Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-06-12
Har-Tine Arithmetic.

In a secondhand book store the Otner
day a visitor bought for dime a little,
old, worn, and cas,away volume which in
the manner Of its forms and examples told
a simple and pathetic story Of the gloom
and sorrow which darkened even the in-
nocent lives of children at the South dur
ing the weary years of war. 1t was
copy of school arithmetic, one for be-
ginners, and was published at Raleigh, n.
/ c., in 1868, by Branson & Farrar. The
author was L. Johnson, professor of math'
ematics in Trinity College, who mOdestly
says in his preface
The great demand for books at this
time of an elementary character in the
Southern Conferacy has called forth this
little volume. Nothing new or original
has been attempted. The compass of the
work is such that it can be thoroughly
] learned by the youth Of either sex before
their presence at home or the demands of
their country debar the privilege Of at
tendance at school"
The spirit which then animated the
people of the South is manifest on every
page, and almost every example of this
little book. 1t is the spirit Of war. The
questions do not ask the youthful scholar
how many flowers it would take TO enable
him to give two to each Of his three COM
panions, nor how many peaches John and
Charley together would have if one had
four and the other three. There is no
puzzling inquiry as to how many lambs
Jennie would have If to her present nine
five others were added, or how many gin
ger cakes Walter would have left if he
divided his dozen equally with Susie.
None of such mild elements would do
for the times. The life of the South and
the impulses of lis people were hedged
about by war. Little wonder then that
the author of this arithmetic should dis
card the common things of life and use
for illustrating his examples the terrible,
actual elements involved in the mighty
combat whose thunders hoated from
bloody fields through the schoolhouse win
dows. How plainly and how wildly the
influences and forces then engaging the
men of the South are shown in the follow
inc examples from the little old ariIhme-
tic Of 1868;
Five soldiers are in one tent and ten
in another. How.many soldiers are there
in both p
Ninety soldiers are in one company
and twenty in another. How many SOL
diers are there in both p
"Twenty.eigbt men were sent out on
picket duty, four in company. How
many companies were there p
"a captain of cavalry paid 500 for a
horse and 500 more for a pistol. How
many dollars did both cost him 2"
"a company of 100 men went into an
engagement where fifty were killed. How
many were left p
"a Confederate soldier captured eight
Yankees each day for nine consecutive
days. How many did he capture in all?
Seven Confederate soldiers captured
twenty one Yankees aud divided them
equally between them. How many did
each one have?'
IF one Confederate soldier can whip
seven Yankees, how many soldiers can
whip forty.nine Yankees ?"
"If one Confederate soldier kills ninety
Yankees, how many Yankees can ten Con
lederaie soldiers kill 2
"If thirty-two soldiers eat S96 pounds
of beef iD week, how many pounds will
175 soldiers eat ia a week p
Uuoonsciously this little book tells an
other tale, and a sad one, about the cos
of living, then oppressiyely high in every
part of the South. The following ques
tons were likely not only to develop th'
mental acuteness Of southern children, bu
also to impress them with the fact that ih'
needful things Of life were limited in sup
ply and difficult to obtain
"At SO pound how much coffee caI
you buy for s4O?'
"If eleven quires Of paper cost S22
what Is the cost Of one quire p
If one busbel Of potatoes costs 81, hov
many can you buy for s48l"
How many hats can you buy for slO'
/ if one costs s12?'
The sum of slO5,OOO Is paid to al
army of $4,000 men. What does eacl
receivel'
If trader makes 40 cents pound or
every pound Of butter be sells, how mncl
will he make on eight pounds ?'-Ne'
York Herald.
George have been invited 10 a howe
party at the Pinkies. What under the sur