"But, darling, you must tell me all about what you see. It will be just as though I saw it myself." Truly? Oh, how glad he is! He opens his eyes, and tells Mme. de Tréan about everything he sees. And it is true; Mme. de Tréan no longer looks sad; she listens to Trott and gently holds him close to her. OCTOBER: OBEDIENCE For the Teacher: ODE TO DUTY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear Flowers laugh before thee on their beds Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong; For the Class: THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE RUDYARD KIPLING Now these are the laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they; But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is - Obey! Suggestions for morning talks Why should a child not loiter on the way to school or from school? How many times should a good boy or girl be told to do a thing? Just once. How can a child obey the laws of good behavior when his teacher is out of the room? What is the school rule one must obey about taking off overshoes? When it is bedtime an obedient child goes to bed cheerfully. A child can show how much he loves his father and mother, by the way he obeys their teaching about bathing, dressing, politeness, behavior at table, doing errands, etc. Every member of the home has to obey if all are to be happy. We all have to obey the laws of our town or city against throwing snowballs or stones, breaking windows or electric lights, stealing flowers or fruit, or trespassing on other people's property. Once a big troop ship called the Birkenhead was taking soldiers from England to a distant land. Off the Cape of Good Hope, she struck a hidden rock and began to sink. The soldiers were called on deck where they made a straight column and stood still. The life boats were filled with the women and children, and not a single soldier left his place in the line. The ship sank lower and lower in the water, and those brave men, who had stood every man in his place, saluted their flag and went down with their ship. Even in the presence of death, not one man became a coward by forgetting to obey the officer's command, "Every man will stand still in his place." Read: "The Turtle Who Could n't Stop Talking," Ellen C. Babbitt, Jataka Tales. Century Co. "Lady Moon," Lord Houghton. Hazard, Three Years with the Poets. Houghton Mifflin Co. WELLINGTON AND THE PLOWBOY ADAPTED BY MARY MCSKIMMON Men who hunt foxes often do great damage to the farmers' crops, by riding over the fields on horseback. One day, a farmer, who was at work in his field, saw a party of red-coated huntsmen with their dogs, coming across one of the meadows toward a wheatfield. As the wheat was just springing up, the farmer did not like to have it trampled on. Calling one of his plowboys, who was working close by, he told him to run quickly and shut the gate, and to make sure that none of the hunters went into the field. The boy hurried away, and reached the field just in time to shut the gate as the first huntsman rode up. "Open the gate at once, my boy," said the man, “we want to go through this field." "I can't do it, sir," answered the boy. "Master has ordered me to let no one pass through, so I cannot open the gate myself, nor allow you to do so." By this time others of the hunting party had come up, and one was so angry that he threatened to thrash the boy with his whip if he did not open the gate. The lad replied that he was only obeying his master, and that it was his duty to do so. Another gentleman offered to give the boy a sovereign if he would allow them to pass through. This was very tempting to the boy who had never had so much money; but he remembered his duty, and refused to disobey his master's orders. This delay annoyed the hunting party very much, and at last a stately gentleman rode up and said, “My boy, you do not know me, I am the Duke of Wellington, one not in the habit of being disobeyed; I command you to open the gate this moment, so that my friends and I may pass. The boy looked in wonder at the great soldier. He had heard of his many victories and was proud to be talking to so great a man. He took off his hat, bowed to the great Duke, and replied: "I am sure the Duke of Wellington would not wish me to disobey my master's orders; I must keep this gate shut, and cannot allow any one to pass without the farmer's permission." The Duke was pleased with the boy's answer, and, raising his hat, he said: "I honor the boy who can neither be bribed nor frightened into disobeying orders. With an army of such soldiers I could conquer the world." The hunting party now no longer tried to pass through the forbidden gate, but, turning their horses, rode in another direction. The boy ran toward his master, shouting: "Hurrah! Hurrah! I have done what Napoleon could not do. I have driven back the Duke of Wellington." NOVEMBER: HELPFULNESS For the Teacher: THE FOOL'S PRAYER1 EDWARD ROWLAND SILL ""T is not by guilt the onward sweep 1 Abridged from Poems, E. R. Sill. Houghton Mifflin Co. "T is by our follies that so long We hold the earth from heaven away. "These clumsy feet, still in the mire, Go crushing blossoms without end; "The ill-timed truth we might have kept- Suggestions for morning talks How many more ways can you think of to be helpful to your teacher and classmates besides these? Helping the teacher pass and collect books, pencils, papers, etc., so quietly that no one is disturbed, and so carefully that nothing is dropped. By being in your own seat promptly every session. By trying hard to follow your teacher's directions the first time she speaks. By keeping your books and tools all in good order. Helping the new children to find their way about the building. Helping other children to own up when they have done wrong. By helping a playmate learn a lesson that was harder for him than for you. By cleaning boards and erasers, helping put the books in nice even rows, and tidying up your part of the school room, your own desk, first. By picking up all the papers on your sidewalks and playgrounds. |