The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-11
AStranger In the School.

| + .'# "A oCr6nker IN the SCHOOL. K o..
On a warm day a large school of boys
and girls were coming over their les.
sons. The teacher tried hard to keep
order, to make all take to their studies,
4 to help those who needed aid, and to
make all happy. He opened the doors
and windows to give them fresh air;
but all would not do. Some felt dis
couraged with their lessons, some felt
sleepy. some felt cross, and everything
seemed to drag and linger. BY and by
the heavy tread Of a foot on the door.
step was heard, and without knocking,
in walked hard.faced man, some
what old in years, but with firm step.
The children at first felt afraid of him,
but they soon found that beneath his
hard looks there was bright eye, a
pheasant smile, and kind heart. But
instead of sitting down and staring at
the school. he sat down by the side Of
one of the little girls who was trying in
vain to get her spelling lesson. There
were tears of encouragement in her
eyes.
"Well, what's the matter with our
little one 7"
80 sir, I can't get my lesson. It's SC
long, and the words are SO hard. can
never learn them !''~. ~~'- ..~
''Let us see. How many words are
there in one column
'Fifteen, SIR
"And how many columns in your les
son?''
''Three, sir
every we'll. That makes forty-Gve
words to be learned. How many of these
are easy so that you can spell hem at
once? Count Them
ssTwenty.fve. sir
''Then you have twenty left which
you call hard. Now take the first one,
look at it sharp, see every letter in it,
count the letters, see just how the
word looks. Now shut your eyes and
see if you can still see just how the
word looks. Spell it over softly to
yourself. There, now you spelled it
right. Now do so with the next word,
and the next, till you have them all. y
80 sir that is very easy. can get
my lesson now.'
| Then the visitor went to boy who
was puzzled over u sum in arithmetic.
He was discouraged and almost cross.
"Let us see. What's the matter
here?'
'This sum, sir! can't DO it. and
every sum grows harder and harder.
1t seems as if the man who made the
book tried to see how hard sums he
co uld pnt down."
81 see. Now what's the rule by
which this sum is to be done? Repeat
it. Very we'll, only you have not said
it quito right. Turn to it, and see.
There, now.you left out one important
link. You understand the rule. Try
tho sum now, putting in the part you
left OUT
20 sir it's easy now. l see, and l
can do them ALL
eyes; but you must not he thinking
about your ball, and kite, and play.
You must give all your mind to the
thing you are studying, and tn n it
will be easy
The stranger next sat down by a boy
who was trying TO commit the declen-
sion of a noun in the Latin gramr ar. .
Over and over he had repeated it, but
alas he could not make the memory
hold it. He was ready to throw down
the book.
'sHold there, my boy! Don't look so
discouraged. Take your pen and care
fully write down that declension. See
how every word is written, and what
letter ends every case. There now, is
every one right I? Yes! Well, shut
your grammar, turn over your paper,
and on the other side write it all over
again from memory. So no! How
many mistakes have you made g
"Two, SIR
"Very well. Put away that bit of
paper, get another, and try it again,
till you can write it without a single
mistake. You can say it then for
writing will fix it in the memory"
Thus he went from seat to seat, and
helped all. The scholars forgot the
heat. They all bad their lessons; the
teacher smiled and praised them, and
all were very happy. just as he was
leaving, the teacher thanked the
stranger, and hoped he would soon call
again.
son. said he, s'just send for me at
any time, and 1 will come and give
any one lift
spray, sir, by what name Shall we
ask for you?''
''Mr. Hardstudy, sir, at ycur ser.
vice'-[ John Todd.
Price of a Wife.