E. Hershey Sneath

Pictures of School Children

I

One rainy day Ben asked his mother to give him a story book. Billy had gone down to see Dick Waters, and Betty was busy mending her doll's dress. Ben was tired of playing alone, and thought that he would like to read awhile.

So his mother gave him a book full of school tales. Soon Ben was sitting before the open fire reading the book.

After he had read three stories he turned over a leaf and saw several pictures of boys and girls. Of course, Ben thought that he would like to read what the book had to say about them. So he snuggled down in the corner of the big sofa and began to read. He soon found that he wasn't reading a story. The book told of different kinds of school boys and girls. The first picture was a picture of "The Late Boy." On his way to school he had heard a hand organ, and had run down the street to listen to the music, and to see whether there was a monkey picking up pennies.

For awhile the boy forgot all about school, and when the organ stopped he ran as fast as his short legs would carry him. But he was ten minutes late when he reached the schoolhouse. At first he was afraid to open the door. He tried to think of some excuse to give to his teacher for being late. Once he thought that he would tell a lie, but he knew that would be wrong. At last he decided to tell the truth, and stay in at recess for being late.

Ben looked at the picture and saw how all the pupils looked around to see who had come into the room. They should have been studying their lessons, but "The Late Boy" tempted them to look away from their books.

Ben saw these words beneath the picture:

On the next page Ben saw another picture. It was a picture of "The Lazy Boy." He did not like to study. When others were busy learning their lessons, "The Lazy Boy" had his head lying on his arm on the desk. He had twelve words to learn to spell and five sums to do in arithmetic, but he was too lazy to work. Every now and then he would open his mouth and yawn. He would forget his manners when he yawned, and would not cover his mouth with his hand.

Ben looked at the picture. He saw that "The Lazy Boy" was about half awake and half asleep. He wondered how such a boy could study. When he looked again, he found that the boy's book was closed. So Ben said to himself: "I don't think that he will spell those twelve words correctly." And Ben felt sure that the boy would never do his five sums with his head lying on his right arm. Beneath the picture Ben saw these words

When Ben turned over another leaf of the book, he saw another picture. It was a drawing of "The Mischievous Boy." The book said that when the teacher was not looking, "The Mischievous Boy" would tickle the ear of the boy who sat in front of him or whack him on the shoulder with a book. Sometimes he would throw a paper ball. The book said that "The Mischievous Boy" was an annoying boy. When he did not care to study himself, he tried to keep other boys from studying. Ben read that "The Mischievous Boy" was usually caught in his mischief, and was kept in after school. Ben looked at this picture for a long time. He thought that he had seen that kind of boy in Miss Kate's school. Then his eye fell on the words

II

As Ben turned over another leaf he found a fourth picture. He said to himself, "What kind of boy is this?" The picture soon told him. It was a picture of "The Quarrelsome Boy." The book said that this boy was always trying to pick a quarrel with his schoolmates, and that he was a bully and a coward. He would quarrel only with boys who were smaller than he and with boys who were not very strong. None of the pupils liked him. They did not want him to play in their games, and they were sorry that he belonged to their school.

Ben looked at the picture of the bully. He had thrown a small boy to the ground, and was running away with his cap. Ben felt that he would like to take hold of the bully and punish hire for abusing the small boy. As he was calling the big boy a coward, his eyes fell on these words

As Ben turned over another leaf, he wondered whether all the bad pupils in the school were boys. The next picture answered his question. It was a drawing of a girl. She was not a very happy girl. Indeed, she looked very cross. It was a picture of "The Pouting Girl."

"The Pouting Girl" was the girl who was never pleased with her teacher. She was always complaining about her lessons. They were too hard and too long. She thought her teacher was cross, and when the teacher kept her in at recess, she thought her unfair. Nothing was just right for "The Pouting Girl." She would go about with a frown, and with her lips pushed out.

The book said that "The Pouting Girl" would often complain of her schoolmates, too. If things were not done just as she wished, out went her lips, and an ugly look would steal into her face.

So the boys and girls of the school did not like to play with her. "The Pouting Girl" was a selfish girl and always wished to have her own way.

Ben took another look at the picture. Then he smiled and said to himself: "I think that I would call her 'The Grouchy Girl.' I would rather play with Kitty Warren than with 'The Pouting Girl.'" Just then he saw these words beneath the picture:

Ben laid down his book for a few moments. As he watched the flames of the burning log creeping up the chimney, he wondered whether there were really any such boys and girls in Miss Kate's school. He was quite sure that there were no boys like those in the Second Grade. However, he thought that Billy Bowies of the Third Grade was very much like "The Quarrelsome Boy." On his way home from school Billy was always trying to annoy the smaller boys. He thought, too, that Dorothy Billings of the Second Grade might be "The Pouting Girl." She was always finding fault with her teacher and with her playmates, and her lips would swell out as she walked about with a frown on her face, just like "The Pouting Girl" of the picture.

Then Ben picked up the book and looked again at "The Mischievous Boy." He wondered whether a boy by the name of Ben, who was not a bad boy, but who sometimes liked to do mischievous things, might be that boy in the picture. Ben did not quite like to answer his own question. Again he looked at the picture, and he thought that the boy in the book looked like the boy who sat in his own seat at school.

In a moment Ben closed the book. He walked to the window and looked at the falling rain. Then he said to himself, "If that mischievous boy looks like me, he won't look like me any longer." And Miss Kate never again had to keep Ben in after school for being "The Mischievous Boy."