Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-01-28

AM ne usec 10 declare, formally, that nc
one was worthy OF being called a man, il
he had not studied, and did not know one,
at least, Of those languages. Therefore
he professed sovereign contempt for
those of his scholars who contented them
selves with learning the English language
writing and arithmetic, and no boy count.
ed for much, in his sight. before he had
read Virgil: and as for those who were in
Homer, he reserved for them large place,
| can assure you, in his heart. The sigh,
of Virgilien made his eyes flash wi h
joy; before Homerieu it was quite an.
other thing!
This side Of the character Of Paddy
being well known, my readers will be as
tonished, perhaps, that he SHOULD have
decided to marry Miss Betsy Parker,
who never could or would finish learning
her alphabet. But Love is no more len.
lent to schoolmasters, however learned
they may be, than to other mortals, and
the charms of Miss Betsy inspired Pad
dly with passion. at least equal to that
he experienced for Virgil and Homer
He excused himself by taking Betsy's ig
norance as text to prove the mental in
ferority Of women, and the inutility o.
all efforts to raise them to the maximum
of the other sex.
But the law Of compensation is often.
est found in love, and above all. in mar.
riage. Betsy made up by multitude o1
excellent and solid qualities, by good
sense and an upright and just reason
which she owed to the in pirations Of hel
heart, for all that she had not wished tt
ask of science, all that she had not beer
able to obtain from it.
From the day of his establishment a
Donnybey, Paddy had displayed bound
less charity for the wandering scholars
such as he himself had been. His schoo
was the refuge of all the poor children
who there received gra.uitously, the in
structions of the master, while good Mis-
tress Paddy showered upon them he
tenderness and her care.
This generosity, though uncalculated
had not been without its beneficial re
suits. The reputation of Henry Paddl,
increased wonderfully, so that from al
corners of the county, he received al
equal number of benedictions and of poo
children, who found hospitality at III
threshold of his house and of his science
Afterwards, as every thing in this worl
mus: have its profitable side, all tie ric
farmers Of the neighborhood, and eve
those al distance, in sending their chill
dren to the school of Master Paddy, pal
largely the classical education, and sti
more largely the accessories. The resul
was, that at the end of several years, tn
balance which had for long time leane
TO the side of poverty, turned the othe
way, and Paddy found himself master c
f fortune such as he had never dared I
dream Of
1t has often been observed how muc
the heart of man becomes modified in tn
, slow transition Of poverty to riches
5 whereas, he is intact with al his vices {
, all his virtues, when he leaps suddenly
and with single bound, the abyss whic
, separates extreme misery from extrem
/ wealth. In the first case, it is, perhap
, an excess of virtue which keeps good fo
tune so long away, so that at last, when
begins TO arrive, man feels dispositio
f to break with his best instincts. Sudde
fortune, on the contrary, does not gi,
the heart time to change, and armed {
a once wi h this powerful lever, man make
use of it with all the instincts, good {
bad. which nature has given him.
/, Such waA the situation Of our frier
Paddy the good fortune having con
slowly, by force of labor aud pa.ienc
f the schoolmaster had gradually acquire
i a certain religious faith in this none
8 which it had cost him so much trouble
y alnass. Thus, in the end, it happen,
!; that something got out Of place in h
!. heart. As the crowns, shillings al
:. guineas filled his pockets, his professit
n lost, in his eyes, the charm which he HI
It once attached to it. He commenced
!, consider teaching exclusively as meas
d Of gaining money, and, sad to relate
II little by little, he came to regret the ge
erosities of the past. which had made hi
n areputation from which he drew so larJ
J. a profit Paddy was ungrateful, ev'
: toward virtue and happiness He |
n lnger showed himself gracious and aft
9 ble, except toward his rich pupils, a,
o abused the others, particularly his stron
v est Homerian, who was only po
e scholar.
v This sentiment, weak at first, had gra
d ually grown stronger, until Paddy fl
o ished by often putting this question
9 himself:
r. "Why should | continue to do SO mu'
d good Aud why should show myse
d still so generous toward those who gi,
d me nothing in return ~
VI He had not confided that to anybody
d but he had repeated it SO often to himst
! that the bad thought, had, as it were, TAX,
Y root in his heart, and then invaded it q
1 together. NJ VI
Q One evening, upon entering his kite
!. zen, he saw Betsy preparing warm drin