persuade herself.
In an effort to draw Joan out Mar
garet tried, in a roundabout way, to
lead her on to talk of the school, her
classmates, and happenings, hoping to
get some inkling of what Mrs. Corey
wanted.
But Joan was non-communicative
She answered any questions Margaret
asked, but did not volunteer any infor-
nation.
'I heard Joan express herself in a
way of which 1 cannot approve" Mrs
Corey said to Margaret. The principal
about so, tall, stately, and very dfgni-
fled. Margaret was a bit frightened,
yet complied composedly:
please tell what she did, or said,
Mrs. Corey
Tt perhaps was not much in itself
yet I fear for the effect of such re-
marks upon the other girls" the lady
the girls-were accountable to no
one, not to me, their parents, to no
one but themselves. To say the least,
her ideas are peculiar for a girl not
yet Is years old"
Has she done anything out of the
way?" Margaret asked quietly.
why, no, nothing particular. She
is rather headstrong, as doubtless you
know. But she has great pride in her
attainmenas. so gives US little trouble
in the recitation rooms. AS she is a
day pupil we of course know nothing
of what she does when she. leaves
schoor'-tnis latter remark in a tone
that conveyed doubt as to how Joan
might be managed, when away from
her Influence.
"she only says what she believes.
Mrs-Corey. 1 have brought her up
to believe it her right to express her
own individuality-to be Joan Hayden,
not copy of some other child. be-
lieve in self-expression. the keeping
of the personality, God has given US,
the right of every human being. My
own childhood was one long agony
because 1 was trained every moment
of the time-loved, yes, but never al
lowed to use the brain, heart, or con-
science possessed. Some one always
used thiers for me.
IT made up my mind that MY child
should come up untrammeled. I hoped
she would grow up, sweet and gentle
like some delicately scented flower,
but even if she grew into an unat-
tractive weed, I believed she would
have more real joy out of life than if
1 pruned and cut off all the little
shoots of her mind, as mine were cut
off. I may have been wrong in taking
this attitude, may be wrong in con-
tinuing to allow her to be her own
guide as to what is right, and what
is wrong. But 1 shall not change my
plans for her. I am sorry you should
think it necessary to worry because of
anything Joan said. She is sweet and
she is honest and I have trusted her
always. She has never disappointed
me-"
you have, to say the least, peeu-
liar ideas of how a child should be
managed Mrs. Corey calculated. 81
di not know that you, also. held the
same ideas I heard your daughter ex-
pound so glibly to the other girls.
shall have to see that she does not do
lit again. I am glad to have met you,
Mrs. Hayden" rising, land good after
noon"
Margaret felt much as a child who
had been sent home for misbehavior
migt feel Yet as she walked slowly
away she'smiled to herself. Whatever
people might say, how feel about
Joan, no one ever would be bored with
her.
(Tomorrow-Hortense's gossip annoys
Joan.)