Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1924)
I Tuesday, February 19, 1924 THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON. Page Three giiiiinnniinmnmniniiiniimininintf BROWN MOUSE By HERBERT QUICK niiiiiiiimiiimimiiiiiimmiiii.iiimiiiii; (Ceprright by Th Bobbi-Merrill Company) SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I. Jennie Woodruff con temptuously refuses to marry Jim Ir win, young Carm hand, because of his financial condition and poor prospects. He Is intellectually above his station, and has advanced Ideas concerning the Jossibillties of expert school teaching, or which he Is ridiculed by many. CHAPTER II. More as a Joke than otherwise Jim Is seleoted as teacher of the Woodruff district school. CHAPTER IIL Jim, Inlils new posi tion, sets out to make Btanch friends of his pupils, especially two boys, New ton Bronson and "Buddy" Simms, the latter the son of a shiftless farmer. Colonel Woodruff, Jennie's father, has little faith in Jim's ideas of improving rural educational methods. He nick names him the "Brown Mouse," in Il lustration of an anecdote. CHAPTER IV Jim's conduct of the school, where he endeavors to teach the children the wonders of nature and some of the soientllic methods of farming, as well as "book learning," is condemned. CHAPTER V Jennie Woodruff is nomlnted for the position of county superintendent of schools. The school board grows bitter In Its opposition to Jim and his Innovations. CHAPTER VI. At a public meeting Jim roundly condemns the methods of teaching in the rural schools, and makes no friend thereby. CHAPTER VII. A delegation of prominent women condemn Jim's meth ods of teaching, but he Is stoutly de fended by his pupils, esifecially Newton ronson. CHAPTER VIII. Jim has Christmas dinner at Colonel Woodruff's, and lis tening to him, Jennie begins to do some thinking concerning his ability and bis prospects. CHAPTER IX. In the evening Jim, as well as he knows how, courts Jen nie, without, however, making much Srogress, though she is quickly losing er poor opinion of hlra. CHAPTER X. Jennie, elected county superintendent of schools, receives so many complaints from people of the district concerning Jim's methods of teaching that she finds herself com pelled formally to ask for his resigna tion. After she ha left. Jim U visited by Colonel Woodruff, who strongly urge blm to refuse to resign, and offers to back blm. Jim agree to tick, (or while at least meeting of the cheol board, which had been gathered to "get? Jim, 1 confronted by Jennie who upholds hlra. He conduct h ex amination of hi pupil at the Sett ing, to prove that be I not neglectinc tbir "book learning" by (he- introduc tion of other Mifcjeota which he con aider of Importance. The (plendld nhowlng mad by the children oonvert many, who had doubted, to hi view. CHAPTER XII. The novel Ideas which Jim ha Introduced have been talked about outside the county, and be i visited by Professor Withers, ex tension lecturer at the tat university, who Invite him to deliver an address at the next annual meeting of the Farmer' institute, CHAPTER Xltl Professor Withers 1 Impressed by many of the Innova tions made by Irwin, and sn Informs Colonel Woodruff nd Jennie, some what to the astonishment of both. Th colonel suggest to Jim that he (th colonel) seek election to the school board, replacing Cornelius Bonner, im placable enemy of Jim Irwin. CHAPTER XIV. Feigning sickness. Newton Bronson, youngster whom Ir win ha redeemed from Idleness and fnllv and set on the rlxht oath, and who almost worships the teacher, keeps i hi rather irom voting at tne school board election. Bronson Is a frlsnd of Bonner, and would have voted for him. A It Is, Colonel Woodruff Is chosen for the position, owing to Bronson absence. CHAPTER XV. Jim convinces th farmer of the district of the advan tages to be derived from a co-opratlve creamery, and it Is agreed to establish one. His rise to a position of leader ship In the community, and high re sponsibility, has made a distinct differ ence in Jennie's feelings toward Jim, which she Is forced to acknowledge to herself. CHAPTER XVI 'v Jim Goes to Ames. Jim had never felt more the upstart uneducated farm-hand than when he was Introduced to that audience at Ames by Professor Withers, nor more completely disgraced than when he concluded his remarks. Even the ap plause was to him a kindly effort on the part of the audience to comfort him in his failure. His only solace was the look In Jennie's eyes. "Young man," said an old farmer who wore thick (lasses and looked I Want to Have Talk With You.' like Dutch burgomaster, "I want to have little talk with you." "This is Mr. Hofmyer of Pottawato mie county," Mid the dean of the col lege. Tm glad to meet you." said Jim. "I can talk to yon dow." "No." said Jennie. 