The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-09
THE MIND AWAKENED.

'~'' S"o''"' LIZ SpC"hS vi Hithoeil III
The third person.
lie employed two days and a part of the
third i'll fruitlcss endeavors to commit to
two lines, with their constructions,
of what appeared to him useless and in
comprehensive jargon. His distress was
and he watcred his book with
his tears; Mt last he laid it by, with
broken heart, and i'll dispair of being abIo
to make any progress. lie took up an
English class, and rose with them to say u
lesson. The master percciving it, said, in y
terrific tone, "Sir, what brought you here?
where is your Latin Grammar 2" lie lurst
into tears and said, 81 cannot learn it,
lie had now reason tocxpcct all tho severity
OF the rodi but the master, getting littio
moderate, perhaps moved by his tears, con-
tented himself with saying, "Go, srrah,
and take up your Grammar; if you do not
speedily get that lesson, shall pull your
cars as long as Jowlcr's, (a great dog be-
longing to the prcmiscs,) and you shall Lo
beggggar to the day of your DEATH" These
were terrible words, and seemed to express
the sentences of Il ruthless and unavoila-
ble destiny. lie retired, and sat down by
the side of a gentleman with whom lie had
been i'll class, but who, unable to lac be-
hind with his dulncss, requested to be sep
arated, that he might advance by himself
ilere he was received with the most bitter
.aunts and poignant insults. "What, have
you not learned that lesson yet? o, what
stupid ass! You aud began together;
you are now only (As in presently and
am in syntax !" and then, with cruel mock
lngs, began to repeat. the last lesson lie had
learned. The effect Of this WAS astonishing
young Clarke was reused from lctllarry,
he felt, as he expressed himself, as if somc-
thing had broke within him: his mind in
moment was all light. Though he felt
'ndescribably mortified, lie was not indignant;
what, said he in himself, shall ever he a
Ounce, and the butt OF those fellows insults!
lie snatched up his book, i'll few moments
committed the lesson to memory, got the
construction speedily, went up and said it
without missing a word took up another
lesson, acquired it almost Immediately,
said this also without blemish, and in the
course of that day wcaried the master with
his SO often repeated returns to say lessons
and committed to memory all the Latin
verses, with their English construction, in
which heavy and tedious Lilly has descri$
bed the four functions, with their rules, exs
ceptions. &c. &c. Nothing like this had
ever appeared in the school beEore-tho
boys were astonishcd admiration took the
place of mocking and insults, and from
that hour, it may be said from that ,aa-
ment, found his memory at last capable of
embracing every subject that was brought
before it, and his own long sorrow waS
turned into instant joy.
For such n revolution in the mind of .
child, it will not be easy to account. lie
was not idle; and though playful, never
wished to indulge his disposition at tile cx-
pcnse of instruction-his own felt incapac-
| ity was NOSE oppressive burden and the
anguish of his heart was evidenced hg the
tears which often flowed from his eyes,
Reproof and punishment produced neither
change nor good. for there was nothing to
be correct to which they could apply
Threatenirgs were equally unavailing, be-
cause there was no wilful indspotition to
study and application and the fruitless de.
sire to learn showed at least the regret Of
want Of ability, for the acquisition Of which.
he would have been willing to bare made
any kind Of sacrifice. &
AT last this ability was strangely acquire
but no. by slow degrees; ther. e p
conquest over inaptitule and duine4 L,.% q
severing and gradual conflict; the W "er.
seemed generated in moment, and Me-
moment there was transition from laIfs
ness to light, from mental imbeoi,iiy TO in.
tellectual vigor, and no means or excite-s:
mcnt wero brought into operation but those
mentioned above. phe rcproaehes of his
schoofellows were the sparks Which fell or
the gunpowder and infamed it Instantly
The ipflammabIo matter was there before
but the spark vas wanting. This would
be proper subject for the discussion Of
those who write on the philosophy Of tho
human mind.
This detail has been made tho more far--
ticu)ar because lie eyer considered .it as
one of the most important circumstancessiin in
his life; and he has often mentioned Il 10
singular Providenreswllicll gave 81 strong
characteristic coloring to his subscquent
fife.-Anaericaa Phonetic Jouy7,ul.
Preservation Of corpsss; The follow
ing remarkable statement appears in late
number Of the Yicksburg (Miss.) Sentinel;