Mrs. Wheaton called to see Miss Bates, who was a teacher in the third
grade, and said:
“Hugh comes home from school crying almost every night. It seems that
Ira Hood throws his cap over the fence, pockets his ball, in fact,
teases him until he gets him to crying with vexation and then laughs at
him for crying. I know Ira is not in your room, but I thought maybe you
could do something about it.”
Miss Bates conferred with Ira’s teacher and they decided to make Ira the
custodian of a collection of insects, and another boy the custodian of a
collection of pressed leaves. The pupils in both rooms were divided into
two groups, one group to help each of these boys to collect specimens.
Hugh was given a place in Ira’s group and urged by Miss Bates to get as
many insects for him as possible.
Two weeks afterwards Miss Bates called upon Mrs. Wheaton and said: “How
is Hugh getting along with Ira now?”
“I have heard of no complaint for a long time; in fact, Hugh seems to
like Ira now and is doing his best to help him with his collection of
insects,” said Mrs. Wheaton.
(5) _Fighting as result of accident._ To the boy, as to the primitive
man, fighting is the simplest and readiest way of settling disputes.
Substitution is, perhaps, the principle which will oftenest avert a
conflict.