Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-11-29
M(istellang,
INDUSTRIOUS OUNCES.
A CHAPTER FOR BOYS.

on the subject Of lllustrlous Duuces-duli
boys, but brilliant men. We have room,
however, for only a few instances. Pletro
di Cortona, the painter, was thought so
stupid that he was nicknamed "Ass' Head"
when a boy; and Tom Tasso Guidi was
generally known as "Heavy Tom" (Mas-
eoceia Tomassaeio,) though by diligence
he afterwards raised himself to the highest
emineuce. Newton, when at school, stood
at the bottom of the lowest form but one.
The boy above Newton having kicked him,
the Ounce showed his pluck by challenging
him to fight, and beat him. Then he set
to work with a will, and determined also
to ~vanquish his antagonist as a scholar,
which he did, rising to the top of his class.
Many of our greatest divines have been
any thing but precocious. Isaac Barrow,
when at the Charter school house, was no.
torious chiefly for his strong temper, pug
n~acious habits, and proverbial idleness as
a scholar ; and he caused such grief to his
parents, that his father used to say that if
it pleased God to take from him any of his
children, he hoped it might be Isaac, the
most unpromising ofthem all. Adam Clarke,
when a boy, was proclaimed by his father
to be a "grievous Ounce" though he could
roll large stones about. Dean Swift, one
of the greatest writers of pure English, was
"plucked' at Dublin University, and only
obtained his recommendation to Oxford,
especial g~ratia." The we'll known DR..
Chalmers and Dr.. Cook were boys together
at the parish school of St. Andrews, and
they were found so stupid and mischievous,
that the master, irritated beyond measure,
dismissed them both as iucorrigible ounces.
The brilliant Sheridan showed so little
capacity as a boy, that he was presented to
a tutor by his mother with the compliment
tary accompaniment, that he was an incor-
rigible Ounce. Walter Scott was all but a
Ounce when a boy, always much reader for
a "bicker' than apt at his lessons. At the
Edinburg University, Professor Dazzel pro-
nounced upon him the sentence that
"Duuce he was, Ounce he would remain"
Chatterton was returned % his mothers
hands as a "fool, of whom nothing could
be made" Burns was a dull boy, good
only at athletic exercises. Goldsmith spoke
of himself as a plant that lowered late
Alferi left college as wise as when he en-
tered it, and did not begin the studies by
which he distinguished himself until he
had run over half of Europe. Robt. Give
was a Ounce, if not a reprobate, when a
youth but always full of energy, even in
badness. His family, glad to get rid of
him, shipped him off to Madras; and he
lived to lay the foundations of the British
power in India. Napoleon and Wellington
were both dull boys, not Distinguishing
themselves in any way at school. Of the
former the Duchess d'Abrautes says che
had good health, but was in other respects
like other boys" John Howard, the phi
lanthropist, was another illustrious Ounce,
learning next to nothing during the seven
years he was at school. Stephenson, as a
youth, was distinguished chiefly for his
skill at putting and wrestling, and attention
to his work. The brilliant Sir Humphrey
Davy was no c%leverer than other boys his
teacher, Mr.. Davies Gilbert, says of him,
"while he was with me, I could not discern
the qualities by which he was most distin-
guished." Indeed, he himself, in after
life, thought it fortunate that he had been
left to "eujoy so much idleness"" at school.
Watt was a dull scholar, Notwithstanding
the pretty stories told about his precocity ;
but he was, what was better, patient and
perSevering, and it was by that means, and
by his carefully cultivated iuveutiveness,
that he was enabled to perfect his steam
engine.
What DR.. Arnold said of boys is equal
ly true of men-that the difference be-
tween one boy and another consists not so
much in talent as in energy. Give perse-
verance, and energy soon becomes habitual.
Provided the Ounce has persistency and
application, he will enevitably, head the
clever fellow without these qualities. Slow
but sure wins the race. 1t is perseverance
that explains how the position of boys at
school is SO often reversed in real life and
it is curious to note how some who were
so clever have since become so common
place whilst others, dull boys of whom
nothing was expected, slow in their facul.
ties, but sure in their pace, have assumed
the position of men. The author of this
book, when a boy, stood in the same class
with one Of the greatest Ounces. Ore teach.
er after another had tried his skill upon
him and failed. Corporal punishment.
fools cap, coaxing, and earnest entreaty
proved alike f~ruitless. Sometimes the ex,
pertinent was tried of putting him at the
top of his class, and it was curious to note
, the rapidity with which he gravitated tc
the inevitable bottom, like a lump passing
through quicksilver. The youth was Civ
en- up by many teachers as an incorrigible
duuce-one of them pronouucing him to
) be a "stupendous BOBBY" Yet, slow
though he was, this Ounce had a dull en-,
ergy and sort of a beefy t~enacity of pur
pose, which grew with his muscles and his
manhood -; and, strange to say, when he al
length came to take his part in the practi
' cal business of life, he was found heading
! most of his school companions, and even
, tually left the greater number of them ia,
behind.
The tortoise in the right road will beat
. racer in the wrong. 1t matters not though
,, a youth be slow, if he is but diligent-