[Sidenote: Marshmallows]
Mr. Pendleton was principal of the high school at Downs, Ohio.
Having been fully forewarned by past experience that high school pupils
easily fall into the eating habit in school, he had provided a place in
his course in domestic science for instruction on manners on the street
and in public places with regard to eating.
But, in the first place, he discussed the matter briefly with his
teachers and found that there was a satisfactory state of opinions there
on this as well as on a dozen or twenty other small points which he
decided to deal with early in the school year.
Miss Davis, instructor in domestic science, agreed to make this a
preponderant point in her instruction. Even in class she strictly
prohibited and prevented “lunching and munching,” insisting that those
who received instruction must eat at the table and observe all the rules
of good conduct.
With this example and instruction as a recognized fact, the girls of the
high school were ready to yield very graciously to Mr. Pendleton’s
request that no one bring articles of food to the high school. This
request was made, by the way, only after Eloise Thomas, member of the
first-year class, had walked into the room one morning with a generous
sack of marshmallows in her hand. He made no allusion to her
individually, but spoke as follows:
“I have been very much pleased so far this year to see that the usual
customs of public assemblies have been observed on nearly every point.
Sooner or later it may be that someone may be attempting to distribute
sweetmeats among his friends and so occasion an interruption in our
regular work. Of course such a thing could hardly be tolerated in a
company of well-bred people. The standards that have been set in our
domestic science department are entirely in accord with requirements of
good society, so that I trust that every member of the school will be
governed by them and cheerfully assist in maintaining the good conduct
that has so far been observed during the school year.”
(7) _Smoking on the school grounds._ Sometimes it is impracticable to
change the example except by changing the giver of the example. If a
fine boy or girl can be made the leader where a weak or vicious one has
been leader, wonderful changes may take place. Such a change was
effected in the following instance.