The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-10-05
80 81 fErom Gleasonss Pictorial
THE sIIGHTED SCHOLAR.
4asY sYrvaNus COBB. 1R.

&
'sle Gases like the one / am about TO relate
Ore much too frequent in ourscountry, and
ssiiey are such, too. as should be guarded
against by all who have ansinterestin edu
cation. The incident was brought to mind
by hearing . complaint made by the parent
/. Iolta eoor hoy. I. who had been grossly ne
elected by the ste acher Of the village school
neglected simply because he was poor and
comparatively friendless! 4
sisI Manya years ago. when | was but a
small boyd attended scheolin the town
,af. Mz-.,, Amongtlhe scholars there was
q boy named George Henry. His father
was poor. drinking man, aud the unior-
sfdiats boy had 10 suffer in Consequence
George came to school habited in ragged
ssRasnsenss- but they were the bestihe had;
s be .was rough and uncouth II. bis manners.
,lar he had been.s brought up in that man.
ner; he was very ignorant. for he had
never had opportunity Tor education.
= Season alter season. poor George Hem
~ occupied the same seat in the school
700 n. e vas back corner seat, away
v{r613 the other scholars,--and there he
ihumbsd his tattered primer. The ragged
sccsiaition Of his garb gave homely cast
tellirence there might have been in his
.sro6ntenance was beclouded by the "outer
scoserine'' of1the boy. He seldom played
swish.t the other children, for they seemed to
sShuu. shim;s but when he did, for while,
sj0sn 7wish fhem ia their sports, he was so
rough that he was soon showed OFF out oi
1ahewkys dsa SO elsfi
Fhegieacher passed the poorboy coldly
sgsY ifr the street, while other boys, in bet
xer garbs, swers kindly noticed. In the
yschebt,syoung Henry was equaily coldly
-aseaaed The teacher neglected him. and
then called him an idle blockhead' be.
-caase he did dnotle The boy received
% iaesntivelto study, andsconsequently
Assi &assmost Of the time idle, and idleness
:Bseas. q a8iseosition to While.away the time
10 mischief. For this he was whipped
Haljd stise more he was whipped the more
ville A8d 1aafeless be became. lie knew
that he was neglected by the teacher sim
ply because he was poor and ragged. and
with sort of sdIien Indifference, sharpen
fed af times BY feelings OF bitterness, he
splodaed on in his DARK, sthankless way
, Thus matters went on. for several years
Most OF the scholars who were Of Georg,
u6uIy = oSS u3u PoSSC4 OH W tbC
branches Of study, while he. poor fellow
still spelled out short words of one ant
Two syllablss, and still kept his distant sea
in the corner His father had sunk lowe
iii The pit Of irebriatiop, and the unfortu
nate Soy was moro wretched than ever
TIE iSok Of ciownish Indifference whicl
had marked his countenance. was giyiD,
away to q shade of unhappy thought AM
feeling, and j, was evident that the gres
t1rii.point of his life was at hand. III
ssood now upon the step in life from whic
me fhte Of after years must take its cas-
Atslbis time . man BY the name of ,,Kel
~fff6ok ekafee Of ihe SCHOOL. He was, a
n6Id tsaSh6 ii q ;6arsful observer of huma
nature. Ind $ really good man. Lon
avsaff 6{ fhaf dihhphip over wild youth
yk6d diygk hi I blntf, authoritative .waJ
sSnd in i}is dis6fpIins he was strict and vi
sVa5SfInR. Tho llFst ds bs passed 10 II
teachers desk ~ our school was fi,ostl