The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-24

Let us, people who are so uncommonly
clever and learned. have great tenderness
and pity for the poor folks who are not en-
bowed with the prodiglous talents which we
have. have always had regard for dun
ces;-those Of my own schooldays were
amongst the pleasantest Of the fellows. and
have turned out by no means the dullest in
life; whereas many youth who could turn
off Latin hexameters by the yard. and con-
strue Greek quite glibly, is no better than a
feeble prig now, with not pennyworth
more brains than were in his head before
his beard grew. Those poor ounces! Talk
of being the last man, ali. what Pang IT
must be to the last boy-huge. misshapen,
fourteen years of age-and "taken up" by
chap who is but six years old, and can't
speak quite plain yet! Master Hulker is in
that condition at Birch's. He is the most
honest, kind, active. plucky creature. He
can do many things better than most boys.
He can 90 up tree, jump, play at cricket,
dive and swim perfectly--he can eat twice
as much as almost any body (as Miss Birch
well knows) be has pretty talent OF carv-
ing figures with his mackenzie, he makes
and paints little coaches, he can take watch
to pieces, and put it together again. He can
do everythingbut learn his lesson; and there
he sticks at the bottom OF the school. hopeless
As the little boys are drafted from Miss
Raby's class lit is true she is one OF the best
instructresses in the world), they enter and
hop over poor Hulker. He would be
handed over to the governess only he is toe
big. Sometimes used TO think that this
desperate stupidity was stratagem Of the
poor rascal's; and that he slammed dull
ness so that he might be degraded into Mis-:
Raby's class: if she would teach me,
knew, before George. | would put on 9
pinafore and little jacket-but no, it is &
natural incapacity for the Latin grammar
If you could see his grammar, it is perfec
curiosity Of dogs ears. The leaves and
cover are all curled and ragged. Many o
the pages are worn away, with the rubbing
Of his elbows as he sits porting over the
hopeless volume, with the blows Of hi
fists as he thumps it madly, or with thu
poor fellows tears. You see him wipint
them away with the back Of his hand, al
he tries and tries, and cant do it. Wher
| think Of that Latin grammar, and tina
internal As in Present., and OF other thing
which was made to learn in my youth
upon my conscience | am surprised that WI
ever survived it. When one thinks Of tn,
boys who have been caned because the
could not master that intolerable jargon
Good Lord, what pitiful chorus these poo
little creatures sent up! Be gentle witt
them, We sehoolmasters, and only whoI
hose who ,cont learn. The doctor ha
Operated upon Hulker between ourselves)
but the boy was so little affected you would
have thought he had taken chloroform.-
Birch is weary Of whipping now, and leave
the boy to 90 his own gait. Prince, wheI
he hears the lesson, when who cannot bel
making fun Of fool, adopts the sarcastic
manner with Master Hulker, and says
"Mr. Hulker, may take the liberty to in
quire il your brilliant intellect has enable,
you to perceive the difference between thos
words which grammarians have defined a
substantive and adjective nouns!-if not
perhaps Mr.. Ferdinand Timmins will 10
struct you" And Timmins hops owe
Hulker's head. wish Prince would leav,
off girding at the poor lad. He's an onl.
son, and his mother is a widow woman
who loves him with all her might. Their
is famous sneer about the sucking o
fools and the. chronicling of small beer
but remember it was a rascal uttered it,
DR.. Birch and his Young Friends, B.
Ihdckeray.