Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1815-06-12
@isreIlanp.


FOR THE PORTLAND GAZETTE.
We have sid, thar the practice OF keeping
manuscript of Arithmetic is injurious 10 the in
diyidual, injurious 10 the whole school, and IN
necessarily laoorious to the teacher. 1t is iniu-
rious to The one, who keeps it What service
Isl What is it done for What reasons can
be given for it have never heard but three.
The FIRST, il helps the pupil in The study OF Aritb
metic the second, it improves his hand writing;
the third. " learns him to make figures. The
first Of these 10 false II does not help him in
the study of Arithmetic. sppesi to every one,
who knows what mathematical studies are,
whether picking oskum would noS be just IS
sfficacious. Mathematics are not concerhec
viii the end of the fingers, but with the lac sd.-
Ii earns the scholar 10 write and deny this,
Mf. Censor, If you can II allow. that If may 10
it. So nigh, his instructor take him, every hall
hour. from his cypheTing, and teach him TO make
baskets, If he knew how himself. No wrlts
when YOU write and CIPHER when you CIPHER
Exoe,ie fence has shown this TO be the best way. -
We'll you snarling critick, the boy must learn &c
make skures and now I've got you, sir. My
father, my grandfather, my great grandfather,
and my grest great grandfather have all handed
down heir cyphering-books TO mei and can
show you what my ancestors knew. There are
questions in them ell snswe edl that il would
puzzle the esident of college 10 answer
now s.days. For instance il mouse fall mo
well 90 feet deep, and crawl up three feet every
day, and fell back two every night how long
III he be in getting out of the we'll - am no
disguised to deny that this prscuce may learn one
10 make figures. But he learns this fast enough
on his slate. Besides, this is trivial consider
alton.
Now it there is eny foundation for wha' have
said, have proved, that The practice OF Keeping
a manuscript is useless One would be apt, then,
20 suspec, il of being injurious 10 knogr 1t to
be injurious have often observed. that those
cypherers, who good writer's, and are fond OF
writing, will contIive any means to gel The woi
onto their states, that they might be copying 1t.
No matter by what means If oilers will do the
wok for them, all we'll. Let them write snd
ornament their books snG cypherng may take
cate of Itself. On the other band /: those, ford
Of Arithmetic, will neglect their manuscii3t.
They hurry, scrawl, daub, and blot They con
trsct an aux ward careless habit OF writings that
they never get rid of.
That the practice is injurious 20 the whoie
school is evident, because it necessarily employs
acme of the instructors time. This is he only
wsyit is sensibly injurious to the school; and
this is enough.
That t is unnecessarily Isborous to the teach
er, follows from what las been already said.
That labor cannot be necessary, which does 10
good.
We see in this practice the astonishing power
ofcustom. Il carries man to the ex'remny Of
absurdity; while reason end common sense are
no, permitted TO speak. have myself heard
teachers boast of setting up til midnight, to copy
into the cyphering-bocks of their scholars and
have heard The parents OF The children produce
il 81 proof, that they were good masters" Fls
like to sleep too we'll. | would set up I'LL nine,
and make birch brooms and The proceeds OF my
lsoor would purchase more printed Arithmetic,
than could write by working I'LL daylight
TRIOS.