The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

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lard had misses For such occasion
Mr. Horner kept on hand