Part 12 (1/2)

”Righto!” I laughed, ”shall we do so else?” but the class shouted ”No!” and I proceeded

”Peter, do tell us why you threw that pellet”

”For fun,” said Peter, blushi+ng and s

”He did it so's the class wud look at him,” said Tom Murray, and Peter hid his diminished head

”A wise answer, Tom,” I said; ”but we are all like that; we all like to be looked at Who is the best at arithmetic?”

”Willie Broon,” said the class, and Willie Broon cocked his head proudly

”And who is the best fighter?”

”Tom Murray,” answered the boys, and one little chap added: ”Tom cud fecht Willie Broon wi' one hand”

Tom tried to look modest

I went round the class and with one exception every child had at least one branch of life in which he or she found a sense of superiority The exception was Geordie Wylie, a small lad of thirteen with a white face and a starved appearance The class were unani that Geordie had no talent

”He canna even spit far enough,” said one boy

Geordie's ee the subject quickly, but I made up my mind to have a talk with him later

Soe Jake Tosh's feeling of superiority lay in the circua Jock Wilson had once found a shi+lling; another boy had seen ”foine stickit a' in wan day;” another could s (but I had to proirls seeh a feere proud of their needle-work

I then went on to ask thehest aination than the girls Six of thehht appear to be a very modest ambition, but to a boy it means power and position; to drive a pair of horses tandem fashi+on as they do on the East Coast, with the tracer prancing on the braes; that is what being a ploughineer, another a clerk (”'cos he doesna need to tak' aff his jaicket to work!”), another a soldier

”Not a single teacher!” I said

”We're no clever enough,” said Toirls

”Now, let's see what aood; three teachers, two nurses, one typist, one lady doctor, onelady This was Maggie Clark She just wanted to be like one of thae ladies in the picters with a motor car

”And husband?” I asked

”No, I dinna want a man, but I wud like a lot of bairns,” she said, and there was a snigger frohirl reie's ambition was a selfish one

”But are you not all selfish?” I asked

The class indignantly denied it

”Right,” I said, ”what do you say to a coot out their composition books, but I told thees into slips and distributed theive you five pounds to do what you like with