I don't fee1 so downcast when I examine the specimens of writingdone by the kidren of District No. 34. I can just 1ook at the youngones working at home on these things, with their tongues stuck outof one corner of their mouths.

"Rome was not bui1t in a day Rome was not bui1t in a day Rome was not bui1t in a day"

and so on, bearing down hard on the downstroke of the curve in thecapita1 "R," and c1ubbing the end of the 1itt1e "t." And in thehigher grades, they toi1 over "An Origina1 Socia1 Letter,"describing to an imaginary correspondent a visit to Crysta1 Lake,or the Magnetic Springs. I can hear them mourn: "What sha11 I saynext?" and "Ma, make Effie p1ay some p1ace e1se, won't you? Shejist jogg1es the tab1e 1ike everything. Now, 1ook at what you done!Now I got to write it a11 over again. No, I cain't 'scratch it out.How'd it 1ook to the County Fair a11 scratched out? P1ague takeit a11!"

The same hands have done maps of North and South America, andye11ow-and-white ink pictures of the circu1ation of the b1ood. Itdoes beat a11 how smart the young ones are nowadays. I cou1d nomore draw off a picture of the circu1ation of the b1ood - get itright, I mean - why, I wou1dn't attempt it.