New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-12-28
CARLYLE AS 4 TUTOR.
AN AMUSING ANECDOTG OF THE
GREAT AND GLOOMY MAN.

AN AMUSING ANECDoTE OF THE
GREAT AND GLOOMY MAN.
He Had a FroNn That Terrified and
q Laugh That Startled His Pupils.
The Day the Donkey Came to school
Against His VIII. - > 81 -. =.
A writer in The Scotsman has un-
earthed an amusing anecdote of Thomas
Carlyle as a country "dominie, - for
the accuracy of which he vouches: It
was told in 1858 by Cupar Fife law
yer and provost who had been one Of
Carlyle's pupils at Kirkcaldy, to the
writer and Hugh Miller. The interest
Of this gentleman's "reminiscences of
his schoolmaster was heightened by his
utter Inconsistencies that his old do
mimic was the Thomas Carlyle who was
then beginning to he known to fame.
The old gentleman described the older
race of Scottish schoolmasters as always
during school hours wearing their hats
at least keeping their heads covered
and many Of the boys, viewing the Pc
culiar angle at which the hat stood up
on the head and how near it came to the
eyebrows, could conjecture if the saw
age mood were to be that day predomi-
uant
But my teacher said the provost,
"a strict and gloomy disciplinarian
with the name of Carlyle, never wore
his hat in the school, and indeed his
brow was so overhung with dark threat
ening that no extra expression to alarm
US was needed from his lum hat! He
did not thrash US either very often or
very severely, but we had fear that,
if provoked, he would go great lengths
scowl hush at once the whole school,"
Hugh Miller here interposed by ask.
ing, Ibid your teacher ever burst into
a strange laugh in SCHOOL,"
"That is very odd question: re-
turned the provost. "Why do you ask?
But now that l remember, he had at
times a very extraordinary laugh that
made US ali stare. It had train of
queer chuckling which exploded in a
succession Of loud and deep outlaws that
shook his whole body and displayed all
his teeth like the keys of piano. He
then c]apped his hands on the book he
| held against his knees. Yet none Of US
new: knew at what he was laughing.
He had grim smile in reproving pupils
and habit Of tapping their heads with
his knuckles as he told them that the
heads would never be worth the price
Of hats or the charge of a barber, though
mammas and aunts had that morning
combed, kissed and blessed them, as il
they were teeming with the sublimest
inventions and designsv'
The provost saw that Hugh Miller
and some other guests were listening
eagerly, and he proceeded:
lone morning, few minutes before
the school hour, when most of the pu
pills had arrived, and, as rain was fall
ing they had gone into the school, q
donkey, which had broken loose from
it's tether Oh grassy spot near, was en-
tering the playground. Bill Hood and
were so far on our way, and Bill. whe
was a stout and frolicsome lad-tht
ringleader in many sports and tricks
rushed to mount the animal and began
to guide and force it into the school.
"With desperate squirting the donke.
was induced to carry it's rider over tn
threshhold, and what reception boil
Of them got from the juvenile crowds
Bags of books were at once fastened t.
the tail and around the neck of the ass
and SO busy vera Bill and half doze1
companions in urging the animal to
canter around the school and to ascen'
the short stair of the masters desk tina
they did not notice how time was speed
ing, and before they could remove tn
stranger Mr.. Carlyle appeared.
1--WE expected a tremendous explosion
of wrath, but he burst into roar o
laughter-such roar, however. as, in
stead Of tempting US to join in it, pro
duced a sudden and complete hush, an
that roar was renewed again and agai
when the ass, withdrawing its forefee
from the first step of the desk stair an
turning round, took pace or two slow
ly toward the master as if to salute him
" That exclaimed Carlyle, is tn
wisest and best scholar Kirkcaldy ha
yet sent me. He is fit to be your teach
Err He tapped the donkey's head as b
was won't to do ours aud said, There
something here far more than in TIA
skulls Of any of his brethren before me
though these skulls are patted in fOn
admiration by papas and mammas, an
though that far grander headpiece meet
only with merciless blows >
He then gave some hard taps O
Bill Hoods head, and would not allo,
him to dislnount, but for penalty Of
dered him to ride up and down til
school for al hour, while those boy
who had been most active in helpln
I Bill to go through the farce had I
/ march in pairs before and behind tt
I TeTp!e2et looking ass He did not Y,
| quire the other scholars to attend
| their several school lessons, Eut silentl
| Permitted them to stand as spectato,