New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-26

and even tempered to 4 degree but icklc and
easily discouraged: even those of them with
more backbone than the average were at the
bid OF every call OF pleasure too impatient
of results from their work The heritage OF
even a go-ahead temperament is not without us
disadvantages. Is enlightened Americans VIII
readily admit.
One day a tall styishly dressed young per-
son came TO mo somebody j recommendation.
and not long IN letting me into the secret
that she had lcaning5 toward a career on Tn"
stage. She wished before entering a school Of
acting. 10 read portions Of the English drama
under my guidance with the view both OF max
ing some acquaintance with the literature or
the stage and of improving her pronunciation
She spoke with strong German accent, APP
peared to be very illiterate. but also very posi-
tive and SELF sufficient. took down the comedy
of She Stoops To CONQUER" to test her reading
aud expression. and when she had fioundered
through scene or two in an execrabe manner
she suddenly ask ID me to explain the meaning
Of the title. But my explanation fell fiat; the
two notions OF STOPPING and "conQuering'
were 50 incongruCus to her mind that she could
not bring them together in CONSEQUENCES. Slich
dense. yellow primrose literaness OF intellect
/ never met with in any human being before or
since.
Another time I vas visited by a robust-ook-
ing man in the prime Of life. who stated that
he A master plumber and that. being de-
iicient in his arithmetic. ne was finding it diff
cult TO keep track Of his bookkeeper's accounts
now that his business was increasing. A niue
fencing however. elected the pitiable admission
that ne was totally unable to read He could
read figures. add a little. and just write his own
name-a he had ever learned in his natlYr
country-the Green Isle. but though he nan
hitherto been successful in concealing his limi-
tations from the people about him. certain err
cumstanccs had recently given him the alarm
and he had made up his mind to try 10 mend
matters And what struggle was his. what
Lathos IN his cropping efforts to spell out his
way through the primer which his own lliti'
son had thrown aside two years before, But
night after night. summer and winter. be- Kept
u mp. until At last h. had his reward and hr
could look his little boy boldly IN the face. ana
had 40 NOR" fears Of his boOkl.ceper
Perhaps th' OLDEST pupil OF all was an OLD
man oyer seventy. a ldtiye of Alsar" VINO
wanted Co. learn geometry. because. after Nainly
trying tp satisfy his craving foi knONlrdg" by
dabblinE IN history and philosophy. ami even
modern science. h. had come 10 tn" conclusion
that the only truths which could satisfy "a
tional mind were the truths IF mathematics
Yet plradoxiral A l. may seem. but is not tins
arid minded DID fellow. who found even the bald
statements Of modern science too iDwery for
warden - boot. Alas h. turned out 10 be not
So sirpir-ruind,d as H. appeared. lie hai ms
adamantine crDtchets. which !. backed by F'u'Hq
with chapter and verse. was pOwerlesS 10 re
move lie ended his Jess, MS which mad grddu-
ally d.grnrrlt-d into ill-tcmpered alterations
with his TEA her by one dav breaking out INTO
A savage TRADE not against the equator but
against the proposition of the thrt+. squares
,F.u,llI T. - and / saw HIM no more. i was
his Waterloo.