The Glenwood post., 1923-10-25

dreamer. And he was calmly wading
into the subject as If she were the
ex-farm-hand country teacher and he
was the county superintendent-elect
Eating dinner like this, mother"
said the colonel gallantly, "is an edu-
cation in itself-and eating some 9TH
ers requires one; but just how 1arn-
in Is wrapped up in the school lsnch
Is a new one on me, jim"
"Well," said jim, "in the first place
the children ought to cook their meals
as a part of the school work. Prior to
that they ought to buy the materials.
And prior to that they ought to keen
the accounts of the school kitchen.
They'd like to do these things, and it
would help prepare them for life on
an intelligent plane, while they pre-
pared the meals"
isn't that looking rather far
ahead?" asked the county superlntend-
ent-elect.
IT'S like a lot of other things we
think far ahead" urged Jim. 1.-The
only reason why they're far off is be-
cause we think them so. It's a thought
and a thought is as near the mo-
ment we think 1t as 1t will ever be-"
81 guess that's SOTO a wild-eyed
reformer," said the colonel. "But go
on. Develop your thought a little.
Have some more dressing"
Thanks, believe l WILL" said Jim.
And little more of the cranberry
sauce. No more turkey, please"
I'D like to see the school class that
could prepare this dinner" said Mrs.
Woodruff
why" said Jim, you'd be there
showing them howl They'd get cred
its in their domestic economy course
for getting the school dinner-and
they'd bring their mothers into it to
help them stand at the head of their
classes. And one detail Of girls would
cook one week, and another serve.
The setting of the table would come
in as a study-flowers, linen and all
that. And when we get a civilized
teacher, table manners ~
"Td take on that class" said the
nired man, winking at Selma Carlson,
the maid, from somewhere below the
salt. ''The way l make my knife feed
my face would be a great help to the
children"
And when the food came on the
table" Jim went on, with a smile at
his former fellow-laborer, who had
heard most Of this before as a part
of the field conversation, "just think
of the things we could study while
eating it. The literary term for eat
ing a meal is discussing it-well, the
discussion of a meal under proper
guidance is much more educative than
lecture. This breast-bone, now
said he. referring to the remains on his
plate "That's physiology. The cram
berry sauce-that's botany, and COM
merce, and soil management-do you
know. Colonel, that the cranberry
must have an acid soil-which would
kill alfalfa or cloverT
"Read something of It," said the
colonel, but 1t didn't interest me
much"
"And the difference between the
types of fowl on the table-thats
breeding. And the nutmeg. pepper and
coconut-thats geography. And every,
thing on the table runs back to geog-
raphy, and comes to us linked to our
lives by dollars and cents-and they're
mathematics"
1--WE must have something more than
dollars and cents in life," said Jen.
nie. I'VE must have culture"
lift1 sI, -.
to think in terms of life-isn't itr
Like Jesse James?" suggested the
hired man, who was careful student
of the life of that eminent bandit.
There was storm of laughter at
this sally amidst which Jennie wished
she had thought Of something like
that. Jim Joined in the laughter at
his own expense, but was clearly suf-
fering from argumentative shock.
"That's the best answer I've had on
that point, Pete" he said, after the
disturbance had subsidized. But II the
James boys and the Youngers had had
the sort of culture I'm for. they would
have been successful stock men and
farmers, instead of train robbers.
lhhe nay yuouu 'olillllls' loT lIlstiinCt
He had all the qualifications Of mem
Der of the James gang when he came
here. All he needed was few ex-
asperated associates of his own sort,
and convenient railway with unde-
Tended trains running over 1t. But
after a few weeks OF real culture
under a mighty poor teacher, he's de-
veloping into the most enthusiastic
farmer | know. That's real culture"
"It's showing like everything" said
Jennie, who faced the window.
Don't cut your dinner short" said
the colonel to Pete, "but think you'll
find the cattle ready to come in out Of
the storm when you get good and
through"
81 think I'll let 'em In now" said
Pete, by way of excuslng himself. II