Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-08-23

mltIlng tue rules ana exercises OF Ilndlcy
/ Murray TO memory. nanalyzing language
and comprehcndng the powers of words,
and in understanding his author. lie bctray-
! ed n keenness Of perception for which had
not tlen given him the credit. / remember
once, the class were parsing in passage
from Milton. A relative pronoun came 10
Luke, and he parsed it, ! corrected him
in the matter of relation. told him it re-
lated TO a different person from tie one he
had named. He read the sentence over
again and objected TO my idea, maintaining
that he was right; and he was proceeding
10 show me where | was in error, when
interrupted him, and made him stand or the
floor an hour for his disobedience of my in
struction. That night when alone in my
room, read the passage over, and at length
became convinced that Luke had been
right But would rot own it to him.
No, nu,-that would have lowered me in
my own esteem. Yet l resolved to be more
careful in the future how | corrected him
in his parsing lessons. However. lie was,
in my estimation, flll Of shortcomings
With his general behavior he'd no occa-
sion to fad fault, for he was a roJle, gen.
erous-hearted fellow, and was beloved by
his friends.
Luke said |, as | stopped him one
night after school, "why is it that you do
not get your lessons? p
He said he didn't know.
Don't tell me" | cried, ''thaJ you don't
know. You don't study-that's the reason.
See how James Shute gets his lessons. You
are older than he is"
Luke said he could not get such long
lessons-ha could not remember them. He
lad tried hard enough to do the puzzling
sums. and TO spell the long words, but he
could not do it.
told him it was all nonsense. He could
do it if he had mind 10. He did not try.
lie was more fond Of play than study. In
short, ! talked very severely to him, and
assured him if he did not have his lessons
perfectly on the following day, should
punish him. He went away with bis head
bowed, and, thought, in sulky mood.
The following day came and with it came
the first class in arithmetic. james Shute
could do every sum. Luke Weston had
not done half of them. When the class
came up to spell, James spelled all the
words, and gave all the definitions promptly.
But Luke could not remember them.
So told Luke Weston | must punish
him; and stood him out on The floor ; and
! made great fools cap, and put it upon
his head and there he stood until school
was done. He did not cry nor did he look
particularly ashamed but he compressed
his lips, and looked very ugly. AT all
events. so | thought at the time. When
relieved him Of the fool's-cap, at the close
Of the school, | told him hoped he would
get his lessons better next time. He made
no reply, but left the room with a quick
stern step; and vent home without stop
ping to play with his mates.
On the following day, Luke did not come
to school and on the day after that, un-
derstood that he had gone to learn the shoe
makers trade. made some little inquiry,
and found that he had declared that he
would 90 to school to me no more, if he
had to run away; and, as his parents were
poor. they had allowed him TO 60 to work in
a neighbor's shop.
In time | finished my school, and James
Shute bore off the palm of scholarship
4 Upon him | bestowed the highest ecomi-
ums, and held him up 10 the admiration OF
visitors.
I During the vacation visited a neighbor.
ing State and found employment there
Then | went South, and finally became en-
gagged as teacher of mathematics in a
school in New Orleans. The years slip
ped by, and still remained in my new
home. One day received a paper from
my native State, and saw mention of the
name of Luke Weston, as being leader Of
a strong faction in the Legislature. o.
course that could not be my Luke-it could
not be the one upon whom | had put the
FOOLS cap. Not must be another of the
same name.
Time passed on, and by and by | reat
in the papers that Luke Weston had beer
elected President of the Senate of my ma
tive State, and that he was now power
full leader of powerful party. OF course
this was not the same Luke of whom / haC
before read but it could not be the same
Luke who had worn my FOOLS cap. o
course not.
And still time passed on, and finally
read that Luke Weston had been electeC
to the Senate Of the United States; anC
that he was honored by all who knew
him.
In another year visited the home o
my youth and one of my first inquire
was of Luke Weston. lie was Unitet
States Senator. 10 ii was my Luke attei
all.
And where was James Shute? He wa
book keeper in bank, and was accounte,
very correct and faithful clerk. lie haC
been there twelve years, and would proba
bly remain there. as he liked the place, ant
had no particular ambition or qualifications
above it.
And now. with the silver touch of many
years on my brow. sit alone in my study
and reflect on the past. see many, many
children who have been under my charge
now grown to be men and women and
see many of those | had thought excessive
ly stupid. occupying places Of honor anC
trust while many had thought wonderful
in learning, are plodding along in the ordi
nary pursuits of life, the lessons of the ole
schooi-books all forgotten, and the ono idea
of food and clothing occupying their whole
attention.
And | think, if l could teach school again
how different would be my course; fo
from my review of the years gone by,
! have learned some things of which wa
81 ~ an