Part 21 (1/2)

And yet, nineteen hundred years ago Jesus Christ gave the world a New Psychologyand none of us have tried to apply it to our souls

VIII

Mac ca to-night, and it seehed, and I explained to hih-hest class riting essays On her asking what the subject was, I replied that each pupil had a different subject

She walked round and looked over their shoulders I saw the lady's eyebrows go up as she read titles such as these:--”I Grow Forty Feet high in One Night”; ”I Edit the Greenland _Morning Frost_” (the news this boy gave was delightful); ”I Interview Noah for the _Daily Mail_”

(photos on back page) She nodded approvingly when she read the titles of the reat haste; she was looking over Muriel's shoulder

”Mr Neill,” she gasped, ”do you think this a suitable subject for a girl?”

I glanced at the title; it was; ”Autobiography of My Nose”

”Er--what's wrong with it?” I said falteringly

”It lends itself too readily to vulgarity,” she said

I picked up the book, and together we read the opening words

”When first I began to run”

The high-minded lady left the room hurriedly

I loved that class Often I wish that I had kept their essays One day we had a fivefor My Cue

Lawrence wrote of standing on the steps in a cold sweat of fear He had only five words to say--”The carriage waits, my lord,” but he had never acted before His cue was: ”Ho! Who comes here?”

”At last,” he wrote, ”I heard the fateful words: 'Ho! Who co on the stairs

”'Get on, you idiot!' whispered the stage ely, but still I could not move

”'Ho! Who coe Still I could not move a step

”'Ho! Who comes here?'

”Suddenly I became aware of a disturbance in the auditoriu words: 'Fire! Fire!' Panic followed, and cries of terror rang out

”But II ju-rah!' It was the happiest moment of my life”

Sydney took a different line Her cue was the sound of a stage kiss

Boldly she walked on, and the stage lovers glared at her, for she arrived before the kiss was finished or rather properly begun The audience chuckled At the next performance she determined to be less punctual She heard the smack of the kiss, but she did not hter, and then she realised that the poor lovers had been standing kissing each other for a full five minutes

I must write to these dear old children to ask if they kept their essays