Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-18
The eDahyNouelet
The Blindness of Noah
by JANE OSBORN
by JANE OsBORf

H. UC DGGStUStSSS VI INOUsG
by JANE OSBORN
COME one once condemned CO. educa-
~ ton with the statement that If n
young man could daily cit beside young
girls in the classroom anG laboratory
and not be distracted by them he wasn't
worth educating, and II he were dis
tracted by them, then the system was
mistake.
Noah jenkins assuredly was not of
the latter class. lie certainly was not
blind to the charms Of the young women
who attended classes with him at Win
ton 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 4, when for the
first time he and little Mary Jefferson
were listed in the same class. Mary
Jefferson, from her entrance in Winton
as n freshman the year before. had at
tracted the admiring eye Of Noah Jen-
kins. As far as he was concerned, she
was the one perfectly distracting and
fascinating of all tAc 5OO-odd co eds
enrolled there.
And now he had to attend classes
with her. What wns more disturb.
ing. he had to attend classes seated
right beside her. DIR. Gregory always
had the seats in his classes assigned
alphabetically. In this way it was an
easy matter to note the absentees with
out taking the time to call n roll. And
there was no one in psychology this
term whose name came alphabetically
nearer to jenkins than Jefferson.
Mary had proved more and more
disturbing and distracting as the term
had progressed, and Noah found himself
taking notes mechanically without an
idea In his head of what DIR. 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
u nod Of the head when she took her
seat before the lecture and seemed to
be oblivious of his presence while the
lecture ensued.
Then one day DR.. Gregory posted on
the bulletin board, outside the class
room. list Of students with whom he
would like to confer. On such lists
were usually written the students whose
midtcrm tests had shown that their
prospects of getting through final ex-
aminatiOns were not Of the most prom.
Using. 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 DR.. Gregory. He would have
saluted them with n hail fellow we'll
met doffing Of his small cap If it had not
been that one of these girls, the smallest
and darkest eyed of the group, was
Mary Jefferson. So Noah's greeting
Poor Noah" laughed the senior in
the group. lies got to confer with
old Greg. And Noah has pulled such
good marks right through his course,
Wouldn't 1t be crime il Greggy struck
him! Psychology, l guess. was his
Waterloo, bot then any one might know
that he couldn't shine in psychology"
II 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'a classmates.
Nice echoed the senior. but such
And socks" added, a junior in the
group.
The only time he looks decent is
at one of the formal Dances" amp.ified
the senior, "for then he has to wear
black. Why. the other day when Pres
ident Smith had us seniors at his house
for afternoon tea, he wore tan shoes
and raspberry wool socks, with lemon
yellow shirt. and violet and red
striped necktie.'
Just plain. lacks taste" said the
junior with fina!ity. ''Oh. well. it is
in just those ways that we find out
what mans rea. nature is like. He's
simply lacking in taste. That's why the
girls don't encourage him. Taste means
80 much in girls happiness
Mary Jefferson had listened to this
viviscction of Noah's character with
we'll concealed embarrassment. While
1t was once whispered about that Mary
Jefferson and Noah jenkins were
nearly engaged the fact that Mary
mad imported boy from her home
town for II recent dance nnd was no
more seen walking with Noah Jenkins
on Saturday afternoons made it seem
apparent to her friends that she had
ceased to be his champion.
The fact was that Mary had be-
come disturbed and distressed over the
manifest lack of taste on the part of
Noah. lie had tried to propose to her
one afternoon two months before. She
might have accepted had he worn
subdued colors, but he had worn those
raspberry socks, with Il green shirt
Il vivid jade greenland round his neck
was tied cravat of purple and yellow.
Mary's esthetic nature had pulled her
of from the shoals of sentimentalty
and she had refused.
Meantime Noah jenkins had gone
to see pr: Gregory-Odd. good .nat,ired.
wise Old DR.. GregOry--called Greggy by
the undergraduates, but remembered a.
an understanding father confessor by
more than one Of those who had grad
uatcd from Winton.
AS Noah entered his Office Dr. Greg
ory peered over his glasses and did not
fnll to make mental note of the medley
OF colors. First he told Noah bluntly
that his work in psychology / was below
par and then that lie had looked up his
record and saw that he was usually II
good student.
want you to tell me, Mr.. ,Icn-
kins, said DIR. Gregory, us a physician
nsks for symptoms, what peculiar cir.
tlmsiances exist in this class of mine
hat have resulted in your poor work "
Then DR.. Gregory lcvcled his clear eyes
on ne young man and seemed to exact
the truth.
= suppose ! am a fool" began