The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-03-16
Continued from last week.
CHAPTER II


bclpaly of dull hate. Torpor
n little dispersed during a fifteen
bute interval of Music when he
Nil the other pupils in the large
m of the give r. Grade sang re-
te,ly fractions of what they enun-
bod MS "The Star Span-guh-hulled
bner": but afterward he relapsed
the low spirits and animosity nat
10 anybody during enforced con-
lmpnt under instruction. No allevia-
was accomplished by aD invaders
bporary usurpation Of the teachers
kfornl. brisk and unsymPathetical-
cheerful young woman mounting
keon to teach German
Tor long time mathematics and
imam had been about equally re-
sye to Ramsey. who found himself
+y In the compulsory presence of
hi hut he was gradually coming 10
ard German with the greater hor-
because after months of patient
nfal resistance. he at last began To
Snprehend that the German language
sixteen special and particular ways
| using tie GpruMn article CORE
hiding To that flexible Bit Of word
easily managed in Engllsh-the.
la, in the world was the use of
ling sixteen WHY'S Of doing thing
h could Just as we'll he done in one?
1.-The Germans had contented them
les with insisting upon sixteen use
variations for infrequent words,
M as hippopotamus. for instance,
msey might have thought the affair
Reasonable hut not necessarily VI
ps-it would be easy enough to
I'D talking about hippopotamns
e ever had 10 go To Germany. But
fact that the Germans picked out
nd the and many other little words
lsp all the time, and gave every one
them sixteen forms, and expected
hxey Milholland to learn this dizzy
useessncss down to the last
che,y detail, with when to employ
ich' asa nausea to prepare for the
y cqprulsion. when one, DIDN'T usr
irh, because 1t was an Exception"
here was fashion OF making easy
tiers hard that was merely hellish.
The leacher WAS strict but cnthu-
stic: she told the children, over and
Pr that the German was beautiful
gnnge, and her face always had n
m when she said this. At such
PES the children looked patient they
opposed 1t must be so, because she
Is an adult and their teacher; and
b believed her with the same man
OF believing which those Of them
p went to Sunday school used there
Yen the Sunday school teachers were
fhed into explanation OF various
tfers set forth in the Old Tesla
MT, or gave reckless descriptions of
ayen. That is to say, the children
not challenge or deny; already
y had been driven into habits OF
'gnatlon and were passing out of
age when childhood Is able to re-
t adult nonsense.
ramsey Milholland did not know
ether the English language was
lntifnl or not; he never thought
'ht It, Moreover, though his deeper
Yards hated German" he liked his
rman teacher, and II was pleasant
look at her when that glow came
IN her face.
too. there were moments
relaxation in her class. when she
uld stop the lesson ana toll the
Idren about Germany. What a beau
H. good country 1t WAS. SO trim and
Ierly, with such pleasant customs.
all the people sensible. energetic
healthy. There was Music" again
Inc German class. which waf nm
VT alienation though It was the
ne Old Star Spangled Banner" over
ln' Ramsey was tired Of the song
! f'red of MY Country Ills of
re they were bores, but 1t was
using to sing then. In German. In
Ihah they sounded "sort o. funny"
re ollnt mind this bit Of the days
rk
'ali an hour later there arrived his
RENE trial Of this particular morn
. arithmetic then being the order
pusl'ess before the house. he wns
u a'"he to the blackboard. supposed
~ make lucid the proper reply to
,a's' connndrum in decImals and
'.f inc glare and focus Of the
y. room he breathed heavily and
nen everywhere; his brain at once
.a"e Sheer hash. He consumed az
:" ''lhe az possible In getting the
MY ~ The problem stated IN chalk
- anectlng to he critical NJ his own
!. erased whit he had done
carefully wrote It again. After
: nv erased half of it, slowly re-
WI hgureS, and stepped back as If
~ zee whether perspective improved
N' appearances Auui,, In HFtol 81,
sser. -" 'e' '"'
a.. aalnSey MilhoIlandI"
MIAMI
80 u doWn that eraser!"
81, aeS H. | just thought"
-" ply hidden to get forward with
=, 's"' ne explained in a feeble voice
n ~ had hrst To tie n shoestring
i,,.s 'opea 10 do So, but Was not per.
10 -, Miss Ridgely tried to stimu-
INIT "',', with hints and suggestion
hilu, So far ~ ia..i..,l.. -.