Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-04-17
DnIlnesa Rodonmnh.

A certain man of learning and genius
with whom am acquainted, being frustra-
ted in the hope of distinguished career
by disease which compelled his physician
to interdict all severer taskwork of the
brain, centered the ambition denied to him
self in his only son, whom be educated at
home. To him, brilliant and quick, this
boy seemed the most stolid of ounces. A
friend to whom he complained of the fiIial
stupidity which destroyed his last earthly
hope, and embittered the sole occupation
which sustained his interest in the world,
said to him, Let the boy stay with me
week, and at the end of that time will tell
you what can be done with him. The
father consented. When the week was
over the friend came to him and said,
"Oonragel your boy has one faculty, in
the natural strength of which he excels
both you and myself 1t is true he can
only learn q very little at a time, aud that
with slowness and difficulty which must
lbetenderIy consulted. But the yery slow
ness and difficulty with which he acquires
an ideaf fixes it lastingly on his mind, unless
you confuse and efface it by sending anoth
er idea to unsettle it before it is tixed. IT,
blurred aud bungled, You cry fBlockheadl;. 4;
aud give him a box on the ear, certainly
you give him something to remember
(which is not in his lesson-yon give him a
boxon the ear Place before him one idea
ct time-assocfate it with pleasure, not
pain he will keep that one idea firmly, aud
ithat one idea viii lead on another. In a
word, never scold him for the sloYness of
lthts apprehension; praise bim cordially for
the stenaciousness of his memory. Instead
of six lines sud blame, give him one line
and praise" The father mnsed sstNow you
mention IT. said he, hthe boy has a i great
memory though not In his lessons. He is
never at fault, In q date, If it be not in his
History, and never forgets a place if il
be not inhis Latin grammar
| SSstAnd what is more" said the friend, ttdo
iyoujnot find that; while he cannot learn by
heart any abstract maximS of right and
I wrong, which You extract from the Spec
tator or 'Blair's Sermon he is as honest
as ifihe had digested a whole library af es
says and sermons7 You leave your shil-
ltngs loose onyour table, ready to his hand,
if he wishes TO buy q kite ora trap.bat !;
libut he never takes one, does he ?n aCer-
tainly motif is bad enough that heshou1d
1 be dunee;i Heaven forbid that he sl1onld
1 be d thiefln it4
well, then, the boy has acquired for
himself an idea Of ofserupulous honor-even
! under temptation that idea came to hfm
insensibly, and3Withont being confused by
other ideas of pain-came TO him partly
through the silent Influences of your own
lliYtng example, aud your own careless talk
when yon- are not teaching, and partly from
the unconscious sentiments OF pride aud
pleasure in knowing that he is implicitly
trusted. Now do yol not think that,
j With the gifts OF tenacious memory and
i with g strong senae of the point of honor,
Jou should as little fear that yout boy will
remain asdunce asithat he viii become a
tthief3 Lead him1Pward to learning SO
grsaually that you do not create the ne.
Icessities for blame which are stumbling
blocks in his Wayss You create those ne.
4 jcesstties il you aak him to do what you
knoW7he cannot do. Quick and brilliant
like yourseH you cannot make him, but
1 you can easily make him solid and judici-
ons- Look round the world for ono man
who wins high place IN It through quick.
Eness and brtlltancy, do yon NOT count
twenty men who have achieved positions
more envtahle through solidity, and
Judgment Now, let me call in your