The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-08-14
TASKS WITHIN
REASON :
HILDA RICHMOND

MRS. Smith laid down her dish
towel at the plaintive voice of the
small boy standing in her kitchen
doorway.
"Why, Billy" she said, "I'll be glad
to. Are your mother and father away
from home
"No," replied the small boy.
"Mother's reading and Dads working
in the garden. They are always too
busy to read to me, and I've got to
learn this poem by heart"
Billy advanced and laid the open
book in Mrs. Smiths hand. "This one,
please" he said, "about Horatius and
the Bridge"
"Billy, you wouldn't understand
that one very WE'LL" said Mrs. Smith
"And you could never learn it by
heart. There are pages and pages of
it,"
give got to learn it all the same,"
persisted the little boy. dad is go
ing to give me fifty cents for learn
ing it,
Billy sat very still on the kitchen
stool, the dishwater grew cold, the
ClOCkS LlCkGu IIle IlllIluCcS away, WIlIc
Mrs. Smith read on and on.
At the very end, Billy slipped from
the stool with long sigh, saying, 81
wish l could read it for myself. 1t
will take lots of reading times to
learn it by heart"
Mrs. Smith nodded "Would you like
to pick some pansies for me now?"
she asked. "My front border is thick
with them"
Billy's face glowed. He dropped the
book on chair and ran out. Mrs.
Smith picked up the book, walked de-
liberately through her back yard and
into her neighbor's garden.
Mr.. Green looked up in surprise at
the grim face his neighbor wore. Owe
been reading 'Horatius' to Billy" she
began.
"I'm sorry he bothered YOU" Mr.
Green began to laugh. 'I'm having a
lot of fun with that little chap. "I've
offered him fifty cents to learn that
poem by heart"
"He can't learn it, Mr.. Green. It's
too hard and too long. Why, he's
only six years old and in the primer
class at school,"
Mr.. Green laughed louder thar
ever.
.a "Of course he can't. But there'll bt
no harm done. The little chap ac
tually thinks that he can do it. It's
so funny to see hom seriously he take:
the task"
"Don't be too sure about the harm
Mr.. Green. | think | know Of two
ways in which very great harm viii
be done"
"What? How" asked Mr.. Green il
genuine surprise.
"Well, in the first place Billy is go
ing to learn lesson in failure. Yol
have set him an impossible task. An
other time he will not be SO sure O
himself"
Shouldn't one learn to fail some
times, Mrs. Smith,"
eyes, if one fails through his owl
lack Of eXertion, he has learned
valuable lesson. But every task at
tempted should be possible one"
81 get your point, Mrs. Smith
What's the other harm?"
"Billy may lose confidence in hi
own father" answered Mrs. Smith
"Next time you set him task, h
will not be so willing to attempt il
A little child expects no trickery
Billy will work and work, but whe
he grows hopeless, it may gradual
dawn on him that you were MAXIM
fun of him. That would weaken hi
trust and wound his love for you"
81 never thought of that, Mr!
Smith," cried the father in eviden
alarm. "Is there anything can do, o
is it too late?
81 don't think it's too late" smile
Mrs. Smith. "Call Billy over and te
him you've decided to change tn
poem. Choose one suitable to his ag
and understanding. Here's Robert c
Lincoln. Billy would like that, an
it's long enough to give him plent
of work for his money"
Mr.. Green held out his han'
"Thank you, Mrs. Smith"
Billy came bounding over the To-
fence, both hands full of long
stemmed pansies. "Here they ar
Mrs. Smith," he cried, pressing thel
into her hands. Then his fac
sobered. "Would you mind reading N
"Horatius' again tomorrow" h
asked shyly.
"I'll read anything you like
smiled his friend. "But think yor
father has chosen shorter poem fe
you to learn"
eyes, and Mrs. Smith won't have
read it to you, Billy. Pm going
teach it to you myself"
"Oh, Dad, how nice" cried the Ii
tie boy, and his face shone with hal
piness.
Company Included-The colonel
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