American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-11-06
IN NO ARITHMETIC LAND.

IN NO ARITHMETIC LAND.
Arithmetic, he would have told you
was the worry of Rob Henry's life. His
other studies were, as rule. easy
enough-perhaps because he found
them more interesting, and SO liked
them better-and he stood we'll in his
classes; but in arithmetic he was al
ways foot, and at twelve years old was
stuck fast in the multiplication table,
which could not be persuaded to stick
fast to him.
He had been kept in one afternoon,
over large sum in fractions, and came
home late, to find cold dinner and his
mother out.
Indeed, cold dinner was always part
of the penalty for being kept in. School
was out at half-pasttwO, and the dinner
hour being three, allowed plenty of time
for Rob to be punctual, so Mrs. Henry
never suffered dinner to be kept hot for
him.
This day, cold mutton and cold pota-
toes, with cold batter-pudding, were not
inviting to even hungry boy, and Rob
went up to the sitting room thoroughly
out of humor.
He threw his books down on the
table and himself on the lounge.
81 hate arithmetic" he said. 81
wish there was no such thing in the
world"
GOOD morningr' said strange voice
at his elbow.
He looked round, and there stood the
oddest-looking little man he had ever
seen. 1t was not himself but his dress
that was SO queer. One sleeve was
long and the other short; the legs of
his trousers were not matches, and
his coat looked more like bag than a
coat
Would you like to take a walk?'
said this queer little man.
"Walk? Whereof" asked Rob, rub
There was Ho sittingsroom, no lounge,
no table near. Instead, he was lying
on the ground, justesoutside of what
seemed to be towH'of some sort.
"Where am I?"
''Oh, this is No Arithmetic Landr'
answered his companion. "We have
no mathematics in this country, and
everybody is forbidden by law to count
more than ten. Come, let me show YOU
our city,"
City, indeed! Rob thought of the
tall. regularly-built houses at home, the
well-laid-ou blocks and smooth pave
ments. This place was all tumble
The houses, if houses they could be
called, were of all sorts-wigwams, log
cabins, cave-like dug-outs in the side of
the hills. and brush shelters, for all the
world like those built for the cattle on
his uncle's farm in the country.
"What funny-looking housesP" he
exclaimed, with more truth than po-
likeness. "What makes you build them
SOP Why don't you have them like
other peopleP'
The little man looked at him in as
constituent.
"Pray, how could such houses as you
are used to be built without arithmetic?
How could you measure the doors and
windows and calculate the size of the
roomsP Then the bricks would have to
be counted, and have already told you
that it is against our law to count more
than tenr'
"Ohr' said Rob.
Just then they came to stand where
some tempting-looking fruits were
piled for sale. Rob felt hungry and
took up large red apple.
.'How much for thisp" he asked.
Zone piece" replied the vender.
Rob took opt his whole pocket
money, silver half-dollar, and handed
it to him. To his surprise, the man
coolly pocketed the money and gave
him no change.
81 want my change. please" remon-
strated he. but the man shook his head,
and his guide hurried Rob off.
"Hush!' he said, looking around to
see if any one had overheard. No
body can make change here. Did l
not tell you that we are forbidden to
count more than temp"
But that was all the money had"
said Rob, land L am hungryr'
care you? All right, come in and
have dinner; this is my house."
The little man spoke with some pride,
and, indeed, compared to the other
habitatiens in the town, it was quite
stately dwelling, being Il double log
cabin, with Il loft above each part.
A rudely-fashiOncd table was set for
dinner in one of the rooms, and i'm this
room were the wife and children of the
little man. They were all as queerly
dressed as he was, in clothes that were
made without the least effort at regu-
larity.
81 suppose" thought Rob, cit is be-
cause they have no tape-line or yard
stick, and so cannot measure. Dear
me! who would have thought that arith-
metic was so necessary to the comforts
of life?'
They sat down to table on benches
and stools and singular meal it was.
Fruits and vegetables were plenty, and
there was tea, made in an earthen jar.
But there was no bread, only homny,
and thick molaSses instead of sugar.
eve have no bread to offer you,h
said the host. "Only those few of us
who have travelled have ever seen it.
We can have no mills to grind our corn,
rs nobody can build them without ma
chinery and many calculations.
Rob stared, but helped himself TO the
hominy in silence. When his tea was
handed him, he meekly asked for the
sugar.
81 do not understand YOU" said the