The Washington times., 1931-11-27
CHAPTER Al

O'Clock play interval. l nave
just given an hours lesson to
the upper form. The 14-year-
olds are now charging past
me out into the open. I
watch them from the window.
Within a few seconds they
have altered completely; they
have stripped off the discipline
Of the schoolroom and put on
again the freshness and un'
tamedness of their youth.
Seated here on their forms
In front of me, they are not
true to themselves; there is
something either Of sneaks and
suckers about them. or of sham
mers and rebels. Seven years
Of teaching it has needed to
bring them to this.~Unspoiled
by education, frank and un-
suSpecting as young animals,
they came up to school from
the meadows, their games and
their dreams. The simple law
of life was alone. valid for
them; the most vital, the most
forceful among them was lead
er; the rest followed him. But
little by little. with the weekly
portions of tuition, another.
artificial set of values was
foisted upon them; he who
knew his lesson best was termed
excellent and ranked foremost,
and the rest must emulate
him. Little wonder, indeed, if
the more vital of them resist
it! But they have to knuckle
under, for the ideal of the
school is the good scholar
But what an ideal! What ever
came of the good scholars in
the world?--In the hot house
of the school they do enjoy a
short selnblance Of life, but
only the more surely to sink
back afterward into mediocrity
and inSignificance. The world
has been bettered only by the
bad scholars.
At Play
I watch them at their games.
With vigorous, supple move
ments they are led on by the
curly-headed Dammholt, ruling
the whole playground with his
energy. His eyes are flashing
with courage and eagernesS for
the assault; all his muscles, his
sinews tense, his glance keen;
and the rest follow him unhesi-
tatingly. Yet in 10 minutes
time, when he is sitting here
on the form lagain, from this
same boy will emerge an OBJ
durate, pig-headed little devil
who never can do his tasks,
and who will surely be left
behind again at the next Easter
promotionS.-He will put on a
pious face when I look at him
and as soon as my back is
turned he will be making GRIM
aces. He will lie like knave
when I ask him If he did his
own homework; and If he gets
half a chance he will put a
drawing pin on my chair. But
the Top Boy, who now cuts
such a sorry figure out there
on the playground. will swell
visibly here in the classroom.
Full of conceit and knowledge
ablenesS, he will shoot up his
hand at every question. while
Dammholt sits there and knows
nothing, hopeless and furious.
awaiting his plucking., The
Top Boy knows everything and
even knows that. Yet Damn
holt. who I really should punish.
Is a thousand times more to
my liking than this pale-faced,
model boy.
shrug my shoulders. Haven't
I seen something like it before?
At that regimental reunion at
KonerSmann's? There also did
not the man suddenly count for
nothing, and his occupation for
everything, though before that,
out at the Front, it had been
the other way? I shake my
head. What a world to come
back to!
His RaucOuS Voice
Dammholt's voice goes yelling
through the playground. I won
der to myself whether a more
comradely attitude on the part
of the teacher toward the pupil
might not help matters. It
might possibly improve the re-
lationship a little and get over
q few of the difficulties but at
bottom it would merely be an
illusion. Youth is sharp-sighted
and incorruptible. It hangs to-
gether and presents an impene-
trable front against the grown
ups. It is not sentimental; one
may approach to it, but one can
not enter in to it. Who has