It took a month to answer the question. Finally, “Ethel Proctor’s Peace” was found, examined and accepted. The cast required forty-one characters; no one of them was burdened with a very heavy part. It suited Mr. Scudder’s purpose entirely. The scene was at The Hague and the plot interwove fragments of the great European conflicts, diplomacy and love. It took two months to prepare it, owing to the chorus practice that was a necessary feature. Was the principal disappointed in his scheme? By no means. He coached his pupils with rare enthusiasm and drilled them into characters they had never assumed before. He refused to fix the cast finally, until he had made several shifts; thus he put certain individuals through some very much needed practice. The effect was marvelous. In fact the entire school was profoundly molded by the work done in preparing and giving this splendid play. Children’s eyes follow their interests. Their attention is absorbed in that which makes the strongest sense impression. A room full of children can be managed only by teaching them self-control. CASE 75 (SECOND GRADE) [Sidenote: Staring at Visitors] The Mapleton primary room was in the hands of a genius for the first time in years. Miss Tenney was in her first year of teaching, but had put into it an uncommon amount of vim and sense. She sifted out the best things from new methods and put them through with tact. As a consequence, early in the year, visitors began to drop in and observe her work. They were looking for her weak spot and found it: the boys and girls could not stick to their work when visitors were present. For example, Miss Tenney was reported to have said in Mrs. Wm. Van Kirk’s presence: “Walter and Clarence, go on with your work now.” “Eleanor and Pearl, don’t look that way. Look at your book.” “You must go right on with your school work.” It was such a delicate matter to handle that no one dared speak to her about it, so the unfortunate and unnecessary situation is prevalent to this day. CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Give instructions on how to behave when visitors are present at a time when no stranger is in the room. Lay the stress on showing some good work to the friends of the school. Repeat some of the words of praise that have been spoken regarding “our work,” and promise a good many more visitors before long. Name the children beavers or bees and tell them how well they have worked and what they may hope to accomplish if every child will work hard.