[Sidenote: Familiarity]
Nina Blair had taken a course at the Illinois State Normal and had
returned home where she had charge of the sixth grade room.
Thirteen-year-old Wesley Hail, whose parents were friends of the Blair
family, stayed at Blair’s where he helped in the store evenings and
Saturdays and went to school to Nina. Being an old acquaintance and
seeing Nina at home daily he grew to feel very free to express himself
in her presence. She noticed that at school he frequently gave his
opinions unasked. He was especially interested in history.
One day he frankly said he thought Miss Blair wrong in her statement
about Grant’s campaign. Miss Blair said, “I am glad to see so much
interest manifested in this lesson. Mamie, please find out about this
and bring in a report tomorrow. Has anyone else a point he would like to
have further discussed?” No one had.
One evening soon after this Miss Blair found Wesley alone at home. She
said, “Father says you are a great help to him in the store. He
especially likes the carefulness with which you take orders. I, too,
foresee that you will be of great help to your classmates.” She then
told him that just as he needed courtesy in the store he would find it a
necessity throughout life and that his example in this respect had a
great influence upon the other boys. As a result of this treatment
Wesley cultivated amiability and soon came to realize its universal
value.
(9) _Impudence due to conceit of pupil._ It is difficult to see how
conceit can be cured by whipping. Such a punishment may silence but it
does not convince. “The man convinced against his will, is of the same
opinion still.” Silencing instead of convincing may induce still greater
evils on the pupil’s part.