Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-05-17

sYLvANUs conn
1t was many years ago that I commenced
keeping school. l had graduated at an acad-
envy Of some note, and was pretty well posted
Up In those branches of education which were
introduced into our common schools; and
when the committee came 10 examine me,
could see that they were very lorcbly inn
pressed 10y the ease with which answered all
their questions. In short, ! knew about eve
rything that was set down in the books which
had studied, for | happened to possess one
of those wonderfully retcntivo memories that
fastens surely upon whatever comes once with
in its grasp imagined, aud 50 did the com
mittco imagine, that ! was eminently qualified
for the post TO which | aspired But. as
look back now upon the events Of those years,
can sec wherein greatly erred. | can see
whore made great mistakes, and where
most woiully lacked in qualification and
write this little chapter of Recollections for
the benefit Of those who may be just entering
upon the duties of Teacher.
When commenced my first school, land
the same ideas which governed me their gov
erued me for long time aiterwards) looked
upon thc children before me as so many little
individuals whom had got TO I'll with learn
ing They WERE to my mind, so many hui
man vessels. which had got to be filled up
with ihe waters Of education; and my only
ideas of capacity were Of size and age In
my elias. Of ten scholars, which was to rccite
from the mental arithmetic, and the members
of which were nearly of the same age, | con-
sidercd that each individual must hold Just
the same amount Of mathematical food, and
digest 10 equally with the rest. And thus
commenced my school. knew what was
written in the books, and was to teach it to
the children before me. bad learned it all,
and ] believed that they could At least if
they did not, meant that it should be no
fault Of mine.
In my first class in arithmetic were two
boys whom have selected to figure in this
sketch. | take them because their subse-
queut career affords striking example Of the
facts ! wish to present. | shall not give you
their real names, for they are both living, and
are worthy, honorable men. | shall tell you
that they were Luke Weston and James Shute.
Luke was rather heavily built, with large,
full head, ford, chubby face dark, blu
ish-grcy eye; dark brown hair and inclined
TO be slow and dreamy when called upon to
work with his mind. He could work fast
enough out Of doors, when the play-hours
came, and when the free air and the vigorous
through his veins but in the school-room,
over l.s books, he was quite another charac-
ter.
James Shute, on the other hand, was light
of frame with small compact head hair
of taxen hue; light blue eyes and possess
cd an organization highly nervous and sensi-
tive. lie cared but little for the rough sports
out Of doors seeming rather to prefer his
books, and perfect himself in his lessons
did not make any account of these physical
peculiarities at the time, for ! thought moth
ing of them, and cared nothing for them but
! remember them well enough now.
Luke and James were in the same classes,
in all the branches which they studied togeth-
er, and the few months of difference in their
ages were in favor Of the former, he being a
little the oldest. In very short time dis
covered that Luke Weston did not learn his
lessons we'll. lie blunderod in his arthme-
tic, and stumbled lamely over his spelling les
sons. As look back now ! can remember
that he used to betray deep interest in some
portions of philosophy; and that, when the
subject interested him, he read with feeling
and spirit not exoelled by any scholar in the
school. But | cared little Tor this at the time.
looked upon the black board az the grand
field for scholastic display the spelling book
came next and next came lndley Murray $
old calf bound grammar. with its intricate
maze Of Orthography, Etymology, Syntax.
and Prosody. These were my educational
deities, before which every intellect must
bow, and from the inspiration Of which every
intellect must be filled
James shute became my favorite scholar. -
He worked over his slate with an assiduty
which was untiring, and l felt pride in ex-
hibiting his powers to my visitors Upon the
black board he could perform wonders for one
so young. Ia reduction in fractions, simple
and compound :. in inyolution in factors I;
and in the roots he was perfectly at homo
SO, too, in spelling was he prompt and sure
Aud in grammar he was excellent. lie some
times made mistakes in Analysing sentences,
where the meaning Of the author was not
plain; but he remembered his rules, and
know how to apply them.
With Luke Weston was sorely perplex-
ed. He did not get his lessons well at all.
When he came to compound fractions he could
do nothing with them. Left 20 himself with
his own time and method, he could worry the
sums out; but he was behind hand in his re-
citations, and always blundcred upon the
black board. In grammar ho was also remiss
though not so bad as in arithmetic. When
he came to parsing he got along much better
than ] could have anticipated. since he had
been SO clumsy in committing the rules and
exercises Of Iindley Murray to memory. In
analysing language, and comprohonding the
powers Of words, and in understanding his
author, he betrayed a koenness Of perception
Tor winch didnot then give him credit
remember once, the class were parsing in a
passage from Milton. A relative pronoun
came to Luke and he parsed it. ] corrected
him IN the matter OF lis relation. | told him
!, related to different person from the one
he had named. He read the sentence over
again and objected to my idea. maintaining
that he was right; aud he was proceeding 10
show me wherein was in error, when intor.
rupied him, and made him stand ont in tho
floor an hour for his disobedicuco Of my in.
structiun That night, when alone in nv
room, read the passage over, and at length
became convinced that Luke had been right.
But would not own il to him. No no..
that would hayo lowered me 10 my own os.
TEEN Yet resolved to be more careful in
the future how corrected him ia his parsing
Lessons. However, ho WAS, la m, estimation