The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-03-30
5Hiseel
"sUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN."


Mr.. Solomon Winthrop was a plain
old farmer-an austere, precise man,
who did everything by established rules,
and could see no reason why people
should grasp at things beyond what had
been reached by their great grandfathers.
He had three children, two boys and q
girl. There was Jeremiah, seventeen
years old; Samuel, fifteen aud Fanny,
fourteen.
It was 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
cyphering out sum which he had found
10 his arithmetic.
"San,," said the father to his young.
est boy, "have yor worked out that snm
yet ?"
"No father" answered the boy hesi-
tatingly.
"Didn't tell you to stick to your
arithmetic till you had done it ?" said
MIR. Winthrop, in severe tono.
Samuel hung down his head and
looked troubled.
"Why haven't you done it 2" contin-
ued the father
II can't do it, father I" tremblingly
said Samuel.
"Can't do it and why not Look at
Jerry, there, with his slate aud
pencil. He had cyphered further
than you have long before he was as old
as you are"
"Jerry was always fond of sums and
problems father. They have 10 interest
for me-"
"That's because you don't try to feel
an interest in your studies. What
book is that you are reading 2"
cit is work on philosophy, father"
ga work on fiddle sticks ! Go put it
away this instant, and then get your
slate; and don't let me sec you away from
your arithmetic until you can work out
those roots. Do you understand me p
Samuel made no answer, but silcntly
he put away his philosophy and got his
slate, and sat down in the chimney cor
ner. His lip tremblcd, aud his eyes
moistened, for he was unhappy. His
father had been harsh towards him, and
he felt that it was without cause.
SAM" said jerry. as soon as their
father had gone, "l'll do that sum for
you"
"No, jerry" replied the younger
brother, with grateful look that will
be dcceiving father. I'll try to do the
sum but fear / shan't succeed.
Samuel worked very hard, but all to
no purpose. His mind was not on the
subject before him. The roots and
squares, the bases and perpendiculars,
though comparatively eimplo in them.
selves, were to him mass Of incomprc-
hcusible things; and the more he tried,
the more he became pcrplcxed aad both
cred.
The truth was, his father did not
understand him.
Samuel was bright boy, and uncom.
monty intelligent ior one Of his age
Mr.. Winthrop was a thorough mathcma.
tician; he hardly ever came across a
problem he could not solve, and he de-
sired that his boys should be like him {:
he considered that tho acme of educa.
tional perfection lay in the power of
couquering Euclid; and he often ex-
pressed his opiuion that, we're Euclid
living then, he could s.givc the old
gcometrician hard tussle." He seemed
not to comprehend that different minds
were made with different capacities, and
what one mind grasped with ease an.
other Of equal power would fail to COM
prehend. Hence because Jerry pro-
gresscd rapidly in his mathematical
studies. and could already survey q
piece of land of many angles, he i'm
agined that as Samuel made no progress
in the same branch he was idle and
careless, and go treated him accordingly.
He never candidIy converscd with his
younger son, with view to ascertain
the true bent of his mind but he had
his own standard of the power Of all
minds, and he pertinaciously adhered to
it.
There was another thing that Mr..
Winthrop could not sec, and that was
that Samuel was continually pondering
upou such profitable matter as was in-
teresting to him, and that he was
scarcely ever idle; nor did his father
see, either, that if he ever wished his
boy to become mathematician, he was
pursuing tho very course to prevent
such a result. Instead of endeavouring
to make the study interesting to tho
child, he was making it obnoxious.
The dinner hour came, and samuel
had not worked out the sum. His father
was angry, and obliged the boy to 60
without his dinner, at the same time
telling him that he was an idle, lazy
lad.
Poor Samuel left the kitchen for his
own room, and there he sat and cried.
At length his mind seemed to pass from
the wrong he had suffered ut the hand
Of his father, and his face lightened up.
There was large fire in the room below
his chamber, so that he was not very
cold and, getting up, he went to a
closet, and from beneath lot Of old
clothes he took forth some long strips