Middletown transcript., 1873-03-01
Srlrtt Sturn,
The Fathers Error

Mr. solomon Winthrop was a plain old
farmer -auslcrc, precise man, who did
everything by established rules. ond could
see 10 reason why people should grasp
anything beyond what hii bccn reached
by their great grand father He had
three children, two boys and girl ~
There was ,Irrgmiih. seventeen years old;
Samuel. fifteen; Fanny, fourteen
/, was cold Winter day Samuel
was in the kitchen reading book and
50 Interested was hc that be- dill not notice
rhe cntrab ol h- father Jerry was III
the opposite corner Engaged in ciphcring
oat sum which H. found in hi. arithmc-
tic
san" said Tie father have you
worked that sum ont yatf'
"No father" answered the by, hc.i.
iaiiusly
',bilu't til you 10 stirk - your
arithmetic till you had it, srii Mr VIII
/ lhrep il \ severe tone
Samuel hung ii, head an! looked trout
llsl
! Il emit do it, fl,her, ,remblingly
.ail samuel
You can't do il! And why no, :
+ l.pak nt Terry, there, with his slate and
pcueil llo had cipherel further than
you have long before he was as old as you
/ ara
Jerry was ALWAYS fond Of sums anil
problems, fathcr. They have no interest
At all for me
That's because yon don't try to feel
an isterc-t in your studies What book
s that yau are rcaliusf'
1T is work on philosophy. flther :
~ work Oh tilllrsticks oh E. put il
away this iasiaat. anl get your slate
don't le; ma see YOU away from Your arith.
me,it until yen can work out these root,
do YOU unler>tanlf'
Samuel male NJ answer. hn. silently
pu, away hi. philosophy aud then be co
his slate aud sat lown in the chimney cor.
ner His lip iremblii aud his eye mois
tened for he was very unhappy Hi
father had been harsh toward him. and h.
felt that i, was without cause.
"Sam," sail Jerry as soon "a thci
father had gone GU, Of the room, I'll d,
the sum for you.
mo. Jerry" replied the young broth
cr, with grateful look; that will be de
cciyiue father I'll try to do the sum
bn, fear shall not succeed "
: Samuel worked very hard. but to n
purpose His mind was not on the sub
ect before him The roots and squares
the bases and perprndienlars. thoug
comparatively simple in themselves, wer
to hin. a mass of iucomprehensiblc thing.
ana the more he tried the more he becam
perplexed and bothered
The truth was. his father did not uu
ders,ani him.
Samuel was i-igh, boy, and uncoa
monty intelligent foi one of his age VII
Winthrop was thorough ma'hematiclat
he hardly ever came across problem i
: could not solve, aud he dc sired thn, h
boys should be like him h. consdere
that the acme Of educational ferfectlo
lay in the power of conquering Euclid
and he often expressed the opinion th.
we're Euclid living then. he could "gis
the old geomctrician hard tusscl II
. seemed not to understand that ditfcrer
minds were made with diiicren, cnpnci'ie,
and what one mind graspei with ease at
!. other Of equal power would fail to com
g prehend. Hence, because Jerry pre-
rressed rapidly with his ma,hematc
: studies, aud could already survey piet
: Of land Of many angles. he imagined tht
as Samuel made no progress in the san
!, branch. he was idle and careless. and .
treated him accordingly. He never co,
versed with hi. younger son, with vie
!. to ascertain the true bent Of his mind
but he had his own standard Of the pos
er Of all minds, aud he pertiuaciously a,
!. hered to II.
u There was another thing that Mr.. Wi
,hrop could not see and that was tn
Samuel was continually pondering upc
Il such Improbable matter as was in,ercs
ing to him, and that be was scarcely CIV