The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-08-04
The Blindness
Of Noah
By JANE OSBORN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Observation-Disclosures
O. 1924. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Some one once condemned co-edu-
cation with the statement that II a
young man could daily sit beside
young girls In the classroom and lab
oratory and not be distracted by them
he wasn't worth educating, and II he
were distracted by them, then the sys-
tenn was a mistake.
Noah Jenkins assuredly was not of
the latter class. He certainly was not
blind to the charms of the young
women who attended classes with him
at Winton college, but the distraction
had not been sufficiently disturbing
to impair the seriousness Of his work
during the first three years of his
college course. Then came psychology
a, when for the first time he and little
Mary Jefferson were listed In the
same class. Mary Jefferson, from her
entrance In Winton as a freshman
the year before, had attracted the ad-
miring eye Of Noah Jenkins Az far
as he was concerned, she was the one
perfectly ddstracting and fascinating
Of all the 5O0-odd goods enrolled
there.
And now he had to attend classes
with her. What was more disturbing,
he had to attend classes seated right
beside her. Doctor Gregory always
had the seats In his classes assigned
alphabetically. In this way 1t was an
AM 30 30
without taking the time to call roll.
And there was no one in psychology 4,
this term, whose name came alpha
betically nearer to Jenkins than JET
ferson.
Mary had proved more and more
disturbing and distracting as the term
had progressed, and Noah found him
self taking notes mechanically with
out an idea In his head of what Doc
tor Gregory was explaining. Not that
Mary sought to be disturbing. Though
she and Noah were counted as good
friends outside Of the classroom and
she had gone to more than one college
dance with him, she greeted him with !
merely smile and a nod of the head |
when she took her seat before the lee
ture and seemed to be oblivious of his
presence while the lecture ensued.
Then one day Doctor Gregory |
posted on the bulletin board outside |
the classroom, list Of students with J
whom he would like to confer. On |
such lists were usually written the |
students whose midterm tests had
shown that their prospects of getting
through final examinations were not |
Of the most promising. On this list
were the names of Noah Jenkins and
Mary Jefferson.
Noah passed a group of four or
five girls Of his acquaintance as he
made his way at the appointed time
to the Office Of Doctor Gregory. He
would have saluted them with hail
fellow-well-met dofflng of his small
cap II II had not been that one of
these girls, the smallest and darkest
eyed of the group. was Mary Jeffer-
son. So Noah's greeting showed con-
fusion with a touch of pique.
"Poor Noah" laughed the senior in
the group. "He's got to confer with
old Greg. And Noah has pulled such
good marks right through his course.
Wouldn't 1t be a crime If Gregory
stuck him? Psychology, I guess, was
his Waterloo, but then anyone might
know that he couldn't shine in psy-
chology"
81 don't see why" protested Mary
Jefferson, and then she wished she
had been silent. "Noah Jenkins"
Hes a nice boy" soothed one of
Mary's classmates
"Nice," echoed the senior, "but such
tiesl"
"And socks" added junior in the
group.
1.-THE only time he looks decent is
at one of the formal Dances" ampli-
fed the senior, "for then he has to
wear black. Why, the other day when
President Smith had us seniors at his
house for afternoon tea, he wore tan
shoes and raspberry wool socks and a
shirt, and a violet-and-
red striped necktiew
"Just plain lack Of taste" said the