The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-04-04
Nm AND DEMOCRAT, BIOOMsBURG. COLUMBIA COUNTY. PA.

these boys pine for liberty. The people on
the street would point their fingers at the
unfortunate youths. The blame as now
was all put on the boy. lie didn't like IL.
The young men spent their nights in re.
peoting these definitions. They retired
late to troubled dreams, for these deini-
tions haunted them in their sleep like
Banquo's ghost. In the morning they
were haggard. They dreaded to meet
their masters they dreaded to parade as
slave amidst the derson of the populacc
One of the most ambitious took sick, and
In his last hours these detestable definitions
haunted him-yea, killed him. The rest
struggled on and at the end of two years
was welcomed by these young men what
two years before would have been lament
ed by the whole world. What could be
more welcome than the death of Optimus |?
1t is due to the memory of this great man
to say that he had expressed it as his in
tention to put tools iuto the hands of these
boys after they had finished the definitions.
In this you will observe that he resembed
the modern teacher. OF all these boys on
ly one became an architect. He received
from the populace the name Stultus, a
name corresponding to Ounce from his
daily appearance on the street supporting
the litter of his master. While passing
through the street he closely observed the
builders at work, and in this school of oh.
gpryatinp hp laarnaI tbo. Ill al.
other boys in the school of definitions.
Gould | only" thought he, ''help these
men, might become an architect but
the hateful definitions teach me nothing. /
don't know what they are about" The
boys were welcomed home by fond and
loving parents. These kind parents in
tended now to give their boys chance to
practice what they had learned. You can.
not imagine the surprise of the fathers
when their haggard boys told them that
they did not know how to build. The
Vita says: 'uno omnia disco" (from one
learn alp, and then gives the following
scene between one of these boys and his
father
"llave you wasted your opportunity in
riotous living? Is it thus you reciprocate
kindness from your father, you recreant
childp Have l not, at great expense, kept
you in the school of this man whom the
world praises ?"
TO this the son replies:
VI have worked hard. / have become
weak by hard and prolonged study.
have learned by heart one half of this mas
sive roll" Here the Opusmagnum was
produced. The father eagerly opened IT,
the son began to repeat, but the father
falling to understand, asks:
"What are these things you say, my
son ?''
Lord, l know not" he responds, "we
had to learn them at school,"
The father was in rage. The sons
health and mind were impaired. BY mu-
tual agreement the roll was inundated to
the shades of the late Optimus. All the
boys were laid in their mother earth at an
early age, except him called Stultus who
lived to ripe old age, 10 bless all who
ounces rebelled against the despotism of
a senseless master, and received the re-
ward of that rebellion.
Here ends the story of Optimus Archi-
tectus. need not tell you that in Opti-
mus we have ensamped our modern book
writer, scholar, and teacher. That the
story is untrue, have no doubt many will
say Were to add what have to say on
this point, this article would be entirely too
long. l shall show you, or try to, by ex-
amples and arguments that the characters
attempted to portray are not in the least
exaggerated in Optimus. To avoid any
future difficulty, would ask you to hold
your judgment in abeyance, till you hear
from me again. With this will close in
the language of our story papers,
(Io be Continued