The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-11-26

Time was when the schoolnaster was abroad,
and curious were the lessons he taught. For " ten
dollars month, and boarded round, !" the scholars
had the advantage Of all he knew, and Herewith
school committees and citizens declared themselves
"perfectiy satisfied" and even boasted of the su-
perior educational advantages their children enjoy
ed. The remembrance OF such teachers, however,
lives now only in the memory of the Oldest inhab-
itants, for State Normal Schools have compelled
ignorance and impudence to give way before the
ger paramount, but the mental is the ascendant.
To be teacher now, it is requisite that the party
have, at least, knowledge of his own mother
tongue, and that in his mode of impartng instruc.
zion, the mind not the back and legs. Of the pupil
be acted upon, and that books, not birch. shall be
the medium.
Sue, the novelist, in his Mature de- Seole, of the
Mysteries Of Paris, has given q good idea of the
french physical master. and If we had a tithe of
his ability we should delight to show up the Amer.
ican specimen that beat into us what little Of ed.
ucstion we possess. Employed at brick making
all summer, and teaching only in the winter, when
he could not work at his regular business, and
moreover, taking into account, in addition 10 his
own limited requirements, the fact that he taught
upon the physical system, together with the knoWl-
edge that most Of the boys spent most of their time
in devsing means to annoy him, an offset to the
innumerable Aogings he gave them, and the won.
der is not that they learned SO lle but that they
improved SO much.
:, Contemporary with our master, was one Simon
Nixon, or as he was better known, Isl Nix"
capital specimen of the class mentioned above, and
whose first application to be hired it is our inten
ton TO record. With the frame of a Colossus, ma
ture evidently intended him for some mechanical
employment, and with similar views, his father de-
signed that he should succeed him in the honorable
trade that had made him and his ancestors for &c.
veral generations, so justly celebrated. To this
end, 81 was in early life inducled into full commu
nication with the cunning workers in the art and
mysteries of the tan yard, where he labored with
great credit till he attained the age of twentyon
tuiion was quite too delicate for such laborious
employment. II the honest vernacular of his deli
cacy had been spoken, the word lazy would have
expressed all the complaints under which he sui.
fered. His mother agreed with him that lighter
work was necessary, and school keeping appearing
70 come nearest 10 his standard Of what was
wanted, and as it moreover required no capital to
start with, it was determined that he should BE-.
come teacher
Thus determined, he was not long looking for an
opportunity. The town of LinBus desired mas.
tel for the winter term, and he made application.
The school committee, consisting Of the minister,
the lawyer and the doctor, was convened, and the
examination Of the would-be master commenced
He didn't desire to be asked upon any thing in
particular he said, for he calculated he could give
them satisfaction upon every subject. "Then,"
said the lawyer, you will be kind enough to tell
US about Napoleon-Napoeon Bonaparte." "Ah,"
said 81 in reply, you We got there, Squire, for
l never hearn on him; want much, | guess
didn't live in this State, did he Sort Of an out
landsh name reckon he couldn't be much ; cal.
culate he was small account, any way" Finding
it was dead set on the Frenchman, he was asked
what he knew Of General Jackson. "Thers
you We got me again, SQUIRE" was the reply.
Why, consarn it, never heard there was any
such General, and m some military myself. I
20 to all the musters, and I've seen General
Snow, and General Brown, and General Smith
them are all the Generals that ever come round our
way, and rather guess there amt any .uch fell
low as you speak on. Guess you re trying to
make me out worse than l be-" Desiring the
committee that they would now :" try him on some.
thing that would be pseu like to the Children" the
examination in history here resled as the lawyer
would say, and an attack was made on punctuation
Blamenation !" said 81, "you re arter me now
why, faint at all such little fellow ain
| any account to nobody; we don't use em up our
way; don't stan for nothing it's all foolish having
30 many Of these little things to teach-they ain I
no use any how but I'm nafrl born smart, and
can larn 'em, and teach EN- too if you say so.''
| A semi colon was shown next, and then 81 be
gan to think it gone case with him. Hangna
ton, squire, you've got me again" he gasped out
you'll begin to think l don't know nothin'-bu
i'll don't know some things, Pm willing critter
and can larn. Just try me things that are nat
raj and useful, ana then you md me up and drest
"Then tell US what that is" said the squire, a
he pointed to period. Sis eyes glistened, for
millennium was opening to him. "By Jehosaphat,
said he, 81 thought you'd come to something a
last, so that could satisfy you that amt quite
fool; but tell you Pm there now, if you did thinl
didn't know nothing. Why, know that just a
easy-I knew it the minnit l put my eyes on it, 10
we have lots ON 'em up our way, and every bod
knows what they are."
EYES," said the squire, "and this is -
"a fly speck !" calculated 81, with an air