The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-11
studying In the "Oloxies. /"

| studying In the "Ol0xies."
| A boy OF sixteen is graduated from q
high school, and seeks employment.
He asks the counsel of trusty friend.
and this colloquy is likely to ensue:
Old Practical-Well, what can you do,
John?
Conceited John-Oh, almost anything,
l suppose.
Q. P.--But what can you do?
Surprised John-Why, / can do
And he flatters himself that his hesi-
not been at school since he was six
years old? Did he not "iearn every
thing" Was he not smart boy? Has
he not his diploma of graduation from
the high school?
o.. P..What have you been studying
the last few years
Complaisant John-Greek, Latin, Ger
man, French
o. P.-All right. You must go to col
lege and be lawyer, or doctor, or O
minister. Would you like to be a min
ister?
Honest John-No, sir. Father is dead.
ana mother can't send me to college.
l must go to work ri sht away and earn
money. 1t is needed at home
o. P.-Very well. That docs YOU cre-
dit. You know German and French.
Mr. Lamonte, an importer, wants COR
respondence clerk to read and write LETT
ters in those languages. Ths5 will bo
q nice place for you
Perplexed John-Oh no, sir. onlv
know little OF each. | can read them
in print pretty well, in the books we
used. but cannot speak them or write
them.
Q. P.-Well, what else did you learn2
JOhn-Chemistry.
q. P.-That will do. The druggist ON
the corner wants young man who nm
derstands the properties of Chemicals
and the manufacture OF drugs. and
your knowledge Of medicine ID lust tha
thing $50
Scared JOhn-Oh no, sir. / don't
know anything about ehemistry--onlva
little-some OF the definitions and pret-
ty experiments. We had not much time
for chemistry.
o. P.-H'm. You are equally well of
In geology, astronomy, mineralogy. bot
any, zoology. optics, physiology, and all
other things, are you?
Chagrlned JOhn---
o. P.-Well, never mind. You studied
geometry. and trigonometry? Yes, Of
course. friend OF mine, q surveyor.
asked me to find him q capable assisfs
ant, and he would pay him good wages
Unhappy John-Oh no, sir. / could
not 40 that. You see, we had not much
time for geometry. / can demonstrate
some OF the propositions In the book.
by the letters that's all.
y. P.-YOu can draw? You can earn
something in an architects office? You
can help the craftsmen over In the loco-
motive works? That's a good busl-
ness
Laughing John-Oh, no, sir? I cant
Draw! had no taste for 1t, but went
through the forms with the rest OF the
class, because we all had to. But
scarcely know a straight line from q
curved one. Mother always said / had
no eye " for drawing or anything like
that.
y. P.-YOu' re rather a neat and pleas
ant lad-fond of music? You studied
that In school ever since you were lit
tie fellow? OF course. Well, / can get
you place in music store
Miserable John-Oh no, sir! don't
know one note or sound from another.
We studied music in a sort Of way be-
cause we were marked" on it. but /
never could learn it. Mother knows I
have no "ear."
.. P.-Of course you can keep boolsf
Downcast John-Oh no, sir. Wouldn't
iare to try. We had class once in sim
yie entry, but we were SO busy with our
Latin and Greek and geology-und all
he other things, that we did not pay
much attention to that.
.. P.-Anyhow you learned grammar
md rhetoric, l am sure. That Mr..
kopp who has an insurance agency told !
ne last week that he would like to get q
lice smart young man who could pre-
)are correct statements out OF his books
write out his reports, and 80 on. You
Ire he very lad for Kopp--
trembling John-Oh no, sir; / cant
lot looked inside grammar for years: +
We don't learn English grammar in the
high school, sir. Grammar is only
aught in the lower grades, and then
vas too young to understand it. Moth
n has to correct my language at home,
'ut l don't know whether it is correct
'r not. l can't pt.4Le--I never could.
IND we only wrote compost tiOns now
md then, and l always leased my sister
nto writing mine. Boys don't like COM
as well as girls.
q. P-I guess we'll have to fall back
N your arithmetic. Your handwriting,
see, is not .verJ good, but you can Inn
'rove that il you try. You learned all
will give you q note to one Of the
Overwhelmed John-Oh no, Sir! We
i'd not study arithmetic in the high
chOol! And / never understood per-
entage-it is the hardest thing in the
'ook. | was only little boy when we
we're in percentage, and I could not get
through lay head. Decimals always
'uzzled me
q. P.-You have been in school ever
ince you were a little fellow able to go.
.our mother has kept you there, at
reat inconvenience, calculating that
ou would be able to support your
rothers and sisters until they grew up.
,ou have studied everything In
luding Latin and Greek, aud all the
logies, and drawing and music. guess
ou can now earn fifty cents O. week as
arcel boy.-DetrOit EUening Ne,0s..
No Grit.
From the Detroit Free Press.l
It was midnight. The young man had