The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-12-23
Tho Young Philosopher.

everything BY established TuiesI and could
see no reason Why people should grasp At
things beyond what had been reached by
their grandathsn lie had three children,
two boys and a GIRL There was Jeremiah,
seventeen years Old, Samuel, iifisaB snd Pans
ny, fourteen,
Il was a cold winters day. Samuel was
Ia lhe Kitchen reading book, and 90 inter-
ested WAS he that he did not notice the en-
trance of biz father, Jerry was 10 an oppo-
sile corner engaged in eyPherng out sum
which he had found Ia his arithmetic.
"ham," said the father 70 his youngest boy,
"haye you worked out that sum, yelp'
"No, dr, said the boy hesitalingly,
"Dldn't tell you 60 stick 70 your arthme-
tio ell you had done Il P" uttered Mr., Win
throp, In q severe tone,
samuel hung dovn 6is head and looked
troubled,
"why haven't you done Il ?" continued the
father.
81 can't do H. sir.a irenblingiy returned
samuel
Cant do IL aud Why uot' Look at Jer.
~, there, with his slate aud pencil, lie had
eyphered further than you, before he was
old as sou are"
Jerry was always fond Of mathemeloal
problems, sir, but cannot fasten my mind
upon them. They have 40 interest for me-"
"Thats because you don't lry 10 feel an in.
terest 10 your studies What book Is tha,
you are reading p
1T Il work on philosophy sir"
"a work on Addle-suekl Go, put Il away
this instant and then get your slate, and
don't let me see you away from your ar,h-
metie, until you can work out those roots,
DO yoI understand me ?"
Samuel made no answer, but silently be
put away bic philosophy and then he got hs
slate and sat down In the chimney corner.
Hil neither Zip trembled and his eyes mois.
tenA |, for he was unhappy, lila father had
been) harsh toward him, and he felt that it
was A.4hout cause"
"sam," said Jerry, as soon as their father
had gone, Il will do that sum for you"
mo, Jerry" returned tho younger brother
but with a grateful look, "that will be dccciy-
ing father will Try 10 do the aum, 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 ba-
ses, hypothenuses and perpendicular, though
comparatively simple In themselves, we're to
him n mingled mass Of ineomprehensiblo
things, and the more tr.sa the mere ~
became pcrpltxed and bothered.
The truth was, hs father did not under
stand him.
Samuel was bright boy and uneommonly
intelligent Tor one If his age. Mr.. Withcop
was thorough nathematean-ho never
yet came across problem he could not solve
and be desired that his boys should be like
him, for hc considered that the acme OF sdu-
eational perfection lay in the power Of con
qucring Euclid. and he often expressed his
opinion that we're Euclid living then he
could give the old geometriean hard tus-
sle" lie seemed not to comprehend that
different minds we're made with different ca
paeiues, and what one mind grasped with
ease, another Of equal power would fail to
comprehend. Hence, because Jeremiah pro-
grossed rapidly in his mathematical studics,
and could already survey piece Of land of
many angles, he imagined that because Sam
uel made no progress in the same branch, he
was idle and careless, and treated him aecor-
I dinghy. lie never candidly oonversed with
bis younger son, with view to ascertain the
true bent Of his mind, but he had his own
standard OF the power Of all minds aud he
pcrtinaeiously adhered to it.
There was another thing that Mr.. Win
throp could not see, and that was that Sam
uel was continually pondcring upon such un-
profitable matter as was interesting to him
and was scarcely ever idle nor did his fathor
see, either, that if he ever wished his boy to
become mathematician, he was pursuing
the very course to prevent such a result. In
stead Of cndeavoring to make the study in
tcrestiag to the child, he was making it, OBJ
noxious.
The dinner hour came Snd Samuel had not
worked out the sum. His father was angry,
and obliged the boy to go without his din
ner, at the same time telling him that he was
an idle, lazy child.
Poor Samuel left the kitchen, and there he
sat and cried. At length his mind seemed
to pass from the wrong he had suffered at
the hand of his parent, and took another
turn and the marks of grief left his face.
There was a large fire in the room below his
chamber, so that he was not very cold, and
getting up he went to u closet, and from be-
meath lot Of old clothes he took forth some
strips Of wood and commenced whiting 1t
was1Rot for mere pastime that he whitfield,
I for hsS SVuS fushrUriug SUr1Iu rJrr1Uuu utiuTr
from thoSA pieces Of wood. lie had bits Of
wire, litIl(Gcraps Of tin plate, pieces Of twino
and d-d6zens of small wheels that he made
/ himself, and he seemed TO be working to get
] thn Nhnln inrnther Ancr snmn nnriioulnr