Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-03-21
INDUSTRIOUS OUNCES.


nicknamed "Ass's Head,'' when boy and
Tomaso Guidi was generally known as .sheavy
Tom," (Massaccio Tomassaccio,) though by
diligence he afterwards raised himself to the
highest eminence. Newton when at school,
stood at the bottom of the lowermost form but
one. The boy above Newton having kicked
him, the Ounce showed his pluck by challeng-
ing him to fight, and beating him. Then he
set to work with will, and determined also 10
vanquish his antagonist as scholar, which he
did, rising to the top OF his class. Many of
the greatest divineS have been anything but
precocious. Isaac Barrow, when a boy at the
Charterhouse school, was notorious chiefly for
his strong temper, pugnacious habits, and pro-
verbal idleness 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 l.
saac, the least promising of them all. Adam
Clarke, when boy, was proclaimed by his IA
ther to be ssa grievOuS Ounce - though he
could roll large stones about. Dean Swift, one
of the greatest writers of pure English, was
ssplucked' at Dublin University, and only OBJ
tanned his recommendation to Oxford "speci-
ali gratia.' The we'll known DR.. Chalmers
and DIR. Cook were boys together at the parish
school of st. Andrews and they were found
so stupid and miSchievous, that the master, il
ritated beyond measure, dismissed them both
as incorrgible ounces.
The brilliant Sheridan showed so little ca
pacity boy, that he was presented to tu-
tor by his mother with the complimentary ac-
compartment, that he was a hopeless Ounce.
Walter Scott was all but Ounce when boy,
always much reader for ssbicker.' than apt
at his lessons. At the Edinburgh University,
Prof. DalZell pronounced upon him the SEN
tence that "Dunce he was, and Ounce be would
remain.'' Chatterton returned on bis
mothers hands as ssa tool, uf whom nothing
| 100 Il
only at athletic exercises. Goldsmith spoke
of himself as a plant that lowered late. Alf-
eri left college no wiser than he entered it, and
| did not begin the studies by which he distin-
guished himself, until he had run over halt
| Europe. Robert Give was Ounce, if not
reprobate, when 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 them
selves in any way at school. OF the former
the Duchess d'Abrantes says, she had good
health, but was in other respects like other
boys" John Howard, the phianthrOpist, was
another illustriOus Ounce, learning next to
nothing during the seven years he was at
school. Stephenson, as youth, was dlstln-
gushed chiefly for his skill at pulling and
wrestling, and attention to his work. The brill
liant Sir Humphrey Davy was no cleverer than
other boys; his teacher, Mr.. Davis Gilbert,
said of him, sswhiie he was with me, could
not discern the faculties by which he was so
much distinguished" Indeed, he himself in
after-like considered it fortunate that he had
been left to senjoy so much ideness' at school.
Watt was dull scholar, notwithstanding the
pretty stories told about his precocity but he
was, what was better, patient and perseverant,
and it was by that means, and by his carefully
cultivated inventiveness, that he was enabled
to perfect his steam engine.
What DIR. Arnold said Of boys is equally true
of men-that the difference between one boy
and another consists not SO much in talent as
in energy. Given perseverance, and energy
soon becomes habitual. Provided the Ounce
has persistency and application, he vii inevi-
tably head the cleverer 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 then clever have since become so COM
mon place; whilst others, dull boys, of whom
nothing was expected, slow in their faculties,
but sure in their pace, have assumed the posi-
tion of leaders of men. The author of this
book, when boy, stood in the same class with
one of the greatest of ounces. One 'e"cher af-
ter another had tried his skill upon him and
failed. Corporeal punishment, the FOOLS cap,
coaxing and earnest entreaty proved alike
fruitlesS. Sometimes the experiment was tried
of putting him at the top of his class, and it
was curious to note the rapidity with which he
gravitated to the inevitable bottom like lump
of lead passing through quicksilver. The
youth was given up by many teachers as an in
corrigible dunce-one of them pronouncing
him to be '.a stupendous BOBBY" Yet, slow
though he was, this Ounce had dull energy
and a sort of beefy tenacity of purpose, which
grew with his muscles and his manhood and,
strange to say, when he at length came to take
part in the practical business of life, he was
found heading most of his school companions,
and eventually left the greater number of them
far behind The tortoise in the right road,
will beat racer in the wrong. 1t matters not
though youth be slow, if he be but diligent. |
Quickness of parts may even prove defect, |
inasmuch as the boy who learns readily will of |
ten forget quite as readily; and also because |
he finds no need of cultivating that quality OF
application and perseverance which the slower |
youth is compelled to exercise, and which |
proves so valuable an element in the formation
of every character. Davy said, "What l am
/ have made myself" and the same holds
true universally. The highest culture is not
obtained from teachers when at school or col |
lege, so much as by our own diligent self-edu- |
cation when we have become men. Parents |
need not be in too great haste to see their |
chidren's talents forced into bloom. Let them
watch and wait patiently, letting good exam
pie and quiet training do their work and leave |
the rest to Providence. Let them see to it |
that the youth is provided by free exercise of
his bodily powers, with full stock OF physi-
cal health set him fairly on the road OF self
cultures carefully train his habits OF appilca-
tion and perseverance and as he grows older.
if the right stuff be in him, he will be enabled
vigorously and effectively to cultivate himself.
At sale of real estate in London, the prop |
erty sold at the rate of 81 900 900 per acre.
The National debt, according to Secretary