The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-02-11

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SnSNA parent of a high
e~@A~ school boy and a
STORY normal school girl.
The new neighbor
opened her eyes wide. She sur
veyed Mrs. Marshalls "bob," her
short skirt, her slim, 1.-the figure,
and spoke incredulously. "I'n have
to believe it if you say so, but, hon
estly, I thought you were the sister
of those children. In fact, I
thought that perhaps you were a
normal school girl yourself"
Mrs. Marshall laughed. "I wish
l were" she said. There's moth
ing I'd like better than attending
that splendid normal school of ours.
We call it ours, though really it is
about 20 miles from our town"
She smiled reminiscently. "You
don't know, of course-you're a
newcomer and don't know our an
cient history-how this county was
almost rent asunder, as they say in
books, over that same school,"
"Tell me about it," begged the
new neighbor.
Mrs. Marshall settled herself
comfortably in the rocking chair.
81 really believe" she began, at
wouldn't have happened if there
hadn't been such a dearth of news.
You know how it is sometimes-no
murders, no fires, no headlines of
any kind. I can imagine it must
have been dull in the Hanford Ga
zette office-the paper had the same
name then as it has now. And
probably that was why the edi.
torial writer had an inspiration.
THAT evening there appeared an
editorial in the paper, gently sug-
costing that Hanford should have a
normal school,
"And of course the Griswold Star
could not let that editorial pass I'M
noticed. Griswold and Hanford were
always racing each other neck to
neck. They competed on every
thing. So when the Hanford Ga
zette said that we needed a new
normal school the Griswold Star
Immediately piped up that they
should have it. There was a reply
in the Gazette the next evening, fol-
lowed by another in the Star, and
the battle was on.
''After a while the papers from
other sections began to take notice
of the rumpus. And finally it
reached the ears of the state COM
mission of education. And what
did they do but send a delegation
to investigate matters"
Mrs Marshal laughed softly.
"The delegation came to Hanford
and the people welcomed them roy
ally. The leading citizens gave them
a big dinner, and took them for
an automobile ride around the
place, showing up all the sites they
thought might be suitable for a
normal school. Then the delegation
went to Griswold and received a
royal welcome. The leading citi-
zens gave them a banquet and
took them automobiling, show
ing them all the sites that might
be desirable for a normal school.
And then the delegation went home
and the commission considered. A
few days later we heard that the
normal school was to be at DAN
borough, which was between Han
ford and Griswold, about 20 miles
from each.
"Well, it took quite while for
the folks in our town to get their
breath, after that knockout blow.
But the Hanford Gazette put the
best face it could on it. That eve
ming there appeared an editorial,
congratulating the county that at
last it was to have a normal
school, and declaring that since it
was largely due to the efforts of
Hanford and Griswold that the
school was to be built, it would
be well for Hanford and Griswold
to shake hands, forget past differ
ences, and VOW eternal friendship.
"The editorial writer of the Star
was so affected by this article that
he came to Hartford that very eve
ming to personally call on the writ
er. The Gazette Office was closed
by that time, but he located the
editor at her home"
"Her homer" demanded the new
neighbor. "Why, I thought-was the
editor a she?"
eyes, of course-maybe forgot
to say so" returned Mrs. Marshall
placidly. "He found her making
fudge-and he came several times
after that to talk about various mat
tiers. Each time he found himself
liking Hanford better and better,
and finally he decided to settle
there"
Ibid he 60 to work on the Ga
zette?" asked the new neighbor.
ooh, no." said Mrs. Marshall.
HE retired from the newspaper
business just about the same time
the Gazette editorial writer did. You
see, her father had a dry-goods
store, and he wanted somebody to
go in with him as a partner
and"