The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-28

lending variety to the programme, and
keeping the, people, on the whole, sufi-
GENTLY entertained. At a certain stage
in the proceedings the committee was
expected to examine the scholars on its
own account. And to this Miss Revere |
looked forward with no little apprehen-
sion. What if old Doctor Trumbull,
who was the orthodox minister and a
famous scholar, should want to know
something concerning the Digamma or
the Greek particles, about which neither
Miss Revere, nor the good doctor him
self, nor anyone else knew anything at
all; or if Lawyer Jenkins, a good deal Of
a casuist i'll his way. should perpleX the
girl over some obscure demonstration in
Butler? So Kate fairly shiyrred until
DR.. Trumbull had eontented himself
with the synopsis of &, eek verb ana
murmured appreciatively, "Very good,
and the lawyer nodded complacentIy
over a very short paragraph from the
Analogy" And then, when the danger
seemed passed, and she began to- breathe
freely, and the members of the commit
tee, with one exception; were expressing
their enthusiasm, and Lawyer Jenkins
was on the point of leaning over the pull
pit and saying mechanically to the peo-
pie below, "Drew a prize, didn't wei?
the storm suddenly broke from an unsus-
pected quarter. 1t was the voice of Dir.
Barrows that dispelled the temporary
| silence.
ave have heard, Miss Revere" he be-
gan, courtcously, "an admirable perform
ance on the part of the young people.
The pains which you have taken with
| them, in branches not usually taught in
district schools, must have been very
great, and your success is all the more
gratifying. And without questioning at
all at this time the utility of these
branches, or the propriety Of giving to
them 50 much attention, to the neglect
perhaps, of other important studies, |
would like, if you please, to examine the
school briefly in what we ordinarily call
the rudiments. 1t will be very brief,
ladies and gentlemen; just to satisfy
you''-and here, as it seemed to Kate,
the doctor was lapsing into sarcasm-
"that while your boys and girls are learn
ing Latin and Greek, they are not neg
lecting those more humble studies which
will fit them especially for their daily
| life here in Upper Ninevch. John Reyf-
olds," turning abruptly to large boy at
the head of the first row, "spell 'scpa-
rate"
"Sep-e-rate!" returned John, promptly.
A shudder ran over the school com
mittee, and Miss Revere writhed.
| IA,,nj ob..,rroI Nv j.,
a peremptory way.
| The next boy interpolated an extra
"p;" the one beyond clung to the obnox-
ious 'e;" whereupon the doctor passed
it down the line, until it was correctly
spelled by the fifth scholar, girl. The
sixth, Carrie Ainsworth, who had recited
seventeen pages Of Butler, became hope
lessly wrecked over the word prejudice, U
and retreated behind her pocket hand
kerchief, Three succeeding girls and
four boys fell in the same pit, and the
. fourteenth scholar, who did finally give
/, it correctly, more because all the incor,
. rect methods had been exhausted thai
, from any knowledge of the subject, i'm
mediatcly disgraced himself over the
orthograPhical distinction between "ale''
and "ail.
| It is needless to tell how the rest Of
the school foundcred over the Simplest
/ words; how, too, sums In long and short
division on the blackboard presented in
) surmountable difficulties; how the null.
r tiplication table became source Of griel
: to the children and shame to their teach
: er; how the best Greek scholar insisted
: that times were 81, and 7 times 9 56
: and how little Freddie Donovan, Of whom
$ Miss Revere had boastcd that he knew
e the Greek alphabet before he did tn,
n English, spelled 'cat, 'd-6-g," and main
f tanned that from left 7. Long befor
L this dismal and bewildered conclusion
e was reached every one was in wild stat
.s. of apprehension and excitement; tn
i audience, half on their feet, detected 0
t. delighted, according as they lived in Up
t per Nineyeh or Babylon Center; tn
If committee, indignant with everybody
e and especially DR.. Barrows, as being tn
disturber of their peace; Miss Rever
" nearly overcome with wrath and mortit
,e cation; and the children wholly demol
alized-the boys sullen and careless, an
d the girls bathed in tears. The only coo
and collected person was DIR. Barrow
le who finally, having elected the inlpo1
" tant mathematical fact alluded to, bowe
/, quietly to Miss Revere, and resume
a. his seat.
ltl II was a hard task that now devolve
10 on DR.. Trumbull--to make the closin
70 address. The worthy man could not us
d a word of the glowing eulogy which h
I'd had prepared, and was almost as much ;
,e loss as the children themselves ha
been. So he did the best thing he coul
n under the circumstances, and only urge
le that due allowance should be made ft
i'd the excited and embarrassed condition
h. the scholars, referred to their excellel
ne drill in the higher branches, aid ca
le tiously admitted, in alraost Dr.. Barrow
.h words, that perhaps some of the time b
k, slowed upon these might have been pre-
III itahIv devoted to the elementary studie
I'd And then the audience, being dismisse
al filed out of the church and went HON
.e, leaving Kate, who had been for half /
he hour the target of their curious inspe
ed tion. almost on fire with a consciousnt
or OF Lle IdCU. IL WAS SOinC SohSpldtioh
,ft have the children flock around her al
tir express their anger and sympathy, b
to even this, in her excited mood, she cou
is hardly bear, and felt relieved when tn
of too had gone. Among the last was C'
Nv rie Ainsworth, who, as she kissed Ka
It's good-by, could not help exclaiming, 80
IS, Miss Revere, don't you hate Dir. B'
,st row,W -,
lc, But Kate put her hand overthe chil'