The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-21

we hunted Tor the tree,
Upon the school house playing ground,
That sholter'd you and me.
We miss'd the bucket from the we'll.
Jple,
The bell We hated so,
That rung rs into school, julie,
When We did not want to go.
We inquir'd for the master, julie,
Whom We us'd to love 60,
Who taught us in our youth, julie,
Some forty years ago.
Many years ago there lived in the
city Of Columbia an earnest, deter
mined, practical school. master, who
died during the late war-Jumes X.
Wood-the mention of whose name
will find response in the hearts Of
many of the citizens of tho upper
Counties of South Carolina. It would
require an abler hand than ourself to
sketch his character; for it would be
diHcult to calculate the amount of
good and estimate the debt of graft
tude due the memory of this austere,
yet good hearted and devoted old domi.
n's. Verify he WAS an instructor, in
deed, to the rising generation of his
day; as his good works do live after
him. All over the up-country, in fact
over the State, you can ind some of
bis pupils" and many of them are
doing we'll. If some have failed, (and
whose pupils do not?) it was not for
the want of good advice, sound in
struction and diligent effort on his
part. 1t was not for the want Of
decent, salutary, wholesome Aogging,
for
"A man severe he was, and storm to
view,
L knew him we'll. and every truant
Well had the boding trembler learn a
to trace
The days disasters in his morning face :;
Full we'll they laugh'd, with counter
feited glee.
AT all his jokes, for many joke had
he;
Full we'll the busy whisper, ciroling
Convey'd the dismal tidings when he
frown'd
Yet he was kind. or if severe in aught.
The love he bore to learning was a
fault.
He believed in the maxims of Solo.
mon. ''spare the od'and you spoil the
child" Then. there was his good wife.
"Her cap. far whittier than the driven
snow,
Emblem right meet Of decency."
She assisted the old dominic, and
trained up the young ideas in their
A b O. She, too, sometimes did WELD
''Tway birchen sprays" which the
little brats did view with anxious fear.
Nevertheless, she was lenient, gentle.
and knew full we'll how
"To stay harsh justice in it's mad
career"
It would be impossible for us to
call up. through the long lapse of Years,
the many successful merchants, me-
ohanios. farmers, lawyers and doctors
who were brought up at the feet of
:ais Gameliel. There is of the living,
that Wa recollect, E. NJ, dis.
tinguished merchant of Charleston:
D. B. NJ, CLERK OF the Court of Co.
lumbia; r. l.. Moo. President of the
bank at Newberry; DR.. r. B. r. and
Dr.. s., physicians of fNewberry; DR.. r.,
of California; j. A. s., editor of the
PHOENIX; John G. D., distinguished
merchant of Columbia. There are
great many others, besides, who have
moved away to other sections, that
have filled important offices, as we'll
as some who have passed along the
highway of life in the more peaceful
and quiet avocations. Together with
those who came regularly to his school,
there were great many young men,
students OF South Carolina College.
who were accustomed to take lessons
from him in English grammar, an
ordinary but difficult study. The old
dominic WAS an excellent grammarian:
We doubt if there was his equal in the
State, during his day and time. He was
also fine mathematician, and by
some peculiar process altogether his
own. he inducted into his pupils "a
tact" for calculating in their heads
with an ease. quickness and facility
that would astonlsh the pencil students
OF the present time. His great forte
was in teaching rightly to his scholars
spelling. reading. ,0riling AMI ariisn,o-
tic-four Of the most important reaui.
sites In elementary education. This.
we know, is what every teacher pro.
misses to do; but it is not every teacher
that does it, or knows how to do it.
There ia the rub. We venture to say.
RIGHT here that M ocho1or ~ ~,