St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-08
NlisteIlanp.
THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHER.

MIR. Solomon Winthrop was a plain
oid tarmcr-an anstcrc, 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
grandtathcrs. lie had three children
two boys and girl. There was Jerc-
mlah, seventeen years old, Samuel iif-
teen, and Fanny, thirteen.
1t was cold winters dav. Samuel
was in the kitchen reading a book.
and so interested was he that he did
not notice the entrance of his father.
Jerry was in an opposite corner, en-
gagged in ciphcring out a sum which
he had found in his arithmetic.
Sam," said the father TO his young
est boy, have you worked out that
sum yet ~
No, sir" returned the boy, hcstat-
ingly.
Didn't tell you to stick to your
arithmetic till you had done it - ut
tered Mr.. Winthrop, in severe tone.
Samuel hung down his head, and
ip'pkNti llbuuttu.
Why haven't you done it? con-
tinucd the father.
:" l can't do it, sir" trcmblingly re-
turned Samuel.
Cant do it ? and why not? Lock
at Jerry. there, with his slate and
pencil. He had ciphered further than
you have, long before he was as old
as you are
Jerry was always fond of mathe-
matical problems, sir, but cannot
fasten my mind on them. They have
no interest for me-"
That's because you don't try to
feel an interest in your studies. What
book is that you are reading 2"
1t is work on philosophy, sir"
A work on fiddle-sticks Go put
it away this instant, and then get
your slate, and don't let me see you
away from your arithmetic until you
can work ont the roots. Do you un-
dcrstaud me ?"
Samuel made no answer but silent
ly he put away his philosophy, and
then he got his slate and sat down in
the chimney corner. His neither lip
trembled, and his eyes moistened, for
he was unhappy. His father had been
harsh toward him, and he felt that it
was without cause.
SAM" said Jerry, as soon as their
father had gone, " will do that sum
for you.'
No, jerry" returned the youngest
brother, but with a grateful look,
that will be deceiving father. |
will try to do the sum, but fear |
shall not succeed
Samuel worked very hard, but all
to no purpose. His mind was not on
the subject before him The roots and
squares, the bases, hypothenuses and
perpcndiculars, though comparatively
simple in themselves, We're to him q
mingled mass of iucomprehensible
things, and the more he tried the more
he became pcrplexed and bothered.
The truth was, his father did not
understand him.
/ Samuel was bright boy, and un-
commonly intelligent for one of his
age. Mr.. Winthrop was thorough
mathematician-he never yet came
across a problem he could not solve
and he desired that his boys should be
like him, for he considered that the
acme of educational perfection lay in
the power of conqucring Euclid, and
he often expressed his opinion that
were Euclid living then, he could
"give the old geometrician a hard tus-
sell" He seemed not to comprehend
that different minds were made with
different capacities, and what one
mind grasped with ease, another OF
equal power would fail to comprehend.
Hence, because Jeremiah progressed
rapidly in his mathematical studies,
and could already survey piece OF
land of many angles, he imagined that
/ because Samuel made no progress in
the same branch, he was idle and care,
less, aud treated him accordingly. He
never candidly conversed with his
younger son, with view to ascertain
the true bent OF his mind, but he had
his own standard of the power of all
minds. and he pcttinaclously adhered
~ IT,