Evening star., 1941-03-02
Panama Jungle Visit Native Indian Village
Just
Between
Ourselves
- BY PHILIP III. LOVE,
Junior Star Editor.

FVerV reader OF 1ne Junior star
can learn an important lesson from
a letter that I received the other
day. Written by l4-year-old girl,
it began
MY mother goes to work early
every morning, and she always
leaves the house for me TO clean.
On this particular morning, I did
not feel like working"
The girl-well call her Mary be-
cause her name is nothing like that
was busy feeling sorry for herself
when three friends came to ask,
Can you go out to play?"
For a while Mary and her friends
played Hide and Go Seek" All the
time. however. Mary was thinking
about her housework, wondering
how she could get it done without
giving up her play. Finally, she
suggested, Lets play mother
The other girls agreed, and it was
decided that Mary would be the
mother" Then she put into effect
the scheme she'd had in mind all
along: While she waited outside,
pretending she was away at work,
her children" would tidy up the
house.
when I thought all the work had
been done. I went home" Marys
letter concludes. How clean every
thing was! I praised and thanked
the children for what they had done.
But l was tiCkled inside at how my
scheme had worked"
What, you ask. is the lesson in
Marys letter? Simply this
Every one of us, boy or girl, man.
or woman. rich or poor, has certain
duties in life. Sometimes those du-
ties are pleasant, sometimes not
But, pleasant or otherwise, the du-
ties that are ours are not to be
shlrked. Thinking up schemes TO
avoid our duties by passing them
on to others may be clever, but 1t
does not help to develop strong
character. And strength Of char
acter is the most important quality
that any Of us can have.
Mary, of course, did not think of
her little scheme from the stand
roint OF character. To her, 1t repre-
sented nothing more than harm
less method of getting out OF doing
the work that was hers, and hay-
ing a little fun. besides. Her game
was innocent enough-of that l am
s,Ire-but. Just the same. 1t repre-
sents an approach to life that IS
dangerous.
Whatever our dutieS-Washlng
dishes, carrying out ashes, running
errands. "mindirg" the baby, mas
tcrinc our school work-We owe 1t
to ourselves to perform them as
best we can. Thus, We train our
selves to take on bigger and more
important duties, to become good
Ci. iz2ns. good workers, good hus-
bands and wives. good fathers and
nothers-in short, men and women
of character
X x y
Junior jottingS:
In Scottish schools, says Billy
Wilson, 15-year-old refugee from
The land of bagpipes and kits, now
attending Bethesda Chevy Chase
High School students are asked to
save all bones, papers, rags and
other refuse. as they can help to
make airplanes." . The boys and
girls of Montgomery Blair High
School have voted to call their ath-
letic teams the Blair Blazers.
"Elegy.' a string composition by
David Palmer, Woodrow Wilson
High School. was played during a
recent concert by the Department
OF Agriculture Orchestra SYLVIA
Prost. I6, Fairfax tVao High School,
from whom the ]. S. hasn't heard In
IT least a year, says she has two
smooth stories in mind" -. Favor
ite football player Of Ted Crozler,
Is. Central High School, is wayne
Holt. mainstay of the University OF
Oklahoma Golden Hurricane. HIS
versatility makes his very handy
man to have around" Ted writes.
Theodore Smith, author Of a recent
J. s. story on the Woodbridge School
Garden project, explains why he
hasn't been heard from since: !
was transferred to Junior high, and
50 many things were happening at
Cnce that it sort Of balled me up.
Connie Rounds, 63l0 Beechwooo
drive, Chevy Chase, Nd, speaks ur
for her favorite animal: "a horse
never Iorgets, and no matter how
long YOU stay away, if you really
deep down in your heart, love her
she'll remember YOU" -. And Ann
Relser. II, Leland Junior Hlgf
school, for hers: The st. Bernard
at his rescue work, the faithful
Eskimo husky pulling his daily bur
den. the Seeing Eye helping the
blind, the collie rounding up the
rheen-when all this came to me
I seemed to firrd 2 closer affection
for my puppy. the same little doe
which. five minutes before, 1 hac
thought good for nothing other thar
to play with"