The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1894-04-06


up one, but one from the book. III
come to them pretty quick and would
Ike u know how to do them
"Er-perhaps you had better wait till
you get to them" said uncle ''It is
just as well not to cross a bridge"
just then the eyes Of Alan's mother an
peared over the top OF the paper and
looked straight into uncles. That gca-
tleman cleared his throat and sell,
hastily: "All right, my boy, all right;
lets have it,
Alan turned the leaves Of his arith-
metic and then read:
"a father LEFT his eldest son thres-sevenths
Of his estate his youngest son fours vgnths Of
the remainder oad his daughtartho remainder,
who received sl7s3S less than the youngest
son what was the value OF the estaef"
'Please read that over again." said
uncle, nervously. Alan did so.
''Wen, the first thing to do" said
uncle, '.is 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:
''0h. yes, see Please get me some
paper and pencil you might get sew
eral sheets Of paper SO we viii be sure
70 have enough While Alan was get
ting the paper uncle said "You don't
mind ny LIGHTING a pipe, 90 you, Mary?
| can always work better when I'm
smoking. It's habit | acquired in
college. II seems to brighten my rea-
soning faculties"
mot at ALL" sweetly said the lady
+ addressed. II believe the reasoning
faculties should be as bright as possi-
ble"
Uncle did not say any thing in reply;
in fact, it was some time before he ut
tered a word. Then he looked up from
sheet Of paper crowded with
figures and said, hnpatiently:
"There never was an estate in
the world divided in such an idi-
otic fashion. A man who would make
such win would be declared insane in
any court on earth, and the will would
be broken"
Perhaps that is pure mathematics, I"
/ suggested a voice behind tl9 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
/ tbo4 woe ,Ao,.l,r ooxror~s1 l,o e.,s,f.
There! there's your answer &l,9240-77,
and pretty small estate that IS to put
into an arithmetic"
'Why, uncle, said Alan, ''I don't see
how that can be- for the daughter got
! S1.T23Ss"
''What kind of an arithmetic is this,
any way?" growled uncle. ''It's an ont
rage to make such books. When I was
boy we had sensible school books
and"
THAT is your old arithmetic Robert, I"
said the lady behind the pansr when
found they were using TINT kind,
told Alan he might as well take yours as
to buy a new one.'
r'~~'N ~ DOWN from his choir
,an1ed slowly around the table,
climbed up again.
''ls that TO change your luck, unele?"
asked Alan. They say it win do it."
Mary" said uncle, indignantly,
'you ought not to let Alan get such
vulgar supcrstitions into his head.
Mathematics, sir, are not to be con-
quered by luck"
Fresh sheets paperwerc taken anda
maze Figures grew under unclc'shand.
( Around the edge of der paper Aan's
mother saw experiments in proportion,
allegation, arithmetical progression,
and here and there a dash OF algebra.
The domain of mathematics was ram
sacked from center to circumference,
and victory came at last. "Ihat
estate, said uncle, impraesively, twas
worth eactly S2,1l1 1889, and he said
it in the tone Of man ready to fght If
his word was disputed
81 presume that is right" said Alan,
''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:
IF 20 men In 81 days, by working 10 hours q
day. can dig trench 80 feet long, J5fect wilc,
and IL feet deep, when the ground IS called 3
degrees Of hardness how many mon in - days,
by working 8 hours o day, can dig another
trench 45 feet long 10 feet wide, and IL feet
deep, when the ground is estimated at degrees
of hardnessi
AS step by step the features of this
problem were presented TO uncle, that
gentlemen slipped frather down intohis
chair. When the voice OF the reader
stopped, he looked like nothing IN the
world SO much as Grandfather small
weed il that amiable old person could
be imagined as deprived Of even the
/ presence of the "Brilnftonc Cat!a The
eyes of Alan's motheF appeared over
the paper and the abjeet appeal they
saw in uncle's eyes could not be re-
sisted.
! "Alan," she said, st is your bedtime.
Uncle is tired"
/ Alan gathered up his books. kissed
his mother, bade the 6gurc in the chair