The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-03-31

do. l called up my niece, Ann, be-
cause knew she had childen's books
her children never look at +. they
are mostly grown up now. She said
why yes, of course, the school could
have them, and could have had them
years ago, only she didn't know they
needed them. That's been the trouble
None of us knew, day by day, what
was needed.
Well, after that it come out that
she hadn't mortal thing to give the
children to play with, rainy days,
when they had to stay in. So I
made 'em some bean bags, and got
Hiram Willing to saw holes in a
board to make the board. Those
young ones have autually played one
set of bags to pieces, and I'm max
ing 'em a second set this minute.
And that made me think about
games, and 1 telephoned around and
got hold of checkerboard and a
backgammon board that folks weren't
using. And l cut some big letters
out of the magazines and pasted
them on pieces of cardboard and
made them set for that spelling
game, Logomachy. they call it. And
l spliced some old rope into rings,
and made 'em set of ring-toss. Oh,
lots of things that came into my
mind when I remembered back when
was little girl. It's been fun"
"And what else? Oh yes" Aunt Mari
began to laugh, II found out that no.
body paid any more attention to the
truant law than as if it didn't exist.
You know what the law Is, that every
child's got to go to school as long as
he's of school age. Well, knowing
that was the law I'd never thought
thing about it. Supposed of course
they did. Well not bit Of it Once
I began to take notice of what went
on about schools, l found that there
were families of children in this
town. them that live far back up in
the hollows. that hadn't been to
school regular, never! Miss Rice,
being stranger in town, thought
all she could do was to go to the
truant officer about it, But who is
the truant officer in town ? Well,
who but Jim Rathbone, my cousin
Jim. and what does he care whether
the Burnt children go to school or
not -? Less than nothing. Nor no.
body else, till Miss Rice told me
about it. Why that big Burrit boy,
that's eleven now is a nice bright
boy as ever was, and he couldn't
hardly read the name of the town he
lived in, last fall. Well. Miss Rice
couldn't think of anything to do
about getting the Burrits to school
except to go to the proper officer
about it. And he beirg Cousin JIM.
that's all the good it did.
But I could think of something
else, you'd better believe. I went
to Jim's wife. and his daughter and
I called up the family every morn
ing at breakfast time to ask 'em if
the Burrit children were going to
school that day. And I got all the
neighbors round here stirred up too,
and they'd telephone once or twice
every day; and the men-folks when
hey went to town and see Jim, they'd
boiler out when are the Burrit
comm to school 2" We kind
IF made a game of it. But 'twan't
no game for Jim. He was as mad as
4 hornet. You'd think to hear him
20 on that we were all picking on
lin without cause and that it want
nothing to him whether the Burrits
rot any schooling or not. Honestly
don't believe he'd ever thought in
lis life before what it meant to be
ruant officer. Rachel. his wife, told
ne that he got so he'd swear like a
ROPER every time the telephone
ang.
But land 'twan't long before the
3urrits were in school all four Of
hem and nice young ones too,
hough they do look as wild as little ,
Iawks, with never seeing anybody
efore Miss Rice and / we take !
pecial notice of them and she serds I
hem over here to get washed and /
ombed when they come to school ,
cry bad you know their mother ,
int more half-witted for all she's ,
o good natured Miss Rice has made ,
with their folks to ,
eep them down here nights when
is too stormy to get back up there ,
n the hollow and we're learning
hem all sorts of decent ways, between ,
is.
"Well for mercy sakes !" l. ex- I
laimed "Will you please tell me
where you put four children, as we'll {
S a ol-tnacher over night % .
Aunt Mari explained "Miss Rice ,
nd I sleep together, and we put two {
f them in the other bed, and the /
ther two, we send over to the
'erkinses they've got an extra -,
,ed and l told Jen Perkins I'd like
o know what better use she could ,
make of her spare room than to help
ivilize some children in her own
own that never would get it any
'ther way"
Oh yes I knew how Aunt Mari !
would say that, with her old jaw set,
md her sharp eyes piercing. under {
tand how Jen Perkins would not
lave dared say no. Yes, / quite {
what it had meant for
he school teacher to have valiant {
Id Aunt Mari adopt her . and
With her the school and education of ,
he children in her district. And
,Jtbouob I 1uac choufinU "hurrah |