The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-08-25
IFrom Gleason's Pictorial
THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHER
A SKETCH FOR PARENTS.
BY sYLvANus COBB, JR.

old farmer--an austere. precise man, who |
did everything by established rules, apd
who could see no reason why people should
ever grasp at things beyond what had been
reached by their great great grandiathers.
He had three children-two boys and a
girl. There was jeremiah, seventeen years
old, Samuel, fifteen, and Fanny, thirteen.
1t was a cold winters day. Samuel
was in the kitchen reading book. and so
interested was he that he did not notice the
entrance OF his father. jeremiah was in
an opposite corner engaged in ciphering
out a sum which he had found in his arith.
metic.
"Sam," said the farmer to his youngest
son, shave you worked out that sum yet?"
"No, sir" returned the boy, in hesi-
tating manner. ga
"Didn't tell you to stick to your arith-
metic till YOU had done it," uttered Mr..
Winthrop, in severe tone
Samuel hung down his head and looked
troubled.
"Why haven't you done III" continued
the father.
81 can't do it, sir" tremblingly return
ed the boy.
"Can't do iti And why not9 Look at
Jerry, there, with his slate and arithmetic.
He had ciphered further than you have
long before he was as old as you are"
"Jerry was always fond of mathematical
problems, sir; but cant fasten my mind
on them. They have no interest for me-"
"That's because you don't try to feel
any interest in your studies. What book
is that you are reading?" g.s
"It's work on philosophy, sir"
ga work on fddle-sticks! Go put it
away this instant, and then get your slate,
and don't let me see you away from your
arithmetic again until you can work out
these roots. Do you understand me?"
Samuel made no answer, but silently he
put away his philosophy, and then got his
slate, and sat down again in the chimney
corner. His neither lip trembled, and his
eyes were moistened. for he was unhappy.
His father had been harsh towards him,
and he felt that it was without just cause.
\ "Sam," said Jerry, as soon as the old
man had gone. "I'l do that sum for you."
"No, Jerry" returned the young broth
er, but yet with grateful look; that
would be deceiving our father. will try
and do the sum myself, though fear /
shall not succeed"
Samuel worked and studied. but all to
no purpose. His mind was not on the
subject before him. The roots and squares.
the bases, hypothenuses and perPendicu-
lars, though comparatively simple in them.
selves, were to him mingled mass Of in
comprehensive things, and the more he
studied the more did he become perplexed
and bothered. The truth was, his father
did not understand him.
Samuel was bright boy, and uncom-
monty intelligent for his age. Mr.. Win
throp was thorough mathematician-he
had never yet come across problem ne
could not solve, and he desired that his
children should be like him, for he con-
ceived that the very acme Of educational
perfection lay in the power Of conquering
Euclid, and be often expressed the opinion
that, were Euclid living then, he could
"give the old geometrician a hard tussle::'
He never seemed to comprehend diff
ferent capacities. and that what one mind
could grasp with ease, another, Of equal
power, would fail to comprehend Hence,
because jeremiah progressed rapidly in
his mathematical studies, and could al
ready survey piece Of land of many an
giles, he imagined that, because Samuel
made no progress at all in the same branch,
he was idle and careless, and he treated
him accordingly. He never candidly con-
versed with his younger son. with view
to ascertain the true bent Of his mind, and
thus enable himself TO open proper field
| for the scope Of that mind, but he had his
own standard of the power Of all minds,
and he pertinaciously adhered to it.
There was another thing Mr.. Winthrop
could not see, and that was, that Samuel
was continually studying and ponderine
upon such profitable matters as interested
him, and that he was scarcely ever idle
nor did the father see, either, that il he ev'
er wished his boy to become mathema
tician, he was pursuing the very course tc
prevent such result. Instead of endea
voring to make the study interesting to the
child, he was making it really obnoxious
The dinner hour came, and Samuel hat
not yet worked out the sum. His father
was angry, and obliged the boy to 60 with
out his dinner, at the same time telling
him that he was an idle, lazy child. 81.
| Poor Samuel left the kitchen and wen
up to his chamber, and there he sat ant
4 cried. At length his mind seemed to pas
from the wrong he had suffered at tn,
hands Of his parent and took another turI
and the griefmarks left his face. Their
was large fire in the room below hi
chamber, SO he was not very cold; ant
getting up from his seat he wentto smal
closet, and from beneath q lot of old clothe
he dragged forth some long strips Of WOO
land commenced whiting. Il was not 70