The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-10

Mr.. Stubbs
He may set on the end of my seat
till he is warm, if you please, sir. lie
looks chilled"
Mr.. Stubbs Redeemed with conscious
shame and went over to the object of my
pity. Installing him on the vacant end
of my bench, our revered pedagogue
wrinkled his erudite brow and thus in
terrogated him:
"Is it your intention of becoming a
regular scholar of this district p
ayes, SIR
Mr.. Stubs was perfectly conversant
with the laws of his State on the matter
of common schools, and wisely swal-
lowed his chagrin.
"Ah, hem what are your studiesY
Arithmetic and writing l don't care
for any thing else, and can't learn them"
"Not advanced in these two branches,
| suppose. Let me see your writing"
The lad handed over his book. Mr..
Stubs was surprised.
"This is excellent doubt if one of
my boys can excel it. Who taught you
to write so perfectly"
- | 90 by the copy
And this is copperplate, and it is
hard to detect the least difference; q
perfect fac smile. You may consider
the corner seat as your; and after you
are sufficiently warm | will examine you
more infinitely in yours brief class OF
studies.''
In the afternoon the arithmetic class was
ordered to the blackboard, with more
than ordinary lot of knotty algebraical
problems on hand, one of which
baffiled all their numerical skill, and
puzzled the brains Of the best. | think
| can remember it and for the benefit
of those little boys and big boys, too,
who think they can work out the cor
rect answer, between this and next
Christmas, we give it i'll full:
Five men bought a grindstone to-
gether, the diameter of which was five
feet and five inches, with hole in the
centre three and half inches square,
for which they paid thirty-two (32) dol
lars A. paying one-third, b. one
sixth, c. one-twelfth, ID. three twenty
fourths, and Il. the remainder of the
purchase money. Now, how many
inches must each owner grind off the
SuIldCt W SeU Ills SlliIt VI VIC StOut
After it has been in use three years, the
diameter of the stone was found to be
twenty.seven and half inches; and
how long will it take to wear out the re-
mainder at the same rate"
This was the poser, and the boys nib
bed their pencils, and crumbled the
chalk in hopeless perplexity, and even
Mr.. Stubs looked his inability to readi-
ly fathom the solution.
The new pupil kept his eye on the
blackboard; and watching him, | fan
cied that they grew larger and brighter
with the momentarily increasing con-
centration of his rapid calculations. In
second he seemed to have mastered
the idea, and the play of his fingers
over the slate resting on his knees, was
something marvellous.
His lips moved as fast as the stubby
bit of pencil, and ten minutes from the
time his eyes left the blackboard, he
s!yly held up for my gaze alone the an
swer. | nodded back smile of wonder
that did not escape the keen optics of
Tom.
Did he do it?" was his cautious
whisper.
Yes, and not third of the figures
as we supposed
Tom was indignant.
"Well. Id like to know what night a
niger has to understand so much about
figures We are cracking our skulls
trying to do sums that he just works out
in the little half of second"
Jim's quick ear caught the words and
he was not so black but what a crimson
tinge flushed hot to his swarthy check,
and the mild eyes lowered at the rude
insult as a white child's might under
the circumstances.
But Tom was only envious, for mathe-
MATES was his especial boast, and he did
not scOrn to lean across and ask him
how he did it.
"Just give lis a hint of the way it's
done, and I'll be hunky with the class"
said Tom, graciously.
"You ought to be able to do what a
twelve-year old niger finds easy" said
jim, sarcastically.
And before we could get another sight
of it he rubbed it out with trium-
plant laugh that showed us two rows Of
teeth as white as snow.
A malicious urchin had attentively
remarked our telegraphing, and de-
lighted at the opportunity of speaking,
cried out before we could threaten him
to silence:
Please, Mr.. Stubs, this ere new
boy has done it.
"The teacher frowned on the Off
cious urchin, and turned incredulously
to jim.
What is your name? / forgot to
ask"
flames Marshall
Did you do the sum p
Yes, sill"
Where is it?'
Il rubbed it out, sir"
"Can you do it again p
Yes, sir.
Well, James Marshall, if you can,
you are the best mathematician in the
State Go to the blackboard and let us
see what you can do"
jim obeyed. 1t was almost impossi-