Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-02-05
IANNAH, TENNESSEE, THURSDAY, FEI

small hole ana saved all the buttons on
his waistcoat. ~
LET me give you an example, uncle
said Alan, thoughtfully, mot a made.
up one, but one from the book. I'll
come to them pretty quick and would
like to know how to do them"
"Er-perhaps you had better wait till
you get to them" said uncle, at Is
just as well not to cross bridge"
Just then the eyes of Alan's mother APP
peared over the top of the paper and
looked straight into uncle's, That gen.
tleman cleared his throat and said,
hastily; IAN right, my boy, all right;
let's have it,"
Alan turned the leaves of his arith.
mctic and then read;
"a father left his eldest son thrcc-sevenths
OF his estate, his youngest son four sevenths OF
the remainder, and his daughter the remainder
who received sl,793N less than the youngest
son; what was the value OF the estater
please read that over again" said
uncle, nervously Alan did so
well, the Grst thing TO do" said
uncle, lis to find out what is the value
of the estate"
That's the last thing in the book"
"Eh? am afraid did not under
stand the example. You should learn to
read more plainly, young sir"
Alan read the example again and
uncle said
"Oh, yes see, Please get me some
paper and a pencil; you might get sew
eral sheets of paper so we will be sure
to have enough " While Alan was get
ting the paper uncle said "You don't
mind my lighting pipe, do you, MaryP
can always work better when I'm
smoking It's habit ! acquired in
college. 1t seems TO brighten my rea-
soning faculties"
Not at ALL" sweetly said the lady
addressed ~ believe the reasoning
faculties should be as bright as posi-
! BILE"
Uncle did not say any thing in reply;
in fact, it was some time before he ut
tered word Then he looked up from
sheet of paper crowded with
figures and said, impatiently
There never was an estate in
the world divided in such an idi.
otto fashion A man who would make
such will would be declared insane in
any court on earth and the will would
/ be broken"
Perhaps that is pure mathematics,
suggested voice behind the paper
Uncle broke his pencil point in some
way just then, and when Alan sharp
ened it he got up on his knees in the
chair, with his feet tucked under him,
and took fresh sheet of paper When
that was nearly covered he said;
There. there's your answer; 81, 324 or,
and pretty small estate that is TO put
into an arithmetic"
"Why, uncle" said Alan. II don't see
how that can be, for the daughter go,
Sl,7235s,"
"What kind of an arithmetic is this
any way?" growled uncle. "It's an out
rage to make such books When wa.
boy we had sensible school books
and"
THAT is your old arithmetic, Robert,
said the lady behind the paper. "Wher
found they were using that kind,
told Alan he might as well take yours a.
to buy a new one"
Uncle got down from his chair
walked slowly around the table
climbed up again.
'Is that to change your luck, unclep
asked Alan They say it will do it,"
Mary" said uncle. Indignantly
you ought not to let Alan get sucl
vulgar superstitions into his head
Mathematics, sir, are not to be con
quered 10y luck"
Fresh sheets of paper were taken and
maze of figures grew under uncle's hand
Around the edge of her paper Alan
mother saw experiments in proportion
allegation, arithmetical progression
and here and there dash of algebra
The domain of mathematics was ran
sacked from center TO circumference
and victory came at last. "Tha
estate" said uncle, impressively, IVA
worth eactly S2,1l1 1882" and he sal
it in the tone of a man ready to fight
his word was disputed.
~ presume that is right" said Alan
ANY way, that is the answer in tn
book. Now here is an easy one-a
least, our teacher says it is easy" an
he read:
"If 20 men In 81 days, by working 10 hours
day, can dig trench 80 feet long, 10 feet wild,
and 12 feet deep, when the ground is called
degrees of hardness, how many men In 25 day.
by working hours a day, can dig anothc
trench 45 feet long, 10 feet wide, and IL fec
deep, when the ground is estimated at degree
Of hardnessr"
AS step by step the features of thi
problem were presented to uncle, tina
gentleman slipped further down into hi
chair When the voice of the reade
stopped, he looked like nothing in tn
world so much as Grandfather Small
weed, if that amiable old person coul
be imagined as deprived of even tn
presence of the birthstone Catw TIL
eyes of Alan's mother appeared owe
the paper and the abject appeal the
saw in uncle's eyes could not be r,
sisted.
"Alan," she said, ut is your bedtim,
Uncle is tired"
Alan gathered up his books, kisse
) his mother, babe the figure in the cha
goodnight, and said cheerfully: I'VE
try pure mathematics next time, uncle.
N. Y. Sun.
"Socicty" Disappearing.
! In this democratic nineteenth cen