Little Citizens: The Humours of School LifeKelly, Myra
General
Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life
Kelly, Myra
Short stories; Students -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
"Well, Isidore Belchatosky has a velvet suit," said the gentle-hearted
Miss Bailey, as she noticed the miserable eyes of the deposed beau
travelling from his own frayed sleeve to the scarlet splendour across
the aisle.
"But's it's black," sneered the small coquette, and Teacher was only
just in time to snatch Isidore's faultless writing from the deluge of
his bitter tears.
When the First Reader Class filed down the yard for recess, Miss Bailey
was disgusted to find that Isaac Borrachsohn's admiring audience
increased until it included every boy in the school young enough to
be granted these twenty minutes of relaxation during the long morning.
He was led away to a distant corner, there to receive tribute of
deference, marbles, candy, tops, and political badges. But he spoke
no word. Silently and gravely he held court. Gravely and silently he
suffered himself to be led back to Room 18. Still silently and still
gravely he went home at twelve o'clock.
At a quarter before one on that day, while Morris Mogilewsky and Nathan
Spiderwitz, Monitors of Gold-Fish and Window Boxes, were waiting
dejectedly for the opening of the school doors and reflecting that
they must inevitably find themselves supplanted in their sovereign's
regard--for Teacher, though an angel, was still a woman, and therefore
sure to prefer gorgeously arrayed ministers--there entered to them
Patrick Brennan, fortified by the morning's devotion, and reacting
sharply against the morning's restraint.
"Fellars," he began jubilantly; "I know where we can hook a banana.
And the Ginney's asleep. Come on!"
His colleagues looked at him with lack-lustre eyes. "I don't need no
bananas," said Morris dispiritedly. "They ain't so awful healthy fer
me."
"Me too," Nathan agreed. "I et six once und they made me a sickness."
"Bananas!" urged Patrick. "Bananas, an' the man asleep! What's the
matter with ye anyway?"
"There's a new boy in our class," Morris answered. "Und he's a dude.
Und Teacher's lovin' mit him."
"Und he sets in your place," added Nathan.
"I'll break his face if he tries it again," cried Patrick hotly. "Who
let him sit there?"
"Teacher," wailed Morris. "Ain't I tell you how she's lovin' mit him?"
"And where's all _my_ things?" Patrick demanded with pardonable
curiosity. "Where am I to sit?"
"She makes you should set by her side," Morris reassured him. "Und
keep your pencil in her desk. It could be awful nice fer you. You sets
right by her."
"I'll try it for a day or two," said Patrick grandly. "I'll see how
I'll like it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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