The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-05
Carlyle as u Teacher.

Carlyle as Ieacller.
4 writer in IHc .ScOtc1tnan has un-
carthed an amusing anecdote of Thorn
as Carlyle as country dominic" for
the accuracy of which he vouches. 1t
was told in 1858 by a Cupar Fife law
yer and provost. who had been one of
Carlyle's pupils at Kirkcaldy, to the
writer and Hugh Miller. The interest
of this gcntlcman's "reminiscences of
his old sch0oImaster was heightened
by his utter uncOnsciousncsS that his
old dominic was the Thomas Carlyle
who was then beginning to be known
to fame. The old gentlemen described
the older race of Scottish schoolmas-
ters as always during school hours
wearing their hats-at least keeping
their heads covered; and many of the
bows, viewing peculiar angle at which
the hat stood upon the head, and how
near it came to the eyebrows, could
conjecture if the savage mood were to
be that day predominant:
"But my teacher,n said the provost,
"a strict and gloomy disciplinarian
with the name OF Carlyle, never wore
his hat in school; and, indeed, his
brow was so overhung with dark
threatening, and his large glowing
ewes constantly shot forth wrath,
while his prOtruding chm was laden
with scorn, that no extra expression to
alarm was needed from his lum-hat
He did not thrash us either very often
or very severely, but we had fear
that, if provoked, he would go great
lengths in punishment. l have seen
his mere scowl hush at once the whole
school. The biggest and boldest spec
tally dreaded his grins and his mock
| ing words. How savagcly his teeth
were wont to grind out The terms
"duncrn or "blockhead y"
Hugh Miller here interposed by ask
ing, "Did your teacher ever burst into
u strange laugh in schoolm
THAT is q very odd question:" repli-
ed the DrovOst. "Why do you ask ?
But now that remember, he had at
times very extraordinary laugh that
made us all stare. 1t had train of
queer chucklirg which exploded in a
succession of loud and deep outlaws
that shook his whole body, and dis
PLAYED all his teeth like the keys OF a
piano. He then clapped his hands on
The book he held against his knees yet
none of us eyer knew at what he was
laughing. He had grim smile in re-
proving pupils, and habit Of tapping
their heads with his knuckles as he
told them their heads would never be
worth the price of hats, or the charge
of q barber, though mammas and
aunts had that morning combed, KISS
cd, and blessed them in pious wonder,
as if they were tecming with the subli-
NEST inventions and designs
The provost saw that Hugh Miller
and some other guests were listening
eagerly, and lie proceeded:
zone morning. Il few minutes before
| the school hour, when most of the put
pills had arrived, and--as rain was fall
inn-tley had gone into the school, Il
donkey, which had broken loose from
its tcthcr OH grassy spot pear, and
was entering the playground. Bill
| Hood and | was So far Oh our way, ana
| Bill, who was q stout and frollcSome
lad, the ringleader in many sports and
tricks, rushed to mount the animal,
and began to guide and force it into
the school. With desperate squirting,
the donkey was induced to carry its
rider over the threshold; and what q
reception both of them got from the
juvenile crowd! Bags of books was at
once fastened to the tail and around
the neck of the ass and so busy were
Bill and half dozen companions III
urging the brute to canter round the
school, and to ascend the short stair OF
the masters desk, that they did not
know how time was speeding, and be-
fore they could remove the stranger
Mr.. Carlyle appeared.
1--WE expected tremendous eXplo-
sion of wrath but he burst into roar
of laughter; such a roar, however, as,
instead of tempting us to join in it,
produced Il sudden and complete hush
and that roar was renewed again and
again when the ass, withdrawing its
fore feet from the first step of the desk
and turning round. took a pace or two
slowly towards the master as if to sa-
lutte him. 'That,' exclaimed Carlyle
is the wisest and best scholar in Kirk
caldy has yet sent me; he is fit to be
your MASTER He tapped the donkey
head as he vas wont to do ours, ana
said There's something here, far
more than in the skulls of any of his
brethren before me, though these
skulls are ratted in fond admiration by
papas and mammas, and though that
far grander headpiece meets with mer-.
ciless blows He then gave some hard
taps on Bill Hoods head, ard would
not allow him to dismount, but, for a
penalty, ordered him to ride up and
down the school for an hour, whilst
those boys who had been NEST active
in helping Bill to go through the farce
had to march in pairs before and be-
hind the perpleXed-looking ass. lie
did not require the other scholars to at
tend TO their several school lessons, but
silently permitted them to stand as
spectators of the grotesque procession.
Then he himself, seated within his
pulpit-lille desk, surveyed Bill and his
company with a strange mixture OF
mirth, scorn and fury. | have not for
some years thought of this scenc,"
continued the provost, "but it has now
come back to me freshly, and | re-
member that my old master had a
very strange laugh. I don't know
what has become of him, nor indeed
have / heard of him since left Kirk
ca!dy School,"
There is nothing more painfully i'll
dicarive OF the interior wrongness OF
our life than the inability everywhere
manifest to rest and be quiet. No life
Wal: ever healthy and strons in which
there was; not q central rest, and scnle-
| (, L., ri fra r..