The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-11-26
ROBERTS ANSWER, FREDD1Es' rR1
UMPH, AND a TEACHERS SIN.

a CASE OF SCHOOL GOVERNMENT.
sWhat are the principal productions,
Robert7" questions the teacher of the
geography class.
@Thunder and lightning, earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions," confidently
speaks up Robert, who, in performing
Z the difficult feat Of peeping in his book
! to count out his question and catch the
leading words of the answer, has stolen
the wrong paragraph.
His enumeration of productions is cut
short by the general laugh which runs
around the school-room. Now the
teacher has just enacted some injudi-
ciously stringent laws respecting "no
Laughing in view of which he at once
sternly commands, "All who laughed
come out into the foorp Nobody stirs;
the teacher looks very cross and the
scholars glance timidly and questioning
ly, one upon another, and wait. The
room is very still. You can hear the
tick tick-tick tick, of the clock; but
you cannot hear the great conflict, the
silent conflict, between obedience and
disobedience in the heart of the youngest
boy, little fYe-year.old Freddie. He
knows that he laughed; that he is acting
lie by sitting still; yet, poor little one,
il his first week at school. He has
Known only love at home, and fears the
Z cold, stern master" Then why should
he move when all the rest, so much older
and wiser, are still? So pleads the voice
within him, but the good triumphs. and
little Freddie walks resolutely up to the
teachers desk alone. $50, it was only
Freddie who laughed" says the teacher,
in tone of bitter irony, his eyes upon
the school. Poor little Fred trembles at
the bitter tones which he thinks are for
him, yet he looks up through his tears,
and whispers with white lips, eyes, sir,
Ilaughed."
"You have done brayely, little Fred"
says the teacher, with burst of unwont-
ed enthusiasm "turn around and show
the school noble boy, and may the
sight shame them US it ought. I shall
SET down Roberts name and the names
of all those who have added disobedience
and falsebood to the ofense of laughing
at him, and settle accounts with them
after school; but you, my honest little
Freddie, are excused from all blame."
REMARKS.
The teacher committed q great sin
when he made q stringent Law against
laughing. The answer given by Robert
was exceedingly funny, and everybody
should have enjoyed hearty laugh. It
would have hurt no one, and perhaps
made the cause of it ashamed. When
ihe.eacher commanded all who laughed
Ito come out on to the foor," he was
tempting his pupils to disobey. He
might have known that the majority of
them would remain in their seats. If it
ever becomes necessary for q teacher to
uttef d command, his governmental sue
scessd depends upon its instant obedience
from all. This is as true in the school as
Z In. the army. No commander could
retain discipline an hour if any conside-
rable number of his soldiers should be
indifferent to his orders. A single case
of willful disobedience would be followed
bs, instant erre:. and punishment. a
successful general is careful when he
.issues his orders, for he knows that his
success depends upon how they Will be
received.