Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-02-28
Contributed Artieles.
SCHOLASTIC SPECIMENS.

The INDECENT are not always the most
done much to advance the average intel
ligence of the people. The public schools
are within the reach of the poor, so that,
with sufficient pluck and push, the chill
dren of INDECENT parents may excel in
scholarship, and, by their intelligence
and industry, attain unto places of public
trust and highest honors. Ignorance in
high places appears sorely out of place.
Sorry specimens of scholarship sometimes
come to the surface in the conversation
or correspondence of persons whose more
prominent social position seems to make
their ignorance more marked and igno-
minious. Apropos of this the Buffalo IN.
Y Express tells striking story of a
grave mistake of the mistress of a 'shigh
life" mansion, ga lady of Buffalo's first
society many years ago." The great and
good Gov. De Witt Clinton, being guest
of very aristocratic family, at the din
ner table discoursed upon the s'delightful
climate of that then beautiful village at
the east extremity of Lake Erie eyes"
replied Madame -, the hostess, eve
generally have fine weather, except when
the sun crosses the Penobscot" ssWhy
| my DEAR" demonstrated General -, her
| husband, the host, 'syou don't mean the
| Penobscot?" so, dear! no." she ex-
| claimed, 'sof course 1 don't mean that,
| mean the Passamaquoddy." The Gener-
al frowned, the Governor blushed, while
| Madame - looked as innocent as an
| Ignorant babe who had never had the ear
ache or heard of the Equator, or thought
OF geography. And yet she was the wife
of high military official, the mistress of
a wealthy mansion and the leader of Sc
lect social life in that embryo lake city.
few years ago the profoundly scho-
lastic president of a distinguished theo-
logical school in the Eastern States gave
a specimen of his spelling in notice he
put up in the city postoffice of "a fine new
milk heffer for sail, enquire of the
undersigned" His mortified pupils soon
rightly replaced the reproachful placard
of their much respected master who was
one Of the best Greek and Hebrew schol-
ars and theological tutor of his generation.
In Mrs. Burnett's new book, GA FaiI
Barbarian good hit at English schol-
arship is made in the confidential ''chit
chat" Of bevy of high school girls whose
English eyes have for the first time just
seen representative "American girl
81 have not the slightest doubt that wher
at home she lives in wampum." ''What
is wampum?" asked a star scholar Of
the female seminary GA tent, answered
Miss Phipps, with some signs of anger
81 should think any goose would know
that. 1t is a kind of tent hung will
scalps, and-and-moccasins, and-lar
iats, and things of that sort"
"My horse has fiume on his eye," saiC
man of considerable pretensions t,
horse learning, but whose scholastic
specimens sadly mixed film with the waite
spout of saw-mill.
Lawyers, sometimes even of great lega
lore, make mistakes in court, of the mos
< ludicrous character; especially in case
1 of attempt at quoting scripture fror
t memory, as the following specimen wi
show: Gas Simon Peter said unto Moses
thou art the man." exclaimed an excite
l Green Mountain advocate in his eloquen
peroration of an earnest plea, that mad
pale the opposing counsel and convulse
court and jury with laughter. Con-.