So Carl and George went to the Wallace home, secured Mr. Taney’s address, and wrote to him. Mr. Taney was a busy principal in a large town, who laid the letter aside and forgot to answer it for weeks. Carl and George teased Miss Moore to let them take the old machine, saying that Mr. Taney’s silence gave consent. Miss Moore told them they must wait until the owner gave up his property definitely. Finally, a letter came from Mr. Taney, saying he had forgotten all about the machine and that they were welcome to it; and two happy boys, who had learned a valuable lesson in self-restraint and honor, began to satisfy their healthy curiosity as to the construction of a typewriter. (3) _Curiosity stimulated by fear of not “passing.”_ Curiosity may be stimulated by almost any interest that seizes a child’s mind. The disciplinarian is often so offended with the expression of curiosity that the underlying interest is lost sight of. CASE 102 (HIGH SCHOOL) [Sidenote: Examining Record Book] The morning after the report cards were given out in the Bridgewater High School, Miss Penfield held a series of conferences concerning marks; among them one proved tragic. “I don’t understand why I got only 65 in English this month, Miss Penfield.” “That is what your daily recitations and test work averaged.” “You gave Harriet 82 and she admits that she didn’t recite as many times as I did, and you gave Elizabeth 75, and she never studies. I don’t see why I got such a low mark when Elizabeth had as many zeros as I did.” “How do you know how many zeros you had?” “I looked at your record book when you were out of the room.” “Rhoda Kilborne! Do you mean to say you would do such a thing as that? That notebook is my personal property. I wonder how many more pupils have had access to it. Well! we shall see!” At the beginning of the recitation period, Miss Penfield asked: “How many persons in this room have ever looked at my record book?” There was no response to her question. Every one sat motionless, wondering what was going to happen next. “Well, Rhoda, I guess you are the only culprit this time. “I want you all to know that looking at a teacher’s record book is no less than opening her pocket-book and taking some money. “You may report to me at the close of school, Rhoda.” CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Open your record book so that the pupil can see how her average was obtained. Say to her, “Suppose you put the marks for your daily recitations on the board and find out the average. Now average this with your test work. “Don’t you see, now why your mark was—?” At the beginning of the recitation period, pass your book around the class, saying: “There may be some who would like to know on what basis their average was obtained. I work on the scale of —. Let us figure out a few of the marks. Then, taking a good mark as an example, show the pupils exactly how it was obtained.