sible--and who was clearly fired with some sort of
evangelistic fervor--had kissed her, once or twice, on bringing her home
from the spelling school.

"I think we lose so much time in school," Jim went on, "while the children
are eating their dinners."

"Well, Jim," said Mrs. Woodruff, "every one but you is down on the human
level. The poor kids have to eat!"

"But think how much good education there is wrapped up in the school
dinner--if we could only get it out."

Jennie grew grave. Here was this Brown Mouse actually introducing the
subject of the school--and he ought to suspect that she was planning to
line him up on this very thing--if he wasn't a perfect donkey as well as a
dreamer. And he was calmly wading into the subject as if she were the
ex-farm-hand country teacher, and he was the county superintendent-elect!

"Eating a dinner like this, mother," said the colonel gallantly, "is an
education in itself--and eating some others requires one; but just how
'larnin' is wrapped up in the school lunch is a new one on me, Jim."

"Well," said Jim, "in the first place the children ought to cook their
meals as a part of the school work. Prior to that they ought to buy the
materials. And prior to that they ought to keep the accounts of the school
kitchen. They'd like to do these things, and it would help prepare them
for life on an intelligent plane, while they prepared the meals."

"Isn't that looking rather far ahead?" asked the county
superintendent-elect.

"It's like a lot of other things we think far ahead," urged Jim. "The only
reason why they're far off is because we think them so. It's a
thought--and a thought is as near the moment we think it as it will ever
be."

"I guess that's so--to a wild-eyed reformer," said the colonel. "But go
on. Develop your thought a little. Have some more dressing."

"Thanks, I believe I will," said Jim. "And a little more of the cranberry
sauce. No more turkey, please."

"I'd like to see the school class that could prepare this dinner," said
Mrs. Woodruff.

"Why," said Jim, "you'd be there showing them how! They'd get credits in
their domestic-economy course for getting the school dinner--and they'd
bring their mothers into it to help them stand at the head of their
classes. And one detail of girls would cook one week, and another serve.
The setting of the table would come in as a study--flowers, linen and all
that. And when we get a civilized teacher, table manners!"