Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-06-03
METHOD OF STUDYING HISTORY.


faH Ef9
Barnes, the schoolmaster in a asuburhan
town, read in the Educational Monthly
that boys could be taught history better
than 10 any other way by letting each
boy In the class represent: some historical
character as if be bad done them him
self. This struck Barnes as a mighty
good idea, and he resolved 10 try it on.
The school had then progressed SO far in
its study of the history of Rome as the
Punic wars, and Mr.. Barnes Immediate
ly divided the boys into two parties, one
Romans and the other Carthsgen ians,
and certain of the boys Were named sf-
ter the leaders upon both sides. All the
boys thought II was a big thing, and
Barnes noticed that they were SO anx-
ious to get to the history lesson that
they could hardly say their other lessons
properly.
When the time came, Barnes ranged
the Romans upon one side of the room,
and the CsthL genians ou the other. The
recitation was very spirited, each party
telling about its deeds with cxtraordina-
ry JUNCTION. After while Barnes asked
a Roman TO dcscibe the battle of Gamma.
Whereupon the Romans heaved their
copies Of Wayland's Moral Science at
the enemy. Then the Cathaganians
made battering ram out Of bench and
jammed it against the Romans, who re-
taliated with volley of books, states,
and chewed paper balls. Barnes con
cluded that the battle Of Canne had been
sufficiently illustrated, and he tried 10
stop IL but the warriors considered il
too good thing to let drop, and accord,
ingly the Csrthagenians sailed over To
the Romans with another battering ram
and thumped a couple of them in the
stomach.
Then the Romans turned in and the
fight became general. A Carthagenian
would grasp Roman by the hair and
hustle him around over the desks in
manner that WAS simply frightful to be
hold, and Roman would give fendish
wboop and knock d Carthagenisn over
the head with Greenleafs Arithmetic.
Hannibal got the head OF Scipio African
us under his arm, and Scipio in his ef-
torts TO break away, STUN bled, and the
two generals fell and had a rough-snd-
tumble fght under the blackboard. Cal
us Gracious tackled Hamicar with
ruler, and the latter in his struggles to
get loose fell against the stove and knock
ed down about twenty feet of stove pipe.
Thereupon the Romans made grand
rally, and in five minutes they ran the
ischoo-room and Barnes along with it
and then they locked the door and be-
gan TO hunt up the apples and lunch in
the desks of the enemy.
After consuming the supplies they
went to the windows and made Disagree
able remarks 10 the Carthagenisns who
were standing in the yard, and dared
old Barnes to bring the foe once more in
to battle array. Then Barnes went TOR
policeman, and when he knocked at
the door it was opened, aud all the Ro
mans were found busy studying their
lessons. When Barnes came in with the
defeated troops he went for Scipio Afri-
csnus, and pulling him out OF his seat by
the car, he thrashed that great military
genius with rattan until Scipio began
to cry, whereupon Barnes dropped him
and began TO paddle Caius Gracious.
Then things settled down Ia the old way,
aud next morning Barnes announced
that history IN the future would be studi-
ed NJ it always had baen and he wrote
a note to the Educational Monthly to say
that in his opinion the man who suggested
the new system ought to be led out and
shot. The boys do not now take as
much interest in Roman history as they
did on That dnX