Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-05
THE OUNCE.

1t was many years ago that I COM
menced keeping school. l had graduated
at an academy and was pretty well posted,
and when the committee came to examine
me could see that they were very forci-
bly, impressed by the ease with which 1
answered all their questions
When 1 commenced my first school (and
governed me for long time afterward) 1
looked upon the children before me as so
fill with learning. l knew what was writ
ten in the books, and was to teach it to
the children before me. / had learned it
all, and 1 believed that they could. At
least, if they did not, 1 meant that it
should be 10 fault Of mine.
In my first class in arithmetic were two
boys whom l have selected to figure in this
sketch. have taken them because their
subsequent career affords striking exam
pie of the facts wish to present. shall
not give you their real names, for they are
both living and are worthy men. shall
tell you that they were Luke Weston and
James Shute. Luke was rather heavily
built, with large, full head, a ford,
chubby face, dark brown hair and inclined
to be slow and dreamy when called upon
to work with his mind.
James Shute, on the other hand, was
light of frame, with a small compact
head, hair of haxen hue, light blue eyes
and possessed an organization highly nerv-
GUS and sensitive. He cared but little for
the rough sports out of doors, seeming
rather to prefer his books and perfect him
self in his lessons
Luke and 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 little the older. In
a very short time l discovered that Luke
Weston did not learn his lessons we'll. He
blundered in his arithmetic and stumbled
lamely over his spelling lessons.
James Shute became my favorite scholar.
He worked over his slate with an assiduity
which was untiring, and felt a pride in
exhibiting his powers to my visitors.
Upon the blackboard he could perform
wonders for one so young.
With Luke Weston 1 was sorely per-
plexed. He did not get his lessons well Mt
all. When he came to compound fractions,
he could do nothing with them. Left to
himself, with his own time and method,
he could worry the sums out, but he was
behindhand in his recitations and always
Numbered upon the blackboard.
Luke" said I as stopped him one
night after school, why is it that you do
not get your lessonsP"
He said he didn't know.
Don't tell me-" 1 cried, that you
don't know. You don't study-that's the
reason. See how James Shute gets his les
sons. You are older than he is"
Luke said he could not get such long
1essons-he could not remember them. He
had tried hard enough to do the puzzling
sums and to spell the long words, but he
could not do it,
I told him it was all nonsense. He
could do it if he had a mind to do. He
did not try. He was more fond of play
than of study. In short, 1 talked very Sc
verely to him and assured him that if he
did not have his lessons perfectly on the
following day 1 should punish him. He
went away with his head bowed, and,
thought, in sulky mood.
The following day came, and with it
came the first class in arithmetic. James
Shute could do every sum. Luke Weston
had not done half of them. When the
class came up to spell, James spelled all
the words and gave the definitions prompt
ly, but Luke could not remember them.
So l told Luke Weston that must pun
ish him, and l stood him out on the floor,
and 1 made great FOOLS cap and put it
upon his head, and there he stood until
the school was done. He did not cry, nor
did he look particularly ashamed, but he
nO11nuracea1 hic line and 1ppl-pH 11rrlyr
When l relieved him Of the FOOLS cap at
the close Of the school, told him 1 hoped
he would get his lessons better the next
time. He made me no reply, but left the
room with a quick, stern step.
On the following day Luke did not come
to school, and on the day after that I'M
derstood that he had gone to learn the
shoemaker's trade. l made some little in
quiry and found that he had declared that
he would go to school to me no more, if
he had to run away, and as his parents
were poor they had allowed him to go at
work in a neighbours shop.
In time 1 finished my school, and James
Shute bore off the palm of scholarship.
During the vacation l visited neigh
boring state and found employment there.
Then went south and finally became en-
gagged as teacher of mathematics in school
in New Orleans. The years slipped by, and
still remained in my new home. One day
received paper from my native state,
and saw mention made of one Luke
Weston as being the leader of a strong
faction in the legislature. OF course that
could not be my Luke-it could not be the
one upon whom had put the FOOLS cap.