Milford chronicle., 1938-02-11
INFRRTORITY
Laura Gray

Laura Gray
"Oh, those Fleming children ar
all so painfully slow to learn! VIII,
the two older boys remained in on
grade In school for two years, ana
this fall the little one, Bill, has jus
started" Mrs. Todd was indulginI
In a talk across the fence with he
neighbor, Mrs. Burt.
very likely he'll be just as stu
pid!" responded Mrs. Burt.
There was sound on the patti
and Bill Fleming darted past.
Hope he didn't heart" whispered
Mrs. T0dd.sl-
Good thing II he aid! Make him
work, perhaps"
But siK-year-old Bill trotted ON ID
school with a vague ache in his lit.
tie heart. The Fiemfngs couldn't
learn-he himself was like the rest
Il was something sad that couldn't
be helped
He'd heard similar remarks before
and the "hoodoo" hung over him,
making him shy, self-eonscious,
afraid. How different was Cyril
Small, the bright boy. who always
jumped to open the door for Teach
er. He was always chosen to run
errands. to go to the storeroom for
a supply OF pencils, or up to the
principals room with q note.
= But today there was a new teach
or. a substitute, IN place of Miss
Strong. one Bill had never seen be-
fore She was a pretty girl with
kindly eyes. She looked straight at
the lad and said, "Will you work
these examples on the board, so that
the rest may correct theirs by your
answers?'
Z Bill looked around in bewilder-
ment-nOt that he was afraid OF the
task-number work was his hobby,
although he seldom bothered to
complete HIS exercises In school. He
hesltated.
Cyril Small jumped to his feet,
"Please, Miss, Bill isn't very good at
numbers. He always gets d."
& I'D like Bill to try" she answer
ed, looking confidently at the boy
and smiling.
Bill walked up and quickly work.
ed the whole set correctly. He hadn't
done them in his book. What's the
use-when you're the prize stupid in
the school?
Silent surprise spread through the
room. Bill had been asked to do
something and had done IL well. A
vague sense of self-esteem was at
that moment awakened in Bill's
breast. The attitude Of his fellows
toward him was changed.
= Give dog a bad namea~might
as well hang him." are words as
true today as when they were first
uttered. TO have someone believe in
us is a tremendous help. And this
surely is the loving privilege of
those at home. IL our families have
no faith in us, who will have? Gen
uine praise, honestly given, is to
timid child as fresh Goals to a dying
fire. In fact the realization of ones
OWN ability is the beginning Of sue
cess in life.
OF course there Is the other ex-
RENE to guard against. We all know
he mothers darling who is called
10 show of on every occasion. This
child gets an exaggerated opinion OF
his Importance. But honest praise |
lor anything we'll done, or even
Drayely attempted, may be given un- /
One mother whose little girl was
lOIng well with her music tried to
Ihow her daughter that this gift |
should be used to serve others. So
fiona was called upon to play at her
'arty while her guests carried on
Jane. Here was q. new idea--no One
listening or admirfng the girl at the
,ianO. but the game and the pleas
ire of others depending upon her
,laying well. So she patiently kept
N, with pauses between her selec-
ions, for full half hour. though
he would have liked TO stop and
DIN In the game herself.
Outstanding ability, even IN small
bings, brings with II the joyous OPP
Iortanity for service. and this
hought should he planted very early
child's mind. But the boy or girl
tho is made TO feel inferior is him
cred in self-expressiou In this
lay he Is retarded In development
nd so prevented from making his
est possible contribution to society.
49, ---4-------