Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-09-01

Let me look at it,, said the cripple, who
saw at once the back would be certificate
of the truth or falsehood Of the story Rob-
ert stripped himself, and all doubts were at
once removed.
why did you play truani2' inquired the
cripple, who had become quite interested
in the boy.
'l could not learn my lessons, sir, and |
hated to study. My master did not explain
the lessons so tina, could understand them,
! and not being able to commit to memory
so many words that were all Greek to me.
| was fogged every day until got tired
Of it. -.
Very NATURAL said the cripple, very
natural, and perhaps not very naughty
Do you hate studyP 81
If that is what you call study, do,' said
Robert, but | guess /. am as ready as-any
body 10 get any knowledge worth having ,
We'll, said the cripple you may eat
your apple now. and as am too lame to
60 home for dinner, brought something
for dinEer. and here is what is left of it,
Robert ate as heartily as hungry children
know how 10 do, and when he had about
done, the children from the neighboring
village school began TO erier the little shop,
and there was hardly room TO turn round
in il. es =
Il want a cents worth of chestnuts, said
'Robert,' said the cripple, 'can you count
out twenty-five chestnuts for that little
girl 2
4 guess l can,' said Robert, delighted at
the task; and still more with the confidence
it implied.
4 should like stick Of candy,' said an.
other.
sHand it to him. Robert said the Grip
pie, 'and put the money in the drawer.
Two or three others wanted something
and Robert was allowed to wait upon them
Who is thar fellow9' said one cf the
little boys to the cripple.
He is n poor little fellow that was dying
with pain and hunger said the cripple,
sand / hive just been feeding him.
'Non't you have thum. of my chest.
nuts?' said little girl, holding out her lit
tie stock. -.
You may have this apple,' said rosy
faced boy, Il don't want any more of it,
He had only taken one large bite from
one of its checks.
You may have half Of my candy said
third, and the cripple let them give, and
told Robert to take the. offering, because
he had known by hard experience that such
sacrifices are lessons in benevolence, one
of which is worth thousand of those COM
mitted TO memory.
: The readiness with which Robert waited
on the children satisfied the cripplesha his
natural powers wsre,to. say the least, -as
good as those of common children, and not
knowing what to do, he took Robert home
with him for the night. In the course of
the evening he made some inquiries into
The studies TO which the boy had attended,
and the manner in which he had studied
them. The spelling lessons had been
learned by looking at the words, reeding
them over to himself, and then spelling
them as the teacher put them OUT Geog-
raphy had been learned by rote in. The
words Of the book without any explana-
tions OF illustration. But it was grammar
that had driven him from school. He
could not understand word of it and it
was never explained or applied. He knew
that Man, Virtue, London was substantive
or noun, but he did not know that there
was any other substantive He knew that
pronoun stood instead of noun, but he
could not make any OF them stand instead
of Man, Virtue, London. He knew that
verb was word which signifed TO be, to
,oh he th1
whipping and sufferings he endured were
parts OF a verb, but the connection was not
explained, though the application was Off
ten made TO his shoulder.
The crippe's mind was made up before
morning, and believing that it would be a
benevolent act to deveioplhe boys mind
by little proper training, sothat he ght
become reconciled TO study, and needing
also lad 10 do many things that his lame.
ness and III health made painful to him, he
proposed 10 Robert to live with him, tend
to his store, and learn whaiever,he might
be able to teach him. Robert never was
so happy in his life. The days few like
feathers, and he did not know what he liked
best. the cripple, the shop, or his studies
l10~W Oil tHO WOtuS vi tHO DOOh
on slate, and when he could collect class
OF the village children, he taught them how
to write from his example. He never
heard the word grammar mentioned, but he
soon learned TO write sentences, and in
less than two years wrote letters to vari-
Gus domestics who came on errands to the
shop, and even had begun to correspond
with the teachers of the village school, who
had taken great liking TO him. He was
so serviceable to the cripple Tint he enlarg-
ed his shop and his stock of goods. Besides
making shoes themselves, when they had
leisure, they employed other workmen,
and even before Robert was of age, he be.
came the partner of his excellent master.
Il was not long before Robert became
chairman Of the School Committee, and
what was his astonishment one day 10 see
his old teacher come into the shop, to be
examined for vacant school in one Of
the districts.
of course you have taught BEFORE
said Robert, assuming on dir Of indifer.