1 know Mr. Horniyer wiu excuse you uiuu murr dinner. We have a little party for Mr. Irwin, and we shall be late If we don't hurry." "Where can I see you after supper T' asked Mr. Hofmyer. Easy It was to satisfy Mr. Hofmyer ; and Jim was carried off to a dinner given by County Superintendent Jen nie to Jim, the dean, Professor With ers, and one or two others and a wonderfully select and distinguished company it seemed to Jim. Jennie seised a moment's opportunity to say, "You did beautifully, Jim; everybody says so." "I failed!" said Jim. "You know I fulled. I couldn't remember my speech. I can't stay here feasting. I want to get out in the snow." "You made the best address of the meeting; and you did It because you forgot your speech," Insisted Jennie. "Ooes anybody else think so?" "Why, Jim! You must learn to be lieve in what you have done. Even Con Bonner says it was the best. He says he didn't think you had it in ye !" This advice from her to "believe In what you have done" wasn't there something new in Jennie's attitude here? Wasn't his belief in what he was doing precisely the thing which had made him such a nuisance to the county superintendent? However, Jim couldn't stop to answer the question which popped up in his mind. "What does Prof essor Withers say?" he asked. "He's delighted silly !" "Silly!" How wonderful It was to be called "silly" in that tone. "I shouldn't have forgotten the speech if it hadn't been for this darned boiled shirt and collar, and for wear ing a cravat," urged Jim in extenua tion. "You ought to 've worn them around the house for a week before coming," said Jennie. "Why didn't you ask my advice?" "I will, next time, Jennie," said Jim. "I didn't suppose I needed a bitting rig but I guess I did !" Jennie ran away then to ask Nils Hansen and Bettina to join their din ner party. She had a sudden access of friendliness for the Hansens. Nils refused because he was going out to see the college herds fed; but at Jen nie's Urgeflt request, reinforced by pats and hugs, Bettina consented. Jen nie was very happy, and proved her self a beaming hostess. The dean de voted himself to Bettina and Jim found out afterward that this inquir ing gentleman was getting at the men tal processes of a specimen pupil in one of the new kind of rural schools, in which he was only half inclined to believe. He thanked Jim for his speech, and said it was "most sugges tive and thought-provoking," and aa the party broke up slipped into Jim'a hand a check for the honorarium. It was not until then that Jim felt quite sure that he was actually to be paid. Mr. Hofmyer waa waiting to give Jim the final convincing proof that ha haa produced effect with his speech. "Do you teach the kind of school you lay out In your talkr he asked. "I try to," said Jim, "and I believe I do." "Well," said Mr. Hofmyer, "that's Ctie kind of education I b'lleve in. I kep' school back In Pennsylvany fifty years ago, and I made the scholars measure things, and weigh things, and apply their studies as fur as I could." "All good teachers have always don that," said Jim. "f'roebel, PestaloaxI, Colonel Parker they all had the Idea which la at the bottom of my work; learn to do by doing,' and connecting up the school with life." "M'h-m," grunted Mr. Hofmyer, "I hain't been able to see how Latin con nects up with a high-school kid's life unless he can find a Latin settlement som'eres and git job clerkln' In store." "But It used to relate to life," aald Jim, "the life of the people who made Greek and Latin a part of everybody else's education as well as their own. Latin and Greek were the only lan guages In which anything worth much was written, you know. But now' Jim spread out his arms as if to take In the whole world "science, the mar velous literature of our tongue In the last three centuries! And to make a child learn Latin with all that, a thou sand times richer than all the litera ture of Latin, lying unused before him !" "now any Latin?" asked Mr. Uot- mjer. . .,. Jim blushed, as one caught In eon demning what he knows nothing about "I I have studied the grammar, and read 'Caesar,'" he faltered, "but that Isn't much. I had no teacher, and I had to work pretty hard, and It didn't go very well." "I've had all the Latin they gave In the colleges of my time," aald Mr. Hof myer, "if I do talk dialect; and I'll agree with you so far as to say