New-York tribune., 1922-09-12

/ 49," =" i0SoA'S CilS llTSI Qay OF eVel
Even New Years Eve fails to inspire
the same wish to do the right thing as
does schools opening. And as for re-
/ solves. Let's see: ~ Home work to be
done Immediately after school, home
by 8 or 1880, study and writing until,
say, $3.50, or maybe z; then dinner;
help with the dishes; by o'clock
everything should be done; there
should be time for a long walk; one
should get in lots of exercise; a sound
mind in sound body; or dancing a
few nights week; and bed by 10
o'clock, absolutely without fail; a
growing girl should get at least nine
hours sleep every night; 10 o'clock,
and UP by Z. How could New Years
Eve with its ideals compare with the
solemn facts of these decisions?
So o'clock came and it was time to
rise. Gee! Is it that late already ?
The nights must be getting shorter.
Cold water fails to take away that
sleepy feeling.
Old, Familiar Signs
The last eight years have made little
difference in the morning trip to school.
The signs along the al" are DINNER
and dirtier, but otherwise unchanged.
That fearful yellow shoe and the cor
set shop. What shape on that sign!
And that tantalizing smell of cooking
| crullers.
Then reach school. The building,
like the faculty, shows little change
Walls are still ivy covered, with veins
showing where the leaves have dropped
away. The new wing stands out in
solently pale against the dark red of
the old building.
The teachers seemed just the same
Teachers never seem to change, for
some reason. That is, those teachers
who have passed forty. They are pre-
served in mummifed sort of way,
growing a little grayer, but not really
older, with each year. Hair dressed
in the same old way. A pompadour
of limp colorless locks at the front, q
swirl of it at the rear. Or two braids,
thinner than they were eight years
t ago, wound about head that might
have worn them that style when its
owner was a student herself. The men
teachers have their same look of i'm
cipal wears his gray frock coat and
his glasses drop from his nose to a
rusty black ribbon. They always did.
What lot of smiling and unbend-
7 ing this first day. 1t doesn't seem any
more real than it ever did. Miss Dawes,
who, they say, has never smiled at one
of her pupils, looks almost friendly.
Her history~class is the first one on
the program. That hasn't changed,
either.
"Good morning, girls" she says, the
muscles of her face moving upward in
stead of sidewise, as normal smile
would do.
''Good morning, Miss Dawes" the
class calls back, some of the girls
rising as if they ought to do so and
seating themselves hurriedly when
they find they needn't have. Even in
eight years that uncertainty hasn't
been solved.
"Girl,v says teacher, pointing at a
scholar near me, "what is your name.
Yes. Distribute these papers, one for
each seat Glass, stop that whispering,
please! In the left hand corner your
names, surname first. In the right,
official class. Official teacher. If you've
repeated, your last terms mark. Pass
papers forward"
The history lesson. Dates and facts,
put aS1de MlSh one uiploHia anu CuTlS
at graduation time, are suddenly re-
membered again. Are they more i'm
portanb than they seemed once-or
less so?
a.. -. American history requires a
knowledge of European history, since
this country was discovered and de-
veloped as a result of European con-
di:ions."
in t9f0. followed shortly after by the
Renaissance"
q spices and things from the
Indies. Spices were essential to make
the food, palatable There were no re-
frigerators in those days. Girls, how
would you like 10 eat food that had
to be highly seasoned merely that it
wouldn't taste bad ?"
How wonderful Erik the Red" and
aLief the Lucky" sound to ears that
had almost forgotten them! Nothing
can take the romance out of those
names How ridiculous, yet lovable the
theory that earth was flat and the sea
inhabited by demons!
First period over. "Pol- Econ next.
One of the girls learned to call it
pol-econ from her brother, who's study
Ing it at college. So, of course, the
rest did. Youngsters are initiative. Are
we s'old girls really any less so
Good morning, class" DIR. Petrie's
voice this time. Again the yellow slips
are passed up the rows. Name in left
hand corner hadn't forgotten that,
anyway.
aThe economy we shall study this
term will not be the economy you are
familiar with in your daily lives. This
economy ii q social science. Man is q