The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-07-04
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Charles, come here, what's The mean

Charles, come here, WHAT'S the mean
ing of sneh ; report As thisl
KVsss II Ch1rlss r Nerr,as. ~ tsgys fssis9
Mare4 lsIs. AfilhmeNe, O., oeogrspbN ~
Grammar. al Aeaaine, t spelling. q MntinE.
70, Average. eS Department, a. ueneEai ht&na'
tng u, Whole sumbeT n olAss, ie kank u ease,
Foot Of The class, Nc. ie Ia class Of l6,
Well, well. That is my boy Charlie, ia ~
How did this happenf
don't, know, sir
Don't know, siry Who docs know
When you flrst went into the Wentworth
school you ranked number In class Of
SS. The next term you were No. 6. In
the spring No. ?, and at the close Of the
year you got down to Il. Then In the
fall term, let me sec, where Is that report I
Here Il is, number - have Il, No. Is IN
class Of Is. Now you are l6 in a class
ofl6 Wen, where will you be at that
rate next terml
think shall do better next term, sir
Wen, but just explain how this came
about.
can't, sir.
You oa0ll Has the teacher marked
you unfairly
think not, sir.
Does be show partialityG
don't think SO, sir.
Wen, then, how is it that you are at
the foot Of your class?
Can't tellI ! can tell you, Charles.
DO you see that basket filed with spples7
4 do, sir.
Empty out the apples upon the floor, in
the corner OF tho room.
I've done It, sir.
Now take the basket 10 tho wood pile
and filli half full with pine chip dirt.
What shall DO with Il thenl
Bring ii 10 me.
Charles was in the habit OF the most
implicit obedience TO bis fatheIs com
mands. He therefore half filled the
basket with the dirt Of the wood pile,
and brought 1t TO his father, without any
delay.
Here is the basket, father
Well, now put in the apples.
Charles piled on the apples till the
basket would hold no more.
1t will not hold them, sir.
| VIII not hold themp But II did be.
fore. Pile them on.
Charles piled up the apples as long as
they would stay on, and said
1t will not hold them all, sir.
Pile them on. Pile them on. II held
them all before.
Yes, father, but now the basket Is hall
full of chip dirt.
All, my son, there's the mischief When
a basket is half full of chip dirt, 1t will
not hold basket full of apples. You
have been filling your mind with those
chip dirt stories, and how do you think
you can then fill it with arithmetic and
spelling. How many volumes Of Oliver
Optics books have you read?
have read them all, sir.
Aud how many dime novels have you
read this winter2
| don't know sir; think about a
dozen.
What papers do you read?
The firOside Companion, The Boys OF
New York, and The Boys Own.
Well, my son, that basket mnst be
pretty nearly full of chip dirt, and how
do you suppose you can Pile on the arith-
metic2
never looked upon ii in that light be-
fore.
Well, my boy, take the chip dirt back
to the wood house and see If the basket
will hold the apples then.
Charles quickly left the chip dirt out
side and filed the basket with the apples.
Does it hold them now?
Oh, yes, sir. II holds them all now.
Well, my son, IL will not be so easy TO
empty the chip dirt from your mind.
But caution you not to put any more
In.
Charles understood the meaning OF
this. 1t was good example OF object
teaching, and the next term, although 1t
cost Lin many severe effort to keep
away the chip dirt, his record was far
less unsatisfactory. 1t is to be hoped
that Charlie will yet crowd out chip dirt
from his mind by filling 1t with the good
and the trua