Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-05-23
SCHOOL-BOY WIT.
Extracts From Some Remarkable
Juvenile Compositions.

The first literary example which I
give Is an extract from the essay of
boy in the Third Standard of the school.
He was nearly thirteen years of age,
but, as the parents had for many years
succeeded in evading the compulsory
clause of the Education Act by means of
doctors certificates" frequent remov-
ais, etc, the lad was only fit for the
above low standard. The subject for
composition was the childhood of
Noses"
The lads offusion opens as follows:
at was not in England where all
about little Moses happened, but in a
place what the Bible says is Egypt.
There is big river called the Nile runs
right through the middle of it, which
ovarfos' p banks every year reglar.
likewise bullrushes and crockodiles."
After giving an account of the Kings
proclamation that all Hebrew male chill
dren should be cast into the river the
lad continues:
Nov little baby boy Moses had sis
ter about sixteen, and father and
mother which was Jews. And Moses
mother couldn't abare to drownd her
little boy so she made a cradle same as
they used to make arks. Then she put
her little baby in this here cradle, and
carried it to the river and put it on the
water amongst some bulrushes SO as it
couldn't float down. And who do you
think as it was that used to sit on the
grass all day long watching as it didn't
get loose? 1t was that there sister
Mirium what / said he had She was a
very good young woman and did not
mind the cold grass, because she knew
as she was in the right, and that the
King would be perhaps slain.
This wicket King had o daughter, as
you would think she was. She used to
60 in bathing same as boys, only she
didn't swim. She only just went in up
to about her knees, and then used to put
the water over her head down her body,
and then used to tell the other women
and her father as she had been in. Tho
women could not see how far she had
been in, because of the bulrushes which
you have seen on the wall.
Zone morning she got undresst where
Mirium was sitting on the grass, and
she walked straigt in up to her knees
to where the cradle was. When she saw
him she took him up into her arms and
ran back to the bank shouting out as she
had found q baby while she was swim
ming. The women all came around, and
Mirium edjod in among them. The lady
was so pleased as she had got baby,
that she didn't get dresst till she had
settled things. But it was not hers,
because it was not brought. Only found
"And Mirium said: Pharoh's daugh
ter, shall go and find nurse for you?
and il the lady didn't go and say yes
straigt off. Then Mirium run away fast
as you, and who do you think she fetch
cd for nurse? Moscses mother, as had
had had him brought him to her.
And Pharoh's daughter said unto
her: L will actshully give you wages fol
nursing this baby And so Mosese:
mother nursed her own little baby with
out laughing, fear she should be founC
out and not get good wages" -
The essay winds up with brief &C
count of Moses life in the royal palace
and concludes with the sentence; "Thi
Is the childhood Of Moses"
The answer which child once rem
dered me during physiology lesson
partakes, perhaps, more of tho patheti,
than the humorous.
was giving a lesson upon the human
heart, and as is my won't, in order tomak,
my teaching as Unconstitutional an,
practical as possible, l procured for thu
lads inspection the most approximat,
exemplifcation of the subject in hand
: In this particular case had sent roun,
/ TO the. butchers for a Sleeps heart; anC
permitted the members of the class t,
see, touch and handle it for themselves
In the course of the lesson, | aske,
the question:
"What is the difference, then, lie
twixt sleeps heart and the heart Of
man or woman?" As matter of fact {
may be permitted to remind heroaderl