s tuberculosis station with a
section of her class in English, and told the members to keep their eyes
open and on their return to the school to write one hundred words about
what they had seen. And this is Louis's contribution to the symposium:

"'Tuberculosis was started in 1884, by Dr. Trudeau, who had it in the
Adirondacks. Although consumption is not inherited and does not belong
in the climate it is getting very popular. The sleeping bags are very
useful to the consumptive people because they can keep their heads out
and put the rest of their bodies into them. I saw the germs. It is a big
white ball with blue spots on it. I think it would be fine to sleep in
one of those beds with the head inside and the lungs outside.'

"Well, when your father read this, he simply choked. In fact we all
choked, and Helen who happened to get hold of it somehow, just screamed.
Poor Louis was mad at every one of us and especially at Miss Barrows
when he heard she had taken his account to his father. At first your
father thought Louis was trying to be funny at the expense of the
English department in the high school. But he wasn't. He was in dead
earnest, and doing his best. I tell your father that it isn't fair to
ridicule Louis. Ridicule is a dangerous form of criticism and Louis is
very sensitive. I don't blame him for saying that the teacher ought not
to make fun of him when he is trying to get his lessons. He fairly hates
some of his teachers because they use sarcastic or ironical remarks
about him in the presence of the whole school. It seems strange to me
that any teacher will do that, especially in the case of a boy like
Louis. They defend themselves by saying it is the only way to wake up
the students or shame them into doing good work. But I believe they are
wrong in their methods with boys like Louis and I am going to talk with
them about it for his sake.

"We will welcome Bauer with you at the holidays. He will feel at home
with us if your mother has anything to do about it. We all anticipate
his coming. If you are a little homesick to see us we are all more than
a little eager to see you. I pray the good God to keep you pure and
true. Lovingly,
"MOTHER."

Two weeks after this and two weeks before the Christmas holidays, Walter
and Bauer had completed their lamp and given it a test. It was more
perfect by far than Walter's model. It worked with a practical certainty
that left no doubt i