The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-01
MUTUAL sCmooL MASTERS.
How Two Poor ItDys, who Were
Broticrs. LcnEncd Latin.
BY RICHARD HAIdOLM JOHNSTON

NCopyr1ght, 1886, by Richard Malcolm
Jchnstbn)
among my acquaintapces at the Bar
many years back was ofie who, not long
after middle age having attained con-
siderable fame and satisfactory fortune,
had retired from practice. and settled
upon u farm few miles out of the
county seat
One day, while he and l were together
In my office. he gave Inc q bit OF his own
experience that interested me consider
ably. j will put II down (as near as
can recalD in his own words.
we had been conyersing about Diff
nculties often attendant upon the be-
ginnings of young professional men. TO
some remark OF mine he answered rather
abruptly:
Now. now! People may talk and talk
about opportunities which they think
they ought to have had, and what great
things they might have done if these
had not been unjustly withheld from
them. In country like this almost
any young man can find as much OF OPP
portunity as he needs to start with. I'll
| tell you something, If you listen, about
ME and my brother Dave.
I'VE agreed that we'd have an cduca-
| ton better than could be got at the
ncighborhood country school. beyond
which our parents means could not al
low us to so. Dave was then lG years
old and IA. We got the notion some
| how thah TO BE- ripe scholars we must
know Latin, with which our late teacher
mad no acquaintance.
"One day. after we had been for some
time specializing upon the subject Dave
said: Dan. my sakcs Why can't we
teach ourselves. You me. and you? |
| believe we can do it If well begin right
| study hard, make good rules and stick
| to en-. Now you may not believe IL;
but that very notion had been gradually
forming in my mind.
$50 with our own little moneys we
| bought one Adams Latin grammar and
one Rhetoric Sacrae. and inwha; holt
| days we got from work on the farm we
| Kept school and went To school in a fGd-
| der house, just behind the horse lot AT
| the other school during the seasons faith
| er could afford 10 send us. VIC had pick
ed up n good deal in arithmetic and Eng
lish grammar, and 1t surprised ana dc
| lighted us, that, principles Of syntaX
being much alike in both. we found our
| task less difficult than we had appre-
| hcndct!
| When mother found what we were
doing, for we had not told her until
fairly startedD. she besouEht father to
increase our holidays. At first he re-
fused, saving it was mere nonsense
| Dawes and my attempting to teach each
other what neither of us knew one sin
gle blessed thing about Yet. yielding
| To her affectionhtc persistence he as
scented. saying that although the work
! 60 the farm always the casr) was press,
ing lie would give us. besides Saturday.
| that we'd bcenhaving, Tuesday and half
Of Thursday. That Is. for Il while. 10 see
| If anything was to come of It. If NOT
the thing had to- stop. ut least so far as
extra. holidays were concerned
I'VE agreed, Dave and T. that the dis
cipline was to be as strict as that i'm
other schools, which you and | know
WIS altogether of another sort from the
lax. persuasive. cajulinE in these days
We We're to give and take genuine good
long lessons, and then get them If we
didn't we We're TO keep and he kept in
nj dinner hour and evening, and make
and be made 10 get them over again
not emitting advancing tasks. and say
and be made 10 say them to final entire
satisfaction"
We'll" ! said during pause In the
history, such as that must have beer
| rather q tough trial upon brotherly at
| lection. IL you and Dave had very much
of that article. Didn't YOU quarrel
sometimes"
NO more than is common between
| brothers of nigh the same age. and not
as much as we did before we set up Our
joint concern. The solemn understand
ing was that neither should rebel or
| complain In words against the other
while in relation of pupil to master. We
did what was more ertectual than quar-.
rening. Guess what that was?"
II give 1t up
| why sir, we fought"
Fought ] exclaimed Then lean
ed my head upon the table between us,
as II | would very much like to faint.
| Yes. sir" laughing with delight. he
| replied That is. each master whip-
| ped whenever such stimulus he judged
| To be proper and necessary. No tap
ping. either. Dave kept his hickory and
| KEPT mine nos less sound and season
ed He laid on and ! laid on according
| TO judgment ON the merits. I should
| rather say dement's Of individual cases.
| Occasionally we had 10 rub our should
crs and legs from the rigOr of inflicticn
| Hut we didn't break our rule, even by
| diSreSp""tful demonstration. OF course
such as that occurred seldom and only
during The first weeks of the session,
The interest impaired in the work,
| soon made that sort Of discipline seem
| unnecC Es2ry. In three months time we
| got through Hist ric Sacrae. pausing
as we went you know the Bible helped
| lis out niea:ily with that. and before
| the year was out We're reading easily
in Caesars commentaries and beginning
| 10 tackle Cicero on Catiline. I'm
| through"
That is remarkable history" I cx-
claimed with heartiest emphasis. What
| became of your brother?"
He studied medicine and is, and for
| years has been considered. one of the
| best physicians in the town where he
! irst settled. Oh, no; there's nothin.,
War ,.1s1 lNt 10