The Shasta courier., 1863-09-26
The Wrongs of Boyhood.

We listened once to an eminent devine-
one of America 'smost gifted sons-as he CAV
/ some account of the wrongs of his boyhood
I" went away to school, . said he, -"whel
was seven years old. My teachers neve
understood me-. Ny first teacher assume,
that nothing was easier than to understan,
| children. Hence he never took pains to un
derstand the disposition of a child.'
s You have liotted your book, sir-how
that2 Do you mean to disobey me? Hav
| not told you that | would have clean copy
books ?''-said my teacher.
% have not blotted my book" !" saidI.
= Who has blotted it, then? No one ha
had it but yourself; do you accuse any on,
else ?''
:. don't accuse any one, and have no
blptted my book"
| spoke in coed faith, though imppdently
| had not blotted my book. ~
=" Hold out your hand and be punished fol
disobedience and lyingn
held oatthe hand my mother had so soft
ly kissed. was not eight years old. The
teacher feruled me till he was tired, and
never shed tear. My eyeballs seemed or
fire. The teacher rested, and whipped me
again. 1 did not weep or cry out
You shall beg te be let off. sir said he,
did notbeg endured all he chose to in.
fiict, and he was obliged to leave me at last
worn out Eith ny Q5stinacy IL
rhe worst boy I ever saw" said he,
you will como to the gallows yet. You
have no human feelings"
i looked at my swollen and discolored hand.
Oh, if any one had kissed that little hand in
stead Of beating it, could have hid nv face
in his bosom and wept for every fault 1 had
nv enr.,r,, ff.l l. 7
believe l registered a VOW in heaven then
that would always be kind to little children.
4he master did his best, but he could do
nothing with me. God forgive him, as do !;
and may such teachers be like angels visits
=" few and far between !" A teacher with
a great heart and wise head, who knows his
pupils and can teach them, adapting instruc-
ton to a capacity is treasure. | remember
q fellow who sat in his lecture room, who
fell under great rebuke because the lecturer
Judged by his appearances. He had a habit
of whiting; and one day he fashioned a
small keel Of ship, dainty thing with a
witching figure head, completing it lust as
the lecture was finished. The lecturer was
reverend man with white hair and kind
heart. But the good man was wounded by
the whittier; he was idle and disrespectful: !:
and he summoned him to his study to admin.
lister wholesome rebuke:
Young man" said he, " | ana obliged to
speak to you about the foolish way in which
you spend your time.' Frank W., looked
at him in surprise. "Please take that thing
out of your pocket which you made during
he lecturen
Frank drew forth the keel he had made
it without thinking, and was hardly conscious
of its existance.
. Your disrespect for me and the students
pass by" said DR.. NJ" but your irrev-
erence for important subjects l must treat
more severely. Can you tell me the subject
Of the lecture this morning?n Frank told
the subject readily. Can you tell me any
thing about the manner in which it was treat
ed ?" . | think so," said Frank; and he be-
gan at the first remark of the lecture and re.
peated almost every word of the lecture.
:. did not think you noticed any thing l
said, Mr.. W, said the Dr.. respect and as
tonishment struggling for the mastery in his
mind.
g suppose was whittling," said Frank,
7" generally am; but did not know it, upon
my honor. / never was more interested in
a lecture in my life
appearances are deceptive - said the Dr..
:" you will pardon me for judging you wrong
fully"
+" And l hope you will pardon me for my
everlasting whiting, said Frank :" l would
give 1t up. but am afraid l should lose the
thread OF my ideas, if had not something in
my hands"
Men of narrow mind are men of routine and
and easily scandalized by any eccentricity ;
While genius is essentially eccentric, though
eceentricity is By no means an infallible mark
of genius.