Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-05-28
EDUCATIONAL.
Patsy Fitz."

\ most unpromising subject, you would have
said, had you seen HIM enter the school-room,
that third morning. He stopped just inside the
door, and stood twirling his rimless hat and
erinnins violently. He was ragged, and not over
clean But that was nothing in view Of his
shock of brilliant red hair, snub nose. dancing
blue eyes, and much bespecklel skin.
g Here's Patsy exclaimed an old acquain-
tance; upon the communication of which infor-
nation, the newcomer fell into convulsive
laughter Is that all g'' (" No. sir But no
questions could elicit his surname " Dun no.
and a series Of jerks were the only replies
Sc FH- we call him, - said another, and Fiiz he
was thenceforth called in the school.
50 Can you aid2'' " Yes, sir Subtract ?''
Yes, sir Sc Multiply and diviie?'' g Long
time ago" with an emphasis on - long" He
was seated by a boy of ike requirements ana re-
quircd to '' do the same examples
The busy hum Of school vent on. John Jones
studied faithfully, while idle Tony Tarter, oppo-
site him, kneaded paper wads to be aimed at his
companions heads The master was busy at the
blackboard explaining cube-root to Bill Tarter,
whose educational career had also been chiefly
celebrated for excellence in wad-makiug his ma
ture powers not being greatly assisted thereby
TO the comprehension Of so abstruse a matter as
cube-root Two ingenious lads were redeeming
y
bat and ball, received in the mornings play
Suddenly the monotonous hum was broken by a
sharp cry from James Jonson--" Patsy Fitz is a
pinching me =, g Not at ahl, sir is Patsy's
smiling reply, with a peculiar sprouting-up
movement singular to himself The loud quiet
was restored, but only for season. Patsy
tltz is a-sticking pins in me- cries aggrieved
Lory Lawrens. &" Not at akl, SIR, he's a-pull-
in Of my hair hisself;'' assertion that how
ever surprising to Lory, was fully sustained by
Fitz's unkempt head Of fiery hair.
Days passed on in this manner. Patsy betray-
ell a fixed aversion to the mental exertion essen
tial to a proper appreciation of mathematics.
When brought to the board, he invariably fell
into q state Of intense musement at the appear
anee of the figures. Ificompelled to do sum-
on his slate his adroitness in peering to the far
thest corner Of the room for assistance was such
that the actual extent Of his information was ex-
tremely difficult to be obtained.
1t soon became evident, too, that Patsy not
only made but loved lie. Was he set in a cor
ner alone7 He brought his slate with the ex-
amples scatteringly copied from the nearest
boys. Was he seated with his back to the 9TH
ers? He would wriggle up laughingly with the
example all awry, but closing triumphantly with
the correct answer. He must have seen them
from the back of his head Again and again he
was confronted with his besetting sin PATSY,
you copied these examples. - 90 Not at ahI, SIR
with an oyerfiowing delight expressed in his
countenance. " But the work is all wrong and
the answer is right II ow could you do it?''
& Did out Of me head, sir" All that might
account for it. But, Patsy, saw you take
it off from Peter Roe's slate'' "Not at ahl,
sir. never saw nobody's slate,'' with undimin-
ished assurance and incre ising amusement In