Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-09
a OUNCES WORK.

''Hamp See, dunceI Well, maybe
SO; but arter what I've seed, it 'ud take
smarter schoolmaster shan you to
make me think SO"
1t was old Riley Vaughn who spoke,
and although old Riley had no educa.
tion, his hard sense and sound iudg-
ment were respected by all the men
who sat there in the village postoffics
waiting for the mail. He had grown
prosperous by dint Of hard work and
good judgment. and his neighbors were
accustomed to ask for and to respect his
opinions.
Il did not say precisely that, Mr..
Vaughn" /" replied MIR. Penruddock, the
schoolmaster. 81 only said my best
efforts to educate the boy we're rendered
futile and nugatory by reason of his in
explicabls inability to grasp and retain
so simple thing as the accidence of
the Latin verb"
"That means, in plain English. that
he amt got no grip on what you teach
him, don't it ?" asked Riley.
e Yes, that is what I mean,o replied
the schoolmaster, with something like
shudder at old Riley's English. sBut
I will make an honorable exception in
the matter of mathematics. He seems
instinctively to grasp arithmetical prin-
eiples.''
YES" drawled old Riley +" one o
your boys toie me Hamp could figure
ont how long it 'ud take for cistern to
get full ef they was three pipes o diff
ferent sizes Tunnln' into it, an two
others o still different sizes a-runnin'
oub."
.'Yes, he is expert in the practical
applications of arithmetic and yet in
arithmetic his standing is not good,
: because he seems incapable of master
ing the exact terms of the formulm and
rules
"Well, now, look here" said old
Riley, rising and striking the counter
with his big fist sit jest comes to this
here, the boy amt got- no grip on your
words al4' things but he's got a good
grip on idees and principles, an it's
my belief that's the inside O. sense /
don't want to be unnecessarily offen-
sive, but you an all schoolmasters like
you ought TO teach parrots. They don't
want no idees; they just want the
words, an that's your notion O. learnin'.
That's the trouble O this here country
down here; men learn words an kin
make speeches, but they can't do no
thin. Now I've seed that boy Hamp
See do what nary man in this county
could do. I bought the fust reapin'-
machine as was ever seed in these parts,
an whea it came it was all to pieces,
an packed in boxes. / sent one arter
another fer all the blacksmiths an
wheelwrights an carpenters hereabout
to set the thing up, an I'm blest eff one
on 'em could make out which end o.
the thing was foremost. Not one on
'em could put any two pieces together.
That ere boy hung around all the time.
with his iorred creased up like, an
finally he says to me. says he, Mr..
Vaughn, let me try. Well try, says I;
am ef you git her together, I've got
fve-dollar bill fer you Maybe you
wont believe ii, but afore noon that
very day, that there reaper was a-reapin'
wheat like a dozen hands. The boy
jest seed right into the thing. Now ]
say ef he's a Ounce, the sooner most
people in these parts lose their senses
an gets to be ounces, the better twill
be for all concerned And with that
old Riley sialked Indignantly out Of the
postofice.
notwithstanding all that old Riley
could say, however, public opinion was
against Hamp See. Itwas certain that
be was dull IN his Lessons. He could
not keep up with Msr Penruddock's
classes, and instead Of studying his
Latin verbs, he was perpetually inter-
rupting the school BY asking M. PEN
ruddock 70 explain things like thunder
and lightning and the presence Of shells
in the rocks on the mountain. and the
curious ways plants have Of taking care
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