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Show OUR CHILDREN By ANGELO PATRI NOT APPROVED RYAN, the head of the school, scanned the report card before him with troubled eyes. "Hm-m. Looks all right. Gets high marks In all his subjects. Has an A in conduct, too. Teacher thinks he ought to be promoted. Guess he ought to be. Very smart boy. But I don't like him. "Not a very good reason for holding hold-ing him back. He can do his work. No. I'll promote him. But I don't like him. I hate not to like a boy.. Well, here goes." "Old Ryan" wrote across the face of the report card, "Promoted. T. R." Then directly underneath he wrote, "Not approved.; T. R." That afternoon a very puzzled, boy visited Ryan. Mr. Ryan, youj wrote not approved on my card. How can you write that and still promote me? If I am fit to be promoted pro-moted during the term don't you think I deserve your approval?" "No, I don't If I thought so I'd have said so. I didn't think so and I said so. Sit down. I expected you." "You see, Mr. Ryan, I have to show this card to my parents and, they will want to know what it means and I'm sure I don't know. I think it very unfair of you. And I'm certain my father will think so, too." "Are you?" said Ryan dryly. "I know your 'father well. . I have a notion that he is going to agree with me. You see, Sampson, you are determined to get ahead, to tre the first always. That isn't a bad idea, if you arrive without hurting hurt-ing or hindering anybody else. Winning Win-ning the game is great, but if you break the rules of the game to win you're a bounder and you won't be approved." "I don't know what you mean. I worked overtime and did two terms in one. What's wrong about that?" "Only this. You used two other boys to help you make the grade. You agreed to help them If they helped you. They did their share and more. You saw to that. Phelps did so much helping you that he had no time left to help himself. Phillips the same. You told them you couldn't find time to help them but you took care always to see that they helped you. You made the grade and they didn't. I promoted pro-moted you, but I didn't approve. That's all." I agreed with Old Ryan. It Is time we scanned the records and withheld approval of all those whose achievements have been made at the cost of other people. School Is a good place to begin. A PEACEFUL ROOM I WOULD give a child a peaceful room where he could go to rest and feel himself safe and still. I like pretty rooms. I like color and the forms of lovely things. What I fear in the children's rooms is the fussiness, the crowded activity that is in the decorations. Children like animals and Mother Goose rhymes. They like the pictures that suggest these old friends. But do you think it is wise to paint the walls of their rooms with trumpeting elephants, charging lions, spouting whales and fairy goblins? I don't. Those pictures pic-tures please the grownups, but I am not so certain that they have a good effect on tired children. If there is a playroom whose walls can be dressed with all the animals from the zoo, well and good. Decorations that cause no ripple of thought in daytime stimulate fear in the shadows of night. In my experience ex-perience such things are best kept out of the child's sleeping room. If there is to be a frieze let it be a gentle scheme, soothing and serene in Its atmosphere. A clutter of toys Is out of place in the child's sleeping room. We want that room to express rest, peace, quiet. Disorder makes one restless and a tired child is restless enough without adding anything to Increase his fatigue. Every object he rests his eyes on stimulates him anew when he wants to shut off all stimulation and induce sleep. Have the sleeping room comparatively bare, of soft color, serene atmosphere, at-mosphere, and it will do its full share in restoring peace and quiet to the child who so much needs them. The lighting of the room Is very Important. It Is unwise to allow light to shine In the child's face. Some arrangement to soften the light and still allow plenty of air to circulate about the room Is needed. The bed itself is the chief article of furniture. Have it as near right as possible. That means a rather hard, firm mattress, a flat pillow, If any, and lightweight warm coverings. cover-ings. The mattress and spring are mire important than the frame. Simplicity ought to be the keynote key-note of decoration In the children's rooms. The simpler the better. Color Col-or and line and mood are not expensive expen-sive but they are essentia to the peaceful, restful room a child neds for a grod night's sleep. Sometimes we spend more money than thought i!;" nrs!f dnosn't justify us. . P. :: Fyr.-ii. etc. WNC Sc-r.-ice. |