The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-06-05
SATISFACTION
LUCIA MALLORY

my brother and his wife. There are
three children in that home, and their
mother is blessed with a fine under
standing of their needs and problems.
One afternoon thirteen year old
Alice came home from school in
rebellious mood. "It's no use to try
any more, Mother!" she exclaimed. 81
can't get a good grade in history no
matter how hard l work."
"Grades aren't the only consider
alton, Alice" her mother answered.
''There's great deal of satisfaction
in the knowledge that you've done
your BEST"
"You know how much work l put
into that naturalization report" Alice
went on. n spent one whole afternoon
listening to the hearings in Federal
Court, and was so thrilled over see
ing the new citizens receive their
papers! When Miss Lane handed back
my report today, she had only given
me a 'B'! I'm not going to try to
please that teacher again."
"But what about Alice Marrory?"
her mother questioned. "Would she be
pleased if she didn't do her best?
'To thine own self be true,'" she
quoted, "'And it must follow, as the
night the day, Thou canst not then
be false to any man,"
ooh, Mother, you're always telling
me things like that and making me
do my best! But it is a nice project
this month-anything we want to use
about the pioneers of our statew
Just then friend called Alice to go
roller skating, and we heard nothing
more about history for several days
"Aunt Lucia, do you remember those
little stages we saw in the school ex-
hibits at the county fair when l was
visiting you last fall ?" Alice asked me
one evening.
eyes, one stage represented little
Dutch village, and one showed models
of the vessels of Columbus"
"Do you suppose could make some
thing like that and show pioneer
cabin in an Idaho forest?" Alice went
on.
81 think you could" ! answered,
'but it would take great deal of
work. A whole roomful of children
worked on each of the little stages
that we saw"
81 know, but I'd like to make one
for my history project"
Alice secured an empty carton from
grocery store and placed it on one
side so that it opened like stage.
She made a narrow drop curtain of
black silk to hang across the top and
curtains of the same material to tie
back at each side. A cabin and stock
ade were constructed of brown wooden
logs from her brothers play set. Little
pine branches served as trees.
The pioneer man and his wife were
two little dolls which Alice dressed
carefully in the pioneer costumes of
seventy years ago. Miniature horses
and a COW from the ten-cent store
found their way into the stockade, and
my nephew contributed tiny dog.
Alice carried her stage to school on
the last day of the month.
She came home with glowing re-
port. "Miss Lane was delighted with
my project. She had me take it
around to show to the children in all
the lower grades, and she's going to
save it for one of the special exhibits
at the end Of the year."
"What grade did she give to you?'
l asked, thinking that the best time
to bring up that subject was wher
she was happy over her success.
81 don't know, Aunt Lucia" Alice
answered. "Miss Lane didn't tell me
and | didn't ask her. The little stage
came out so well, and | had so mucl
fun making it that | haven't thought
much about the grade"
Alice had learned the satisfaction OF
being true to herself.