that It would have been a crime for me to neglect the chemistry, bacteriology, physics, engineering and other science that pertain to farmln' If there'd been any u eh science! when! wu get tin my schooun'." . "And yet." laid Jim, "soma people want tti to guide ourselves by th folirses of Study mad before these sciences existed." "I don't, by hokeyl" laid Hofmyer. "I'll be dag-goned if you ain't right I wouldn't 'a' said so before I beard that speech but I say so now." Jim's face lighted ap at this, the first convincing evidence that b had cored. "I b'lleve, too," went on Mr. Hof myer. "that your Idee would please our folks. I've been the standpatter In our parts mostly on English and say German. What d ye say to comln down and teach hY ovr school? We Wot a two-room affair, and t waa msano cowiuiuee or one to nnoa teacnerv" "I I don't see how " Jim stam mered, all taken aback by this new breeze of recognition. We can't pay much," said Hofmyer. You have charge of tbe dls-clp-llne In the whole school, and teach In Num ber Two room. Seventy-five dollars a month. Does It appeal to ye?" Appeal to him ! And yet, how about the Simmses, Colonel Woodruff, the Hansens and Newton Bronson, now just getting a firm start on the up ward path to usefulness and real hap piness? How could he leave the little, crude, puny structure on which he had been working on which he had been merely practicing for a year, and re move to the new field? 'I'm afraid I can't," said Jim Irwin, 'but" If you're only 'frald you can't," said Mrv Hofmyer, "think It over. I've got your post office address on this program, and we'll write you a formal offer. We may spring them figures a little. Think it over." "You mustn't think," said Jim, "that we've done all the things I mentioned In my talk, or that I haven't made any mistakes or failures." "Your county superintendent didn't mention any failures," said Mr. Hof myer. "Did you talk with her about my work?" Inquired Jim, suddenly very curious. : am M'h'm." Then I don't see why you want roe," Jim went on. "Why?" asked Mr. Hofmyer. "I had not supposed," said Jim, that she had a very high opinion of my work." "I didn't ask her about that," said Mr. Hofmyer, "though I guess she thinks well of it. I asked her what you are try In to do, and what sort of a fellow you are. I was favorably Im pressed ; but she didn't mention any failures." "We haven't succeeded In adopting a successful system of selling our cream," said Jim. "I believe we can do It, but we haven't." Wal," said Mr. Hofmyer, "I d'know as I'd call thut a failure. The fact that you're tryin' of it shows you've got ttie right Idees. . .Well write ye, and mebbe pay your way.jsewn .to look us over. We re a 'ttfettr ffoofl'erowa. the neighbors think'1 CHAPTER XVII Think of It. Ames was an Inspiration. Jim Irwin received from the great agricultural college more real education In this on trip than many students get from four years' course in it hails; for bs bad spent ten rears In getting ready for the experience. Th great jhrm i hundred of acres, all under' the mai agement of experts, th beaut lfnj cam pa, the commodlotM classrooms and laboratories, and especially th barn. th greenhouses, gardens, herds and fl'SSs tylwl JjWwita a sort of apos tolic Joy. "Every school" said b to Professor withers, "ought to be doing a good deal of the work you have to do here." "I'll admit," said the professor, that much of our work In agriculture Is pretty elementary." "It's intermediate school work," said Jim. "It's wrong to force boys and girls to leave their homes and live in a college to get so much of what they should have before they're ten years old." -meres sometmng m what yoa say," said th professor, "bat som experiment station men seem to think that agriculture in th common schools will take from the young men and women the felt need, and therefore tit desire to come to the college." "If you can't give them anything better than high-school work," said Jim, "that will be so; but If the sci ence and art of agriculture t what I think it is, It would make them hungry for the advanced work that really can't be done at home. To make tbe children wait until they're twenty It to deny them more than half what the college ought to give them and make tbem pay for what they don't get." " think you're right," said the pro- ressor. "Give us the kind of school I ask for," cried Jim, "and I'll fill a college like this In every congressional district In Iowa, or Til force you to tear this down and build larger," More nearly happy, and rather short er of money than be had recently been, jim