The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-03-07
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

ut certainly seems cruel for parents
to insist on their boys going to school
when the day is fine for game of ball,
kite-hying, sailing, coastng, or build
ing snow forts At such times, every
boy ought to be allowed to enjoy him
self, and then on stormy days, unless,
of course, the weather was such that it
would be disagreeable for HIM to 90 out
of doors, he would be willing to 60 to
school,"
Billy Dodd had some such idea as
that, as he afterwards told me, on a
certain day when the chestnuts were
just ready to drop into the cap of any
fellow who could get under the trees,
and when his mother obliged him to go
to school instead of allowing him to go
into the woods. Billy thought that he
was particularly ill-used boy, and he
could not understand why it was neces-
sary to 90 to school at all. OF course
he wanted to know how to read and
write, and that was all he thought
it was necessary for him to know.
"What goods grammar, an history,
an all them kind of things?h he asked
himself, as he walked slowly and I'M
willingly toward the school-house
"What do | want with nouns in any
case, or what difference does it make to
me which one governs in a sentenced
Conjunctions can govern the whole
| grammar for all L care, an when | get
| to be man | won t need to know such
things. What's history got to do with
Teller, I'd like to know l guess it
wouldn't hurt me very much if l didn't
know who discovered America, or if |
couldn't tell jest to minute when the
English surrendered at Yorktown. I'm
Jest a good mind never to try to learn
another thing"
Billy was close beside the brook as he
thought this, and the babbling of the
water seemed to say so plainly that his
view of the case was the correct one
that he sat down on the grass regard
less of the fact that he ought to be in
school.
Then. feeling particularly indolent,
and lulled by the murmur of the waters,
he fell asleep, and probably, one of the
water-sprites came and sat on his eye
lid, for straightway he began to dream.
1t seemed to him that he had suddenly
become a man without having been
troubled any further about school. He
was about to purchase some land on
which to build house, and the owner
told him that the lot contained three
acres and seven-tenths, which he could
have at the rate of one hundred and
ninety-eight dollars per acre. Now
Billy had certain sum of money, and
was wholly at loss to know whether it
was sufficient to pay for the land. He
knew that it was a very simple matter
for the boys in school to multiply, di-
vide and subtract; but he had grown
up without any knowledge of such
things, and even at that early moment
in his career he began to be sorry that
he had not learned a trifle more. Then
he was obliged to ask the owner of the
land how much the sum total would be-,
and some little girls who were standing
near by began to laugh, while he dis
tinctly heard one of them say: "Did
you ever hear of such a thing? A big
man don't know how to multiply one
hundred and ninety-eight by three and
seven-tenths!"
He walked away quietly, feeling very
much ashamed, and concluded that he
had rather not have any house than be
laughed at by children because he had
been so foolish when boy as not to
study at school. But he was obliged to
display his ignorance very shortly after
wards, for it became necessary for him
to know how far he was from the near
est hotel Meeting two boys, either one
of them smaller than he was when he
ceased to 90 to school, he asked the
question, and was told that he would be
obliged to walk three furlongs.
Now Billy had a general idea as tc
the length of a mile, but, owing to the
fact that he had never learned the table
of surveyors measure, he was wholly
at a loss regarding the length of 8
furlong. 1t was absolutely necessary
that he should know the exact distance
to the hotel and as he asked the boys
to explain themselves, since he knew
nothing about a furlong, he saw then
laughing at lin because of his ig
uOrance.
AS he walked on towards the hotel
he begun to understand that he haC
made a great mistake when he was ,
boy in not having studied harder; bu
: it was too late then, and he continued
, his journey, wishing very heartily thai
it was the fashion for men to 90 t,
school.
, When helarrived at the hotel, and be
! fore he had time to transact any busi
; ness, he heard some gentlemen talkin,
7 on political matters, during which the
4 often referred to the capital of the State
< 1t was impossible for Billy to RESTRAIN
e his curiosity, and, as he asked Tia
] gentlemen which city was the capital
be was covered with confusion at SCI