The Portland daily press., 1888-03-29
LITTLE THINKERS.
How They Cause Astonishment and
Bring Dismay to Bigger Ones.

Stories about precocious little people are
perennial, and they are generally good, par
ticularly when you have good cause to accept
them as true. The temptation to make up'
stories of kind that proves so taking Is
strong however. and the partial exaggera-
tions Of admiring friends helps to mingle
much fiction with the amusing fact that cir
culates concerning the wonderful sayings
and acts Of children. In matters OF theology
particularly childish permaturity Of wit and
judgment is likely to be especially striking.
Here is one recently told in the New York
'sThe little boy was about six years old.
His father, ScOtchman, was fleet surgeon
in the British royal navy. Religious tenden-
cies very rigorous and discipline very strict
One night little Arthur awoke, and, being
rather frightened at the dark, began to howl
Justify. lie slept in small cot beside MS
fathers bed, for his mother was dead. His
CRYING awoke the doctor. who, on finding out
the cause, Immediately read the youngster
homily on his wickedness and want OF faith.
sDo you know that God is everywhere watch
ing over his children2" said the good Doctor
This set the boy thinking, and presently,
just as his father was. getting of to sleep
again, he asked, SIS he really everywhere,
father? Is he down stairs as well as in this
r0om?" Eyes. certainly, everywhere. Now
90 to Sleep" But the boy couldn't sleep.
The subject was too vast to be all at once
asked again. SIS he in the hall, too, father %
Eyes, he is everywhere. | tell YOU" Still
Arthur had another question. "If he is m
the hall he is in your big stick, father?"
This would have posed most men, but the
worthy old Scotchman was equal to the oc.
casion. "Yes. BE is even in my big stick
Now don't ask any more questions, but go TO
sleep and be very sure ne VIII wateh over
YOU" 1t was not satisfactory, however, for
in minute or two the boy began again If
/ were to break your stick in two, where
would he be then?" To this the doctor
youchsafed no reply. That boy Is now
Arthur Thomson, NJ. A and Nj. e. Of Edin-
burg, and lecturer on human anatomy at the
University of Oxford. His taste for minute
investigation lives within him still. and at
the age of 2S he is one OF the greatest micro
scopsts in England"
The disposition to quote Scripture Is easily
and early acquired by children in families
where the sacred text Is more or less familiar,
and small heads often make decidedly unex-
peeted and unexpectable applications OF IT,
This from the Boston Transcript Is a peril
nent instance.
A refractory Boston younsster was being
sharply rebuked by his mother LOT MS hu-
"EIarry. Harry" she exclaimed, ''if you
behave in that way you Will worry your Ia
ther and mother to death; and what will you
do without any father and mother"
1.-The Lord Is my shepherd said the
Suldli DON ondb hob
(Which went to prove that his Sunday
school training had not been entirely lost on
him."
Day school teachers hayelrieher experiences
probably than even Sunday school teachers
In the peculiar twists and twigs OF knowledge
children are found to have received when
the tests are applied. The rapidity OF mod
ern manufacture of words adds its eomplica-
tions. The Norwich bulletin tells this:
Trust used to be simple word meaning
eon6dence-a word without guile, and with
in the grasp Of the youngest pupil. The ef-
feet of the times upOn the word became pain
fully apparent the moment the definition was
called for. Define trust commanded the
teacher. The little fellow at the head Of the
class, who evidently reads the papers, replied
Trust is big snake! Where did you
learn thatY asked the teacher. In the pa
per replied the boy. 1t said trust is an ana
condap That wasn't what saw in my pa
per, spoke up a clever pupil, for II said a
| trust was like devil of fish, It's mon.
ster said the third boy. Where on earth
did you get that idea. asked the astonished
teacher. 'Outen the papers, replied number
| three. L guess the papers dunno, remarked
the fourth, for mine said II was an octerpus !.
| Trust means confidence, said the teacher
| In future / hope the class will put its trus
| in the dictionary and not in the newspa
| pers."