Show JAMES PREFERRED TO STAND I 1 story of a schoolmaster and the genius of art the schoolmaster was ft A very athletic peron ft a fal act t ot of which the boys had ailed failed perhaps to toko take note lie had ad large hand and much endurance indeed ha he needed both hands were unusually necca aary in jila his department as those who have tried to manage boys between beaw cen tho the ages of 0 ten and twelve e can very well w ull understand and as for endurance he be needed the andu endurance ranco of the father ot of one boy of ten or twelve ti alve magnified to the ono one hundredth degree because I 1 about that number of youths had fallen n to his lot for or direction in knowledg know led able paths on the morning following st valen ti elnoa nas day ho he seemed unwontedly cheera cheerful 11 BO so cheerful in fact that certa certain in bad iad Z boys in the third row feared that there I 1 war something the matter with the united 1 states mall mail how ilow a man par particularly ticul arly a I 1 schoolmaster could smile after re e ivainga I 1 certain libelous picture a figure tho the body cut from thom ono one ol 01 the colored cari ciri 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 dsa e j wo halff sn a conic theire me aa clial M at tta ra prize gooce clipped from an agricultural journal jur beneath which was printed in inverted N na Is and weary w cary lettering of unmistakably boyish make a rhymed insinuation that the educated goose knew everything ex except capt what was so none ot them could comprehend surely that work of art they thought must have lave gone but the notion was soon dissipated for after the usual preliminary exercises in the opening of the school had bad been gone through with the master rose from bis his seat and made the following remarks my dear boys said he be inasmuch As yesterday was st valentines day I 1 have determined to give to you all a half holiday hollday shrieked one of the third row boys restrain yourselves boys said the mas master ter gently walt wait until I 1 have finished we will have no lessons during tho the morning hours cried one of the fourth row boys that will do W will illie ie 11 said the master raising ills his hand which willie no sooner was than he had a relapse of quietude and cowered in his chair 1 I should not have remembered that valentines day had bad come and gone continued the master had bad I 1 not found upon my desk this morning a very clever piece of artistic and poetic work I 1 have read the lines upon the educated goose and land I 1 am inclined to think that they are without any exception the cleverest lines of the sort I 1 have ever seen and I 1 am glad to say that my assistant is of the same opinion indeed he lias bas asked me we to let him have the production as it stands picture lines and all to show to a friend of his who is on the edi editorial todal staff stat of one of the magazines because he thinks tho the magazine might like to publish it but I 1 am bisin to let him do this not that I 1 am not proud of some one of my pupils who prefers notto not to put misname his name to his wonderful production but that it if the sketch were published in the magazine I 1 should doubtless receive some ten or fifteen dollars in payment for it which of course I 1 could not consent to accept I 1 could not under any circumstances part with a voluntary testimonial of affection from one of my pupils and my only regret is that one so gifted as the designer of this valentine has chosen to ta keep his name secret I 1 tell im jimmie came a smothered voice from the fourth row silence boys said the master encouraged cou our raged ged by this valentine I 1 expect to start you all off in art work w ork in a very short time and I 1 am convinced from the corn composition POI of this figure of the educated goose that HO we have among us a youth of extraordinary tal tall im dimill came from jimmie perkins of the third row his bosom heaving with pride if you can get fifteen dollars for it mr im willin w illan 11 I 1 ahl said mr a smile lighting up tip his features it was ft as you was it Jim jimmied yes sir said jimmie with enthusiasm 1 I done it all by myself no help from anybody it if its worth fifteen dollars well talk that over together james interrupted mr it you will come into my private room A matter of ho great importance should not be talked over BO so publicly the school is now dismissed until I 1 mr disappeared into his private ro room omand and jimmie stalked proudly after him hardly deigning to notice any one while the rest of the boys bo a departed for the skating pond with envy in their breasts jimmie allers was a lucky feller 11 said one I cat for landin on his feet said another and so the time went on at I 1 school opened again and as the boys trooped in they were surprised to see that standing by mr slickers Sm ickers desk looked deeply pained and thoroughly bly disgusted james paid said mr as the boys quieted down and school began again you may take your choice you may return to your seat or stand in the corner comer and strange to relate jamea preferred to stand in the corner comer and since that time ho he has lost all his interest inte resl in art mr still has the valentine which has hes not yet been published harpers bazar |