Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-01-24
NO l2
The Old-Style School Readers.

/ ~ OhNA 10 oSliOOl ROaoOtS Ss
Any one who has heard the Bill Nye-
| Whitcomb Riley lecture will not soon for
get his irresistible take off of the old style
OF School Readers. Nothing could more
quaint and inimitably droll than his man
ner ot reeiting the following, with his
shriil, piping ''oh, sir" and like exclama-
tions from the impossibly proper lad:
Sometimes a sad, honesick feeling comes
over me when | compare the prevailing
style of anec,lote and school literature with
the old MeGnffey brand, SO we'll known so
years ago. To-day our juvenile literature,
it seems TO me, is so transparent, so easy
to understand, that l am not surprised to
learn that the rising generation show signs
| of lawlessness
Boys day 10 not use the respectful.
language and large luxuriant words that
they did when Mr.. McGuffey used to stand
around and report their conversation for
his justly celebrated school reader. 1t il
disagreeable TO think of, but il is none the
less true, and for one think we should
face the fact
ask the careful student of school liter
ature to compare the following selection,
which have written myself with great
care, and arranged with special reference to
the matter of choice and difficult words.
with the Hippant and common place terms
used in the average school book of to day:
One day as George Pillgarlic was going
to his tasks, and while passing thro the
wood, he spied tall man approaching in
an opposite direction along the highway
"Ah!' thought George, in a low mellow
tone of voice, ''whom have we hereP"
Good morning, my fine fellow" .ex-
claimed the stranger, pleasantly, edo you
reside in this localityf7
Indeed do, retorted George, cheer
fully, dotfing his cap. "In yonder cottage,
near the glen, my widowed mother and her
Is children dwell with me-"
And is your father dead'" exclaimed
the man, with a rising infection.
Extremely So" murmured the lad,
''and oh, sir, that is why my poor mother
is a widow"
"And how did your papa dief" asked
the man, as he thoughtfully stood on the
other foot while
ALAS, SIR" said George, as large, hot
tear stole down his pale cheek and fell
with loud report on the warty surface of
his bare foot, The was lost at sea in a hit
ter gale. The good ship foundered two
years ago last Christmas, and father was
foundered at the same time. No one knew
of the loss of the ship and that the crew
was drowned until the next spring, and
then it was too late"
"And what is your age, my fine felowf7
quoth the stranger.
"'If live till next October" said the
boy in n declamatoIy tone of voice suitable
for Second Reader, II will be nine years
of age
And who provides for your mother and
her large family of children'7 queried the
man.
Indeed do, sir" replied George in a
shrill tone; II toll, OH so hard, sir, for we
are very, very poor, and since my elder
sister, Ann, was married and brought her
husband home to live with US, / have to
toll more assidulously than heretofore"
"And by what means do you obtain
LIVELIHOOD exclaimed the man, in slowly
measured and grammatical words.
'By digging wells, kind SIR" replied
George, picking up tired ant as he spoke
and stroking it on the back; II have a good
| al, r ol, IL 49, oil
well rs any man. l do this day-times and
| take in washing at night. In this way |
am enabled barely to maintain our family
| in precarious manner; but, oh sir, should
my other sisters marry, | fear that some
of my brothers-in- will have TO suffer-
"And do you not fear the deadly FIRE
| damp asked the stranger in an earnest
| tone.
Not by a damp sight" answered
George, with a low, gurgling laugh, for he
was a great wag.
''You are indeed a brave lad" exclaimed
the stranger, as he repressed q smile
"And do you not at times become very
weary and wish for other ways of passing
your timeG'
'1ndced | do, sir said the lad. Il
would fain run and romp and be gay like
other boys, but / must engage in constant
manual exercise or we will have no bread
to eat, and / have not seen a pie since
papa persisted in the moist and moaning
sea.
"And what if l were TO tell you that
your papa did not perish at sea, but was
saved from humid graveP' asked the
stranger in pleasing tones.
''Ah, sir, exclaimed George, in gen
teel manner again doffing his cap, II am
too polite to tell you what l would say,
and, besides, sir, you are much larger than
j am"
But, my brave lad said the man, in
low, musical tones, do you not hnow me,
GeorgieG Oh, George"
Il must say" replied George. that you
have the advantage of me. Whilst l may
have met you before, | cannot at this
moment place you, sir"
MY son! oh, my son!' murmured the
man, at the same time taking q large
strawberry mark ont of his yalise and
showing 1t to the lad. "Do you not recog-
nize your parent on your fathers sidef
When our good ship went TO the bottom
| all persisted save me. | swan several
miles through the billows, and, at last,
| Ill nt'