Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-06-15
Dr.. s. H. Taylor as a Disciplinarian.

Dr.. s. H. Taylor as Disciplinarian.
There has recently passed from TIA,
full vigor and usefulness of his life
one OF the most remarkable teachers q
modern times, DR.. Samuel II. Taylor
for many years the Principal OF Phil
lips Academy. Andover. Mass. 49,
1t Is not my purpose to give even th,
merest outline of his life, or the brief
est analysis of his character. But. a,
former pupil, wish 10 record som,
recoiIections OF HIM as q disciplinarian
As such, he probably had no superior
II an equal. in his department, in thi.
country. This was apparent both il
the Classroom and out Of it, in evcry
phase Of his contact with his pupils.
In the Classroom he held STUDENT,
strictly 10 the requirements of the les
sou. He had no mercy. not simply for
laziness. negligence. or incompetcncy
but even for honest failure 10 grasp the
iall meaning of the recitation. His
standard was perfection. Hence every
one who appeared before him 10 rccite
lesson was expected 10 know all
about that lesson. What the ali
meant was suggested by him in his en.
h""stive ANALYSIS of tbs first few line,
oil The 4t"e.S, =, ring several closcl,
printed pages OF the ai.shod of Class.
real Study. IL the student could an
swer those questions rs rapidly and as
tersely as they were pat. well for him /,
but It he could not, there Was no iner-
cy. Lit us look in upon one of Ai-
recitations. II will reveal TO ~ the
discipline OF that classroom.
The room is that which was occupied
| SO many years in the old stoue acale-
my recently destroyed BY fire. 1t was
No. . N the series. BY this number
1t was always spoken OF among the
! students. not onlv 10 designate the
Z place OF recitation, buL nIso OI I0ruiai
conference and serious advice. OF caus-
tic reprimand, siniictiyc suspension
and wrathful expulsion. On six or
more settees, partly arranged in paral-
leis confronting the desk of the teach
/ er. and partly in one row along the
/ sides of the room 10 hls right and left
| behold the senior class. the ouiy class
| allowed TO enter the sacred precinct, for
rccitation,-now quietly awaiting the
/ coming Of the teacher for his we'll
known step in the entry has banished
! mlrthfulness, and given entrance To the
stimulation OF studiousness, and has
| brought over all the stiffness Of the
! tomh. Presently there crosses the
threshold with elastic step and breath
| ing hard as he seats himself al his
| desk, 4 man of medium stature, large
square head, smooth face. gold specta-
cles, broad shouldered. thick set, stout
to excess. small legs and little feet
shod with Oxford ties. lie opens his
book with the exclamation, Turn 10 the
lesson Following hard upon this falls
upon the ears of some trembling stu
| dent his own name, ,-'Heic - The
young man rises. He begirs: The
lesson is" .Stopi" cries voice
which makes the youth feel as though
the doctor with his superabundance ot
hesh and muscle were about 10 fall up
on him. Don't take up our time
with useless words Tell Us rhere
the lesson isl" "Oration for the
Manillian Law, 4sth page, 18th line,
says the startled, and perhaps indig-
nant student. lie begins TO read /:
He jam piurd non dicam, etc. haltlng
a little as he goes, to assure himself
of the correctness of his pronuncla-
ton, greatly TO the annoyance and dis
gust of his teacher, until he is cut
short with the exclamation, THAT
sufficient next Uartaugk!" Now it
happens that Harbaugh was not par
ticularly attentive, thinking that Hew-
lit would certainly be called upon 10
translate. His inattention was noticed
by the teacher, who has called him,
not 10 hear him reclte, but 10 rebuke
him. For, while Harbaush tries to
find his place, the ominous words,
'.Nert, Brorningi' p fall upon the ears
Of his neighbor, who. though but a
moment before inatteniive, has now
found the place, and rising to his feet,
reads the Latin TO the satisfaction ot
the doctor, until prevented by the in.
terruption, That's sufficient, trans
late."' Browning translates. Then
begins q rapid questioning. to which
answers must be as quickly given.
"Dicamr' saws the docter: 1T is
begins Browning, but he is suddenly
arrested by the exclamation, "N is" is
superfuous; say tchere it is made 7
indicative mood, future tense, active
voice, first person singular of dico
dico, deere, dixi, dictum." A few
questions respecting the silence ot
Cicero, followed by others, and That's
sufficient, next, Smith !" calls To his
feet one of the most obliging men O
the class, who finds himself poorly pre-
pared for his lesson, because he ha.
spent al. the time given for preparation
in looking up a question of history fo
classmate. He reads the Latin will
accuracy but fiuds himself sorely per
picked with the translation. After h,
has attempted to translate for q mo
ment, the doctor stops him with tn,
question, "Have you studied this les
son, siry' mo. sir; l was bother
ed" Bothered is no word for sta,
, dent, sir! replies the doctor befor'
, Smith can finish the sentence, ant
"Nert, Griffin !" calls up one Of tn
men who Grams to the doctors con
tent, and who meets with the doctor
approval, Notwithstanding his book i
full of pencillings and interlinea
foundations. He is learned in the ar