The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-25
RoLLo LEARNING 70 READ.


Father to Induce . Level.Headed
BOY to Know Something.
When Rollo was about two years old
his father-RollO's father-said to him
one evening:
''Now. Rollo. put away your roller
skates and toy pistol and carry that
moving machine out into the hall and
come to me. 1t is time for you to learn
to read"
Then Rollo's fothcr opened the book
he had brought home on dray and
talked to him about it. 1t was Ban
crOft's History of the United States"
half complete in twenty-three volumes.
ROlla's father explained to Rollo and
Mary his plan for teaching ROllO to read.
Mary was to teach him fifteen hours q
day for ten years. and by that time
Rollo would be half through the first
volume and would begin to like it very
much.
''When read this book clear through
all the way to the end of the last vol
ume," said Rollo. 'may I get another
little book to read?"
"No." said Rollo's father, "because
you will never get to the last volume,
for rs fast as You read one, Mr.. Bancroft
will write another, SO that even though
you should live to be a very old man,
like Belva Lockwood, he will still be
twenty-three volumes ahead of you.
Now. Mary and RollO. this is hard task
for both of you, and Mary must remcm-
Der that RollO is \ small hoy, and he
very patient and gentle"
Mary began the first lesson next
morning, and at first she was so gentle
and patient her mother went away and
cried because she thought her dear little
daughter was turning into an angel and
would soon die. But IN about two min
utes the novelty of the expedition wore
off. and she began running her old tenn
per on the former schedule, and when
Rollo said w." when she pointed to
A, she tore the page out by the roots,
hit RollO such a whack over the head
with the big book that it set his birth
day back six weeks, slapped him twice,
and was just going to bite him when
her mother came in. Mary told her that
RollO had fallen down stairs and torn
his book and raised that lump on his
head. This time Mary cried. But it
was not because her mother wasn't go
ing to die. 1t was her terrific health
fulness that grieved Mary.
That evening RollO's father taught
him his lesson. He made Mary sit by
him and listen. "Now, Mary, he said,
''yOu must learn to control your temper
if you ever want to wear low neck
dresses. You must be gentle and patient.
or you will never succeed as a teacher.
Now, Rollo. what is this letter?'
dunno" said Rollo.
THAT is b." said his father sweetly.
.Huhr' said Rollo. Il knowcd that
"Well. then why didn't you say SOP
asked his father. and then he went on
so sweetly that everybody in the room
licked their chaps. Do you know
what chap is? Ii is the lower termi-
nus of your jowl.
What is this. RollO?'
.'DunnO." said ROllO.
"Sure?' asked his father, do you
not know what it is?'
Muck"
ut is A.
"a WHAT" asked RollO.
"a nothing" replied his father, sit Is
Just A. Now what is it?''
"Just A." said Rollo.
''DOn't be too smart. my son." said
his parent, "but attend to your lesson.
Now what lctteris this?"
81 dunno" said Rollo.
s.Don't lie to me-" said his father,
''yOu Sd minute ago you knew.
That's NJ
..Yes. SIR" said ROllO, meekly. ROllO
was no SLOUGH, if he did wear bibs. and
he knew where he lived, and when it
was time to be meek no boy on this
sublunary sphere could be meeker than
RollO.
well, what is it?''
'.M." said ROllo. confidently.
en-" shouted ROllO's fathef, in three
line Gothic.
IN" echoed Rollo. in nonrareil.
..B, a, H." said Rollo's father, what
does that spell?"
"Cat?" said ROllo. little uncertainty.
you're too stupid for any use," said
his father. ban cat; where was You
raised. B, II, n-Ban! Say it! Say it!
or I'll shake the hide off you!'
"B, a, m, band" said Rollo, begin
ming to wish that he or his father were
dead. he didn't care very much which.
"Banr' hOwled Rollo's father, 'B, A.
N, BAN! BAN! BAN! Now say Banr'
.'Ban," said ROllo.
That's right" said Rollo's father:
Now how do you spell Ban?'
Rollo started out timidly on c, a, but
changed to d, o. and finally compro-
missed on h, e, n.
RollO's father made q pass at him
with the first volume, but Rollo saw it
Coming and got out of the way.
''B, A, n" his father shouted. @B.
A, N, Ban. B, a, n, Ban! Now GO. ont
What comes next? Oh you're enough
to tire the patience of job! Why croft,
of course, c, r, o, t, t, croft, Bancroft.
What does that apostrophe mean? You
don't know? Take that, then! (Whack!)
Now spell Bancroft! Spell it, Can't?
What comes next then, after Bancroft s.?
Spell It then. if you can't read it. Spell
it, l say-H, I, S tory, history of the
United States! Now what does that
spell? / mean spell that! Oh 60 away.
Go to bed! Go to bed! Little num-
sknll," muttered ROllo's father. as the
little boy went weeping TO- bed. '4he'M
never learn anything as longas he lives
! declare he has tired me all out. Look
here. Mary, you 60 to bed; too. and 10
MORROW night if that boy Cant say his
lesson to me without nistakern make
yoa wish you had besn, born without
any back"
The next morning when Ro2lo,s father
drove away with the old bamMer-hsaded
horse and the gloomy old vehicle which