The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-03-13

p..rsd over The top Of the paper and
looked STRAIGHT into mcle's. That gen
tIcraan cleared his throat and sal
hastily: ~All right, my boy, all right
let's have H."
Alan turned the leaves Of his arith-
metic and then read:
r. father lott E.s eldest son three eFea'hs
ofHa estate. l.~ youngest son fouE seF'n'hs ''
The rn-l.s D -er aud hi- daughter tia rel4'-- r
who s--c.g.H -L1sIF1 less than thc youngest
saa. EAat was rr- value % the "sta. ef-
PLEASE read that over again. said
uncie uervou,ly. Alan did so.
.-WeH. the first thing 70 do said
uncle. is 10 find out what is the value
OF the estate"
That's the last thing i'm the book
~Eha am afraid / did not under
stand the example. Nou should learn 10
read more plainly, young sir"
Alan read the example again and
uncle said:
..0h. yes. ! see. Please get me Some
paper and q pencil; You might get sev-
cral sheets Of paper so we viii be sure
% have enough While Alan was get
ting the paper uncle said: 'Nou don't
mind my lighting pipe. do you Mary
! can always work better when I'm
smoking. Its a habit ] acquired in
college. i seems 10 brighten my rea-
soning faculties"
Not AT all sweetly said the lady
addressed Y believe the reasoning
faculties should be as bright as posi-
BILE"
Uncle did not say any thing in reply;
in fact. il was some time before he Mt
tered word. Then ne looked up from
a sheet Of paper crowded with
figures and said, impatiently:
There never was an estate IN
the world divided in such idi-
cite fashion. 4 man who would make
such a VIII would be declared insane in
any court on earth. and the viii would
be broken
Perhaps that is pure mathematics,
suggested a voice behind the paper
Uncle broke his pencil point in some
way Just then, and when Alan sharp
cncd IL he cot mp on his knees IN the
chair. with his feet tucked under him,
and took a fresh sheet Of paper Whom
that was nearly covered he said:
There, there's your answer, 81, ,32i g.,
and pretty small estate that is % put
into an arithmetic
"Iyhv. uncle" said Alan, u don't see
how that can be, Tor the daughter got
Sl.T23 s.
what kind Of an arithmetic is this,
any way?" growied uncle. ''It'a an out
ra-c % make such books When ] was
boy we had sensible school books
and"
THAT Is your old Erithmctic, Robert, -
said the lady behind thc paper. when
I found they were using that kind, /
told Alan he might as wcN take yours as
TO buy q new one"
Uncle pot down from his chair.
walked slowly around the table,
climbed up again.
is that To change your lucls. unclc@'
asked Alan. .'Tlsv say r. win ID It,"
Mar said uncle. Indignantly.
You ought not 10 let Alan g.t such
vulgar super-titiOus into .his head.
Mathematics. sir. u-c not 10 be con
quo.ed hy luck
Fresh sheets Of paper were taken and a
maze Offgures grew under uucle's hand.
Around the edge Of hcr paper Alan
mother saw experiments in proportion.
allegation, arithmetical progression,
and here and there a dash Of Algebra.
The domain Of mathematics was ran
sacked from center 70 circumference,
and victory came At last. THAT
estate" said uncle. iupre6sivclv. was
worth eaCtiv S2-lIi lS-S2," and hc said
II in the tone OF "a man ready 20 fight if
his word was disputed
Il presume that is right" said Aim.
Any way, that is the answer in the
book Now here is an easy one-at
least, our teacher says it is easy" and
he read:
II % men in q days, by working 70 lo--rs q
day. can dig trench 50 feet long, 70 feet wide.
and y feet deep. when the ground IS called
crcrccs Of hardness how many men l- .I,-rrs.
by working hours day, can dig another
trench - feet long, l6 feet wide. and u feet
deep, when the ground IS estimated IL degrees
OF hardngssT'
As step by step the features of this
problem Were presented to uncle. that
gentleman slipped further down into his
chair. When the voice Of the reader
stopped, he looked like nothing in the
world so much as Grandfather Small
weed, if that amiable old person could
be imagined as deprived Of even the
presence Of the ''Brimstone Catr' Tho
eyes Of Alan's mother appeared over
the paper and the abject appeal they
saw in uncle's eyes could not be re-
sisted
ALAN" she said, 1T IS your bedtime.
Uncle is tired
Alan gathered mp his books. kissed
his mother, bade the figure in the chair
goodnight. and said chcerfully: Wen
try pure mathematics next time, uncle"
N. Y Sun