The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-05-29
THAT BURLESOUE.

1t will be remembered by readers of
the Educational that in the secretary's re-
port of meeting Held in the Bowker
achooI-house, an exercise in Reading was
pronounced failure The teacher on
that occasion tried to throw the causes up
on a member of the class. AT the meet
ing in Bristol the same individual and an
ether styled "Bcy No. /" were brought
conspcuously before the house in an eli
fort, savoring strongly of burlesque, to
quench both boys and establish his repu-
tation as teacher of reading beyond a
doubt even iD the minds of the most
skeptical. "Boy No. ." Immediately took
the Aoor and defended his position; we
prepared to 90 likewise but refrained in
order to preserve the harmony of the
meeting. On the first mentioned occasicn
q number Of teachers were called to rec
itation seat and addressed by the teacher
as follows: II always liket please my
pupils, what will you have A little Ell
Ocutionary drill, Something pathetic; will
you be primary, an intermediate, or an
advanced class? Several asked for pri-
mary exercise and seemed pleased to hear
that We were to consider ourselves second
reader scholars. How happy We were to
be Juveniles again! Average age OF boys
8, girls s. But Ou. heart sank at the
sound of the first question "What is read
ing?" Nearly all gave childs ans yer,
but none we're right until one of the older
ones carefully rehearsed classic deini-
nitien, which wss pronounced good. We
asked what the-big words meant but were
refused an answer; We then swallowed
them, heaved >igh of relief and was y
boy again. We had scarcely time to cast
an admitting glance at little girl across
the aisle, another 1t. Our new brown jack
ct and wish 1t had brass buttons like the
other boys, when the following questions
In quick succession were hurled at us !:
''V- hat is elocuti9ns What is rhetoric
Whist is the difference between our rhet.
ORIG and that Of the ancient Greeks ?"
W. thcr read "Gn ring the bells &C." We
din not like that because we had never
seen bell except at school and did not
like to hear that ring.
During the exercise we raised our
hand and said we did not like the Ian.
guage used by the teacher Ohls made as
he,oof tie burIesque) he replied: "What
Is your authuritV? As boy we had none
therefore we were obliged to go up and
quote Qua 'trscher, grammar aud rherO-
ric." We were Intentionally out OF order
crlticising the teacher and expected to be
told: wait boy, there is a time for you to
speak In TACT we were surprised and
disappointed when the teacher allowed it..
We tried 20 be just such boy as is to be
found in every school in the land. one of
The great mass of Americas sons which
must be subject to frm, rigid, exacting
. AlsCl p'lllG III hLOGI 10 tlah6 LuSu ROOu
citizens.
In the discussion which followed we
confined our remarks o reading in gen
eral, making no criticisms on the exercise,
and was not aware that We gave any cause
for such broadside as we received from
the Exercise in Select Reading" II the
exercise was a failure it consisted chiefly
an taking the class from the second reader
"away up where they had. never been. be-
fore" l. we are to blame for it we are
willing to shoulder the responstt ilty, but
claim that when we were asked for our
autht rity we were taken up against our
will
Roth the other parties having plainl y
expressed themselves, 1t is natural for the
few who have looked on to think that
"the other boy" is to blame or he too
would speak for himself. lie has spoken
and in doing so has endeavored t Cast. no
re1e ct.ons on ny party concerned and to
make PLAIN statement of the facts. ~
Boy No. l."
A Il. Pr y s-v,rr. .., q.