Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-12-29
misfellanrous.
The Young Philosopher.

n E52AStSAS hOA
Mr.. Solomon Winthrop was u plain old
farmer--an austere, precise man, who did
everything by established rules, and could
see no reason why people should grasp at
things beyond what had been reached by
their great grandlathers. He had three
chidren-two boys and girl. There was
jeremiah seventeen years old, Samuel, ff-
teen, and Fanny, thirteen.
1t was cold winters day. Samuel was
in the kitchen. reading a book, and SO in.
terested was be that he did not notice the
entrance Of his father. Jeremiah was in an
opposite corner, engaged in cyphering out
sum which he had found in his arihme-
| tic.
"Sam," said the farmer to his youngest
boy, "have you worked out that sum yet ."
mo sir" returned the boy, in hesitat-
ing manner.
didn't | tell you to stick to your arith-
metic ill you had done it ?" uttered Mr.
Winthrop in severe tone.
Samuel hung down his head, and looked
! troubled.
"Why havn't you done it ?" continued
the father.
"I can't do it, sir" tremblingly returned
the boy.
Cant do it? And why not? Look at
Jerry, there, with his slate and arithmetic
He had cyphered further than you have
long before he was as old as you are'
Jerry was always fond of mathematical
problems, sir, but cannot fasten my mind
on them. They have no interest to me-"
THAT'S because you don't try to feel an
interest in your studies. What book is that
you are readng?"
ats a work on philosophy, sir"
IA work on fiddle-slicks! Go, put il
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 in the chimney corner.
His neither lip trembled, and his eyes were
moistened, for he was unhappy. His faith
es had been harsh towards him, and he felt
that it was without a cause.
"Sam," said Jerry, as soon as the old man
had gone. al will do that sum for YOU"
mo, jerry" returned the younger broth
er, but with grateful look, "that would be
deceivng father. | will try to do the sum
though fear / shall not succeed"
Samuel worked very hard, but all to no
purpose His mind was not on the subject
before Kim. The roots and squares, the
bases, hypothenuses and perpendiculars
though comparatively simple in themselves
were to him mingled mass of incompre
hensible things, and the more he tried .h'
more did be become perplexed and bother
: ed. The truth was, his father did not un
derstand him.
Samuel was bright boy, and uncom
monty intelligent for one Of his age. Mr.
Winthrop was thorough mathematical
he never yet came across problem h,
could lot solve, and be desired that hi
boys should be like him, for he conceived
that the acme of educational perfection Ia!
in the power of conquering Euclid, and h
often expressed his opinion, that were Eu
cid living then, he could "gve the old geo
T metrcan hard tussel" He seemed no
: to comprehend that different minds wer
!. made with different capacities, and tha
what one mind grasped with ease, an
d other Of equal power would fail to compre
= hend. Hence, because jeremiah progrss
ed rapidly in his mathematical studies, an
could already survey piece of land of ma
: ny angles, he imagined that because Sam
:, uel made no progress in the same branc
\ he was idle and careless, aud treated hir
accordingly. He never candidly converse
with his younger son, with view to ascer
tain the true bent OF his mind, but he ha
hi. own standard Of tho power OF all minds
!. and he pertinaciously adhered to it
There was another thing that Mr.. Wiz
throp could not see, and that was, that San
uel was continually pondering upon sue
profitable matter as interested him, and thi
be was scarcely ever idle nor did his fail
err see, either, that if he ever wished b
boy to become a mathematician, he ws
% pursuing the very course to prevent such
result, Instead of endeavoring to max
: the study interesting to the child, he WI
making il obnoxious.
The dinner hour came, and Samuel ha
"a not worked out the sum. His father W;
angry, and obliged the boy 60 without h
dinner, at the same time telling him that
was an idle, lazy child
= Poor Samuel left the kitchen and wei
up to his chamber. and there he sat an
J, cried. At length his mRd seem, to pa
from the wrong he had suffered at the bar
OF his parent. and took another turn. ar
the grief marks left bis face. There was
laYoe fire in the roon1 below hie chamhe