journeyea uome among me com' fianlons from his own neighborhood, n ?renzy of planj Sr tt future. Mr. Hofmyer had dropped from his mind, until Con Bonner, his old enemy, drew him aside In the vestibule of the train and spoke to him in the mysterious manner peculiar to noililclani. "What kind of a proposition did that man Hofmelster make you?" be In quired. "He asked me about yon, and I told him you're a crackerjack." "I'm much obliged," replied Jim. "No use In back-cappln' a fellow that's tryln' to make somethln' of him self," said Bonner. "That ain't good politics, nor good sense. Anything to blm 'He offered me a salary of rnty five dollars a month to take charge of bis school," said Jim. "Well," said Con. "we'll b sorry to lose yeh, trat yon can't turn down any thing Ilk that" "I don't know," said Jim. "I haven't decided." Bonner scrutinised his fac sharply, as If to find out what sort of game be was playing. "Well," said he, at last, "I hop you can stay with us, o course. I'm licked, and I never sqneaL If the riot of the district can stand your kind of thrlcks, I can. And say, Jim" her be grew atfll nor mysterious "if jot do stay, : iMM.of a wsnad Ilk U bat ra b nougn or a Democrat to go mm me next convention f r county superin tendent" 'Why," replied Jim, "I never thought of such a thing I" "Well, think of It." said Con. "The county's close, and wid a pop'lar young educator an' a farmer, too, It might be done. Think of It" Jim was almost dazed at the num ber of "propositions" of which he was now required to "think" and Bon. ner's did not at first Impress him as having anything back of It but blarney. He was to find out later, however, that the wily Con had made up his mind that the ambition of Jim to serve the rural schools In a larger sphere might be used for the purpose of bringing to earth what he regarded as the soaring political ambitions of the Woodruff family. To split the forces which had defeated Mr. Bonner In his own school district, with the very instrument used by the colonel at the last school elec tion that, to Mr. Bonner, would be a fine thing. Jim had scarcely taken his seat in the car, facing Jennie Woodruff and Bettina Hansen in the Pullman, when Columbus Brown, pathmaster of the road district and only across the way from residence In the school district, came down the aisle and called Jim to the smoking-room. "Did an old fellow named Hoffman from Pottawatomie county ask you to leave us and take his school?" he asked. "Mr. Hofmyer," said Jim, " yes, he did." "Well," said Columbus, "I don't want to ask you to stand In your own light, but I hope you won't let him toll you We're Proud of You, Jim." off there among strangers. We're proud of you, iim, an w don't want to los you." Proud of blm 1 Sweet music to the underling's ears ! Jim blushed and stammered. .:Th8 Set la," said Columbus, "I know that Woodruff district job hain't big enough for yon any roor; but we can make It bigger. If yonll stay, I believe we can poll off a Oca) to con solidate torn of them districts, and make you bos f th whole sluooting match." 1 appreciate thiV dumb," said "but I dont believe you can do "Well, think of it," Mid Columbus, "And don't do anything till yoa talk with me and a few of th other boys. "Think of It" again I A fin home-coming It was for Jtm, with the colonel waiting at the station with a double sleigh, and th chance to ride into the snowy country In the tame seat with Jennie a chance which was blighted by th colonel's placing Bettina and Nils Hansen In th broad rear seat, and Jim In front with himself. The colonel would not allow blm to get out and walk when he could really bar reached horn mors quickly by doing oj no, a set th Eapasnt down at their door, took Jennl noma, and then dfOT th lightened sleigh merrily to to fitunbi cabin of th raraer exatM young tcnoounajKer. "Did yon make any deal wtft those people down In the western part of tbe state?" asked th colonel. "Jennie wrote me that yotfv got an offer.1 "No," aald Jim, and he told tt colonel about the proposal of air. "Well" said the colonel, "in my capacity of wUd-eyd reformer, rv mud up my mind that th first fork miles in th trip is to make the rural teacher's job a bigger Job. It's got to be a man's sis, woman's sis Job, or we cabH get real men and real women to stay In th wort ", t -1 CVaft T statesmanlike formulation of It," taM Jim. "Well," said the colonel, "dont tor down the Pottawatomie county job nntil w have a etiano to s what w can do. ru get torn kind of a meeting together, and what I want yon to do Is to ns this offer aa a crab ever this helpless school district Wh.it 1 heed 1 to be held np. Do the Jesse James act, Jim I" fie yesce James act, "1 cant c3ona)l", Tea, yoa can, too. Will yon try ttr "I want to treat Trybodr fairly,' said Jim, Including Mr, Bofmys. dont know what to do. hardly." "Wall, fu t to meeting together," said th colonel, "and la th mnn- Hro. think of what I've said, Another tains tit thick rfl 31b Job Printing SEE US When in need of any thing in the line of neat and attractive Printing. rusnea into in nous ana surpnaea his mother, who had expected him to arrive after a slow walk from town through the snow. Jim caught her in his arms, from which she was re leased a moment later, quite flustered and blushing. Why, Jamea," said she, "yon seem excited. What's happened?" "Nothing, mother" he replied, "ex cept that I believe there's just a pos sibility of my being a success in tbe world !" "My boy, my boy!" said she, laying her hand on his arm, "If you were to die tonight, you'd die the greatest success any boy ever waa if your mother Is any judge." Jim kissed her, and went up to his attic to change his clothes. Inside the waistcoat was a worn envelope, which he carefully opened, and took from It a letter much creased from many foldings. It was the old letter from Jennie, written when the com ical mistake had been made of mak ing him the teacher of the Woodruff school. He read only the sentence In which Jennie had told of her father's interest In Jim's success, ending with the underscored words, 'Tin for you, too." 'I wonder," said Jim, as he went out to do the evening's tasks, "I won der If she Is for me 1" (To be continued) LINCOLN SAYING iiTF YOU once forfeit the con's- fldence of your fellow cit izens," Lincoln said to a caller at the White Huose, "you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all the people some of the time ; ynu can even fool some of the people all the time ; but you can't fool all of the people all the time." W IT PAYS TO READ Forehanded People , Inside of the vault of the bank are located the individvual Safe Deposit Boxes main tained for those forehanded people who want the BEST OF PROTECTION for their valuables.' Bonds, stocks, insurance policies, mortgages, records, receipts, jewelry, trink ets, etc, deserve better protection than they receive when kept in an office safe, tin box or hidden away somewhere. This bank has these Safe Deposit Boxes for rent at the rate of two dollars a year and up, according to the size of the box., It offers you the opportunity to keep your valuables where il) keeps its own. Rent a Safe Deposit Box today, for the number now vacant is limited. t .'. . t Farmers and Stockgrowers National Bank HEPPNER, OREGON Thomson Bros. OUR STORE is head quarters for seasonable merchandise. We can feed and clothe the whole family from soup to nuts and from hats to shoes See our line of Suits and Overcoats for Men and Boys The SIMPLICITY of. the WASHINGTONS ALTHOUGH the inauguration cere monies and festivities were well over when Mrs. Washington reached New York, and the house furnished, there remained for her and her hus band the difficult task of arranging the social functions of the executive man sion. While those about them were' discussing the question of the title to be used In addressing the new presi dent, whether it should be His High ness, His Serene Highness, His High mightiness, or simply His Excellency, and whether the reception of the presi dent and his wife should be surround ed by the ceremony of a court or be characterized by the simplicity suited' to a republic, the Washington quietly ; and unostentatiously mapped out their social duties according to their own ideas of propriety. Washington, to whom nothing con nected with his office seemed small or unimportant, and who realized that this was naturally a period for the establishment of precedents, gave much time and thought to the proper adjustment of social as well as of po litical etiquette; In all of which ar rangements he was as-slsted by his former aide-de-camp, Colonel Hum-' phreys, who had recently been secre tary of legation in Paris. Mrs. Wash ington warmly seconded her husband's efforts to combine republican simplicity with the form and ceremony befitting the dinners, levees, and receptions of the chief executive. Thus, although the president simply bowed to each guest as he was introduced to him at his Tuesday afternoon livees, making it very evident that the more familiar handshake was to be omitted, at his wife's Friday evening receptions he chose to be considered simply as "a private rcntlemnn." THE HERALD ADS