Lessons
Edith Konecky
TODAY we are going to learn how to light the oven," Miss Botchford announced. She was a large, jolly-looking woman with a heart of stone and she stood like a queen in the center of her gleaming white enamel stronghold, her pots and pans in neat array, her subjects (14 young maidens in white aprons) open-mouthed before her, agog at the prospect. We had already learned toast. We had even learned applesauce. But once we had mastered oven-lighting we could proceed to some really complicated things, like melted cheese sandwiches. We could hardly wait.
How I had balked!
"Mr. Kelleher," I had said to our principal, "I came to school to improve my mind, not to learn toast and applesauce. Besides, I already know toast."
