Go privately to the boy of whom one or more of the pupils are jealous
and tell him how to treat the jealous ones. In the above instance say to
Wendell as soon as you first observe that Mark is jealous of him, “I
have observed that Mark is not friendly with you. I know you would be
much happier to have his friendship. He is not sure that you want to be
friends and since you have more to give him by becoming friends than he
can give you I can’t blame him much for wanting you to make the start.
“If one man had $1,000 to put into business and another $10,000, you
couldn’t expect the man with the $1,000 to have audacity enough to ask
the $10,000 man to go into partnership with him, but how glad he’d be if
the richer man should invite him to become a partner in his business.
“Now, that’s just the way it is with you and Mark. You’ll have to make
him see that you really want to be friends before he can believe that it
is so. I heard one of the boys say that you are going to give them all a
ride in turn in your new pony carriage. If I were you I would ask Mark
to be the first one. I’d ask him first to share all of my good things,
because he suffers most for the things that you have. That’s what makes
him feel out of sorts because he can’t have them.
“It takes more skill to be a gracious receiver than to be a gracious
giver, so don’t feel offended if Mark doesn’t know how to act at first.
Keep on trying to show him that you like him until you succeed.”