The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-01-06
a FA41:l.Gs E.t.t0p.

Sreat-@Filidiallier. He had three chill
dfen, two boys aud a girl. There was
/ AereiitIah, seventeen years Old Sam
ucl fifteen; Fanny fourteen.
| 1t was cold winters day. Samuel
was III tie kitchen, rradihg u book.
and so interested was he that he did
not notice the entrance of his father.
Jerry was in the opposite corner, ell
gagd in c:plnripg ont Il sum Whicl
he hid iuund III his arithmetic.
"Sam," said his father, "liavc you
worked that SUN ont YETI"
mo. father, answered the boy hes
/ italingiy.
Didn't I tell you TO stick to yolil
| arithmetic till you Ind done it Z" sait
Mr.. Winthrop in a severe tone.
Samuel hung down his head and
locked troubled.
why haven't YOU done it," con
tiHued tic father.
Il can'tdoit, father" tremblingly
said Samuel.
Cant ito it Aud why not? Lool;
at Jerry, there, with his s!ateand pen-
ellis lie had cipllered further thai you
have long before lie was as old as you
are.n
"|ery was always fond ofsums and
problems, father. They haveno inter-
est at ali for me-"
"IlGt's because You don't try to
feel an interest in your studies. What
book is that you are reading?"
its q work on philosophy, father" "
"A work Oh tldC!lesticliS! Go, put 1t
away this instant, and then get your
slate; and don't you let me see you
away from your arithmetic ugtil yot!
can work out those roots? DO you nn-
derstand!n
Samuel made no answer, but silently
he put away his philosophy and then
lie GOT his slate and SIT down in the
chimney corner. His lip trembled and
his eyes moi!tcncd, for lie was very
uAIiappy. Ills flasher had been harsh
towards lin, aud he felt that 1t was
WltliNUU IL CillSH.
"s;am," said'Jerry, as soon as their
father had gone ont Of the room, iii
do that suui for YOU"
mo, Jerry" replied the younger
brother, with Il grateful look, that
will be dcceiyils father. LII try TO
do the silAl, but | fear that | shall not
succeed"
Samuel worked very lard, but to 10
purpose. His mind was not on the
subject hefnre him. The roots and
squares, the bases and perpendicularS,
though comparatively Simple III thepi-
selves, were TO him mass of incom-
prel~isihIc things; ard the more lie
tried, the more lie became perpleXed
and bothered.
Tie truth was lis father did not lul-
derStAnd him.
Samuel was a bright boy, and un-
intelligent for one of his
age. Mr.. Winthrop was thorough
mathematician lie hardly ever came
across "A problem he could not solve,
and he desired that his 10y should be
like him; lie considered that the acme
of educational perfection lay in the
power of conquering Euclid; and lie
often expressed the opinion that, were
Euclid living then, he conld give the
old geometrician Il hard .tuss!e.'
He seemed not to understand that
different minds were made with differ
eut capacities, and what one mind
grasped with case another of equal
power would fail to comprehend.
Hence, because Jerry progressed rap
idly with his mathematical studies.
and con!d already survey a piece of
land of many angles, he imagined that
As Samml made no progress i'll the
same branch. he was idle and careless,
md 50 treated him accordingly. He
never candidly convcrSed with his
younger son, with view to ascertain
he true bent of his mind; but he Eltl
his own standard of the power Of all
minds, and he pertinaciously adhered
o it.
There was another thing that Mr..
Winthrop could not see, and that was
lnr Samuel was continually pondering
Ipon such profitable matter as was ill.,
eresting to him, and that he was
carcely ever idle; nor did his father
ce, either, that if he wished his boy to
,ecome a mathematician, he was pur-
uing the very course to prevent such
result. Instead Of endeavoring to
make the study interesting to the child
le was making it obnpxious.
The dinner hour came, and Samuel
lad not worked cut the sum. lis
iIt!icr was angry, and obliged the boy
. 90 without his dinner, at the same
imc telling him that he was an idle,
NY lad.
Poor Samuel left tic kitchen for his
wn room, and there lie sat and cried.
1t length his mind seemed to pass
rom the wrong he had suffered at the
and Of his father, and his face light
ned up. There was fire In the room
Glow his chamber, 50 he was not very
oil; and getting up, he went to
loset and from under lot of old
lotlles he took forth some long strips
fwood. lie was evidently fashioning
ONE curious affair from these pieces Of
iood. He had bits of wire, little
traps of tin plate, pieces of twine and
ozens of small wheels that he had
mde himself, and lie seemed to be
,orking to get the whole togetherafter
ome particular fashion OF his own.
Half the afternoon had thus passed
way when his sister entered hiseham-
er. She had her apron gathered mp
l her hand, and after closingtlie door
lftly behind her she approached the
pot where her brother sat.
'Here, Sammy, see, | have brought
OIL something to eat. | know you
mat hn hungry "