The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-05-21
Selected Story.
THE YOUNG BLACKSMITH.

Mr.. SOLOMON WINTHROP was plain farmer 49,
an austorc, precise man, who did everything byes
tablished rules, and could see no reason why pco-
pie should grasp at things beyond what been reach
cd by their great -grandiathers. lie had three chill
SreR two boys and girl. There was jeremiah,
seventeen years old. Samuel, fifteen, and Fanny,
thirteen.
II was a cold winters day. Samuel was in the
kitchen reading book, and so interested was he
that he did not notice the entrance of his father.
Jerry was in an opposite corner, engaged in cph-
ering out q sum which he had found in his arith-
metic.
"sam," said the father to lis youngest boy.
shave you worked out that sum yct?"
"No, sir returned the boy hcstatngly.
"Didn't tell you to stick to your arithmetic till
you had done it?" uttered Mr.. Winthorp, in Sc
tone.
Samuel hung down his head and looked troubled.
"Why haven't you done it," continued the faith
"I cant do it, sir" remblngly returned Samue'.
Cant do it? and why not? Look at Jerry
there with the slate and pencil. lie had ciphered
further than you have, long before he was old
as you are
Jerry was always fond of mathematical prob
iems sir, but cannot fi,stcn my mind ON them.
They have no interest for mel
"That's because you don't try to feel an interest
in your studies. What book is that you are read
ing?"
." 1t is work on philosophy, sir"
"a work on fdde-sticks Go, put it away this
instant, and then get your state and don't let me
ace Won away from your arithmetic until you can
work oat those roots. Do you understand me?
Saqllucl made no answer, but silently he put
away his philosophy, and then got his slate and
set down in the chimney corner. His neither liz
SremGled and his eye moistened, for he was un.
happy. His father had been harsh toward him. and
he elt that it was without cause.
SAM" said Jerry, as soon their father had
gone, " will do that sum for you"
"No, Jerry" returned the younger brother, bu
with grateful look, "that will be decci> ing faith
er. l will try to DO the sum, but fear shall no
succeed"
Samuel worked very hard, but all to purpose
His mind was not on the subject before him. Th,
roots and squares the bases, hypothcnuscs and per
pendculars, though comparatively simple in them
selves, TO him a mingled mass of incompre
hensible things, and the more he worked, the NOR
he became perplexed and bothered.
The truth was his father did not understand
him.
Samuel a bright boy, aud uncommonly in
telgent for one of his age. Mr., Winthrop was
thorough mathematician - he ncveryet came acros
problem he could not solve and he desired tina
his boys should be like him. for he considered tina
the acme of educational perfection lay in the pow
the opinion that were Euclid living then, he coul
"give the old geOmetrcian a hard tussel." II
seemed not to comprehend that different minds wcr
made with different capacities, and what one min
grasped with ease, another of equal power woul
fail to comprehend, Hence, because Jcrcmia
progressed rapidly in his mathematical studies, an
could already survey piece of land of many al
giles, he imagined because Samuel made no prog
ress in the same branch, he was idle and carees
and treated him accordingly. He never candidl
conversed with his younger son, with view to a:
certain the true bent of his mind but he pertin'
Ci usly adhered to it.
There was another thing that Mr.. WinthrC
could not see, and that was that Samuel was col
tinually pondering upon such matter as was int
csting to him, and that he was scarcely ever idle
nor did his father sec, either, that if he everwisht
his boy 70 be come mathematician, he was pursr
ing the course to prevent such a result Instead
endeavoring to make the study interesting for Il
child he was making it obnoxious,
The dinner hour came, and Samuel had n
worked out the sum. His father was angry, al
obliged the boy to 60 without his dinner, at q
same lime telling that he was an idle, lazy child
Poor Samuel left the kitchen, and sat down al
cried. At length his mind seemed to pass from t
wrong he had suffered at the hand of his parel
and took another turn, and the marks of grief l.
his face. There a large fire in the room |
low his chamber, so that lie was not very cold, a
getting up, he went to 4 closet, and, from beneath
lot Of old clothes, he took forth some long strips
wood and commenced whiting 1t was not
mere pastme that he Whitfield, for he was fashiC
ing some curious affair from these pieces Of woo
He had bits of wire, little scraps of tin plate peC
of twine, and dozen of small wheels that he ma
himself, and he seemed to be working to get thu
together after some particular fashion of his owl
Half the afternoon had thus passed away, VIII
his sister entered his chamber. She had her apr
gathered up in her hand, aud after closing the d,
softly behind her, she approached the spot VIII
her brother sat.
" Here, Sammy, see, ] have brought you sou
thing to eat. know you must be hungry"
AS she spoke, she opened her apron and took
four cakes, 9 piece Of pie and some cheese.