Mary Jane’s Victory

Mary Jane came home from school one day and threw her bag on the lounge. She tossed her dark curls and set her mouth in a thin line as she ran into the kitchen where her mother was preparing tea.

“Mum, I think I’ll just quit school. I don’t want to go back, ever. Everyone is against me.”

Mrs. Thomas looked up from the kitchen sink where she was peeling potatoes. “Now, now, my girl, what brought on such a storm of unhappiness? Come over here and sit on this stool while we talk things over.”

               “I just don’t want to go back to school, ever. That’s all.” declared Mary Jane.

               “Do you remember what a wonderful school you thought this was when we first came here, dear? What’s happened to change everything so suddenly?” Her mother dried her hands on a towel and put an arm across her daughter’s shaking shoulders.

               “That’s just the trouble. It isn’t sudden at all. It has been coming for a long time – that’s what it has!” Mary Jane started sobbing.

Mrs. Thomas was silent for a moment; then she asked quietly, “Why don’t you tell me all about it now, Mary Jane?”

Mary Jane dried her eyes and stopped sobbing. “Well, you see, the others all leave me out of their parties and special games. I just don’t know why. I have just as nice clothes as any of them. Maybe even better than most of them. And I am just as smart as anyone in the whole grade. In fact, I get ‘A’s’ all the time on my assessments and homework, and they all know it, too. Besides I used to win all the races and games – that was when they used to let me play with them. Now I am always left by myself, and I just can’t understand why!” The tears started to well up in Mary Jane’s eyes all over again.

               “Come in here,” her mother said kindly. “You and I have a lot of things to talk over.” Together they went and sat on the lounge. “Put your head here on my shoulder while I ask you some questions. Now, tell me, dear, did your teacher tell the other children about your grades?”

               “Of course not,” said Mary Jane. “I told them, naturally.”

               “Now don’t you think that might sound like bragging to most of the children?”

               “Why should it? They always tell me when they get an ‘A’ grade. And that isn’t very often either.” Mary Jane replied.

               “Maybe they tell you because you’ve made such a point of it. People don’t like to be made to feel small. Perhaps you have made them feel that you think of yourself a little better than they are, so they are just paying you back. Do you remember Meg?”

               “How could I ever forget that snobbish girl?”

               “What was it that you didn’t like about Meg?”

               “Well – er – she was always bragging about herself, and she was selfish and – and mean. That’s what she was! No one liked Meg.” Mary Jane’s eyes flashed as she recalled Meg’s characteristics.

               “But, dear, she always as I remember got good marks in school, and she had beautiful clothes, didn’t she?”

Mary Jane studied the toe of her shoe.

               “Meg was good at swimming and games too, as I remember her. Pretty, too, when she was happy. Of course, she wasn’t very happy much of the time, because she didn’t have very many friends. We just can’t be happy without friends, can we, dear? And we can’t have friends without making ourselves friendly. Meg could have been well liked and surrounded by many friends, for she had a nice home and lovely parents. She just went about it in the wrong way, don’t you think, Mary Jane?”

               “I just never thought about it in that way before, I guess,” said Mary Jane, still looking at the toe of her shoe.

               “Mum, you don’t think the other children think of me in the same way we used to think of Meg, do you?”

               “I don’t know that,” said her mother, “for I haven’t been around at the school. But it is something to think about.”

There was a long silence; then Mary Jane looked up again. “Mum, I just couldn’t stand it if the others thought of me in that way. Why, I’d just die, that’s all! What can I ever do now?”

Her mother smiled. “Oh, there’s plenty that can be done. One thing you can do is smile and say ‘Hi’ to everyone when you get to school. Then watch for your chance to say nice things to your classmates, and just wait for the results. Maybe you could help some of the slower ones with their schoolwork, too. And – oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you. Some of the best liked people in the world never mention their own accomplishments. Instead, they play up the talents of their friends and discuss their abilities. They make their friends adore them. And you want me to tell you a secret? They don’t have to talk about their talents and accomplishments, because their friends do it for them. That’s the way it works dear.”

Mary Jane was thoughtful. “Mum, I must have been getting just like poor Meg. Would you mind if I invited some of the girls in my class home with me tomorrow? Maybe that would help a little. I promise that I won’t brag any more – never!”

               “Of course, you may invite your friends home anytime they can come.”

               “Thanks so much mum. Now, to begin with, is there anything I can do to help you with tea?”

               “Why, yes. You can help with the salad. I think you are on the right track now. And maybe you can help me make some biscuits so that we can serve the girls biscuits and fruit juice before they go back home.” Mary Jane skipped along into the kitchen.

The next afternoon, four of Mary Jane’s schoolmates followed her into the house. They were very excited, for they seemed to be talking about plans for a surprise birthday party for their teacher. Mrs. Thomas smiled to herself as she listened from the kitchen.

               “And, oh, Mary Jane,” Kate was saying, “you can take charge of the refreshments. You and your mother always make such good things. But we don’t want you to have all the had work. You just tell us what to do, and we will bring anything you say.”

               “Well, if you like,” Mary Jane smiled hesitatingly, “but I am sure you would do a much better job of it yourself.”

               “Isn’t it wonderful,” Nell said happily, “to have Mary Jane back with us in everything again? You know, we had begun to think you didn’t want to have anything to do with us anymore. You are so talented, and you wear such nice clothes and everything.”

               “I was so lonely and miserable,” Mary Jane laughed, “and it was all my own fault.”

Mrs. Thomas smiled to herself.