Evening star., 1939-09-25
Our Readers Contribute Some Timely Recipes for Cakes and Cookies
Overgrown
Boy Often
Bully
Bodily Maturity
May Outstrip
Mental Gain
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Jerry is an overgroWn boy, over
weight, overweight, and. perhaps to
hide his feeling of oddity, ovefbear-
ing in his attitude toward the
smaller, weaker and often brighter
children in his class. There were
frequent complaints about him. He
tripped children when they passed
near him. He knocked things out
Of their hands. He would spoil their
work. In vain the teachers talked
to him, marked his behavior down.
He laughed at those who cried and
went clumsily on his way.
He enjoyed his shopwork, espe-
cially the woodworking shop where
he made elaborate models of ships
and planes. He was completing
his masterpiece, a model of an old
stage coach that he hoped would
take the gold medal and prize money
at coming exhibition. His class
mates were making models too, and
priced them as much as Jerry did
his.
The frailest boy in the group was
working on dainty set of furni-
ture for his sisters dollhouse. He
was going to exhibit it and so had
q double interest in its perfection.
He had given 1t coat of shellac
and set it away to dry. Jerry pass
ing by, saw it, knew well what its
condition was and, in sheer mean
ness, brushed it to the floor with
one sweep of his arm: The whole
class groaned, then protested angrily
to the teacher.
The teacher looked at Jerry in
stern silence for a moment. His
look and the anger of his class
mates actually touched Jerry and
for once he looked abashed. II didn't
mean It," he muttered.
MOP" said the teacher. well,
maybe Richard doesn't mean 1t
either. Come over here, Richard"
Richard, his hands sticky with
the shellac and .sawdust mess that
coated his dolls furniture, went to
the teachers side. He was pale with
an effort to keep anger and tears
under control. Not for the world
would he let Jerry see him cry.
Eyes, sir?"
The teacher handed Richard the
beautiful little model of the coach
that Jerry had spent long, loving
hours of work upon and said, "You
do just what you like with this,
Richard. Keep it, break it, throw
1t out Of the window If you like.
Jerry has asked for it. He deserves
oil you give him"
Richard put his sticky hands be-
hind him and looked up at the
teacher with grave reproach in his
eyes. "Oh no, sir. It is too BEAU
tiful to touch. And 1t Is his work
He's an awful mean boy to us, but
his work is beautiful, and anyway
I wouldn't make him lose the medal
I'd like to poke him one in the
nose for what he did to me, but
he's too big. I don't want any part
of him and I wouldn't touch his
work."
Richard got the speech out in
broken phrases. Jerry stood spell
bound, in dread and fear for his
work. Any minute the teacher
might close his fist on the frail
thing, or do as he suggested to
Richard-toss it out of the window
When he understood that Richard
despised him, but would not touch
his work because it was beautiful
he broke down. He was only q
little boy inside, not as big as Rich
ard, and for once he knew it. He
cleaned up the dolls furniture
humble enough. and did his best
to behave decently. He would sue.
coed in that when his growth was
balanced. Knowing Richard helped
a lot.