Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-20
The OUNCE.

1t was uany years ago that
commenced keeping school. l haC
graduated at an academy and wa
pretty we'll posted, and when th'
committee cane to examine me ]
could see that they were very for
cIbIy impressed by the ease with
which l answered all their ques
tiOns.
When l commenced my frs
school (and the sane ideas whicl
governed me then governed Inc
for long time afterwArd,) looked
upon the children before NE as Sc
many lttleindividuals whom | haC
got to fiji with learning. l knew
what was write in the books, ant
was 10 teach it to the children
before me. l had learned it all
and | believed that they could
At last, if they did not, | meant
that it should be no fanlt OF
mine.
in my first class in arithmetic
were two boys who have select
ed to fgnre in this sketch. ! have
taken them because their subse
queut career affords a striking ex
ample of tie facts | wish topresent
l shall not give You .heir rea
names, for they are both living
aud are worthy men. | shall tel
you that they we're Luke Weston
and James Slute. Luke was ra b
er heavily built, with a large, full
head, ford, chubby face, dark
brow q halr and inclined to be slow
and dreamj when called upon lC
work with his mind.
james Slute, on the other haud
was llgit of frame, with small ,
compact head, hair OF AAxen hue,
light blde eyes aud pOss eSsed an
organization highly nervous and
sensitive. lie cared bat little tor
the rough sports out OF doors,
seeming rather TO prefer his books
and perfect hlmSe'f IN his lessor
lake an james were in the
same classes, in all the branches
which they studied together, and
the few months of difference in
their ages were In favor of the
former, he being a little The older.
In a very short time discovered
that Luke Wcston did not learn
his lessons we'll. He blundered In
his arithmetic AMI stumbled lame.
~ over his spelling lessons.
james Shnte became my flvorite
scholar. He worked oyer his slate
with an assid uty which WAS untlr-
ing, and | felt a pride in exhibit
ing his powers to my visitors. Up.
on the black boIrd ha cJald per
form wonders for one 50 young.
With Like Weston was sorely
perplexed. He did not get his les.
sons well at all. When he cIme
to compound fractions, he could
10 nothing with them. l. fl TO
himself, with bis own time and
method, be coald worry the sums
out, bat he was behiDdhand in lis
recitaiiOns ald always bluUdered
upon the blackboard.
-"Luke,' sail | A. | StOppe | him
one night after school, "why is l.:
that you do not get yolr less0nsi'
He sail he d,dn't know.
"Don'c tell mt," 1 cried, "that
you don't know. You dOa't study
that's the reason. See how James
Shute gets bIs lesson. YOU are
older than he Is"
Luke said he could not get such
long IeSSOns-he could not remem.
Der them. H. had tried hard
enough to 10 the puzzlIng Suns
aud to spell the long words, bat
he could no, d. it.
| told him it was all nonsense.
He could do it if he had a mind to
do. He did not try. h was )re
fOnd Of play than OF study. In
short, | talked very severely 10
him and a lsured him that If he did
not have his lessons perfectly on
tie following day l should punish
him. He went away with his head
bowed, and, | thought, in a sulky
mood
The folio wing day came, and
with it clme the frs class IN arith.
metic. Jlmes Shute conll do
every sun. Like Weston had not
lioue half Of them. When the class
came up to spell, James spelled
all the words and gave the
definitions promptly, but Luke
could not remember them.
Sol told LIKE Weston that l
must punish MIN, and | stood him
out on the floor, aud | made q
great fools cap and put it upon his
head, and there he stood until the
school was d)ne. He did not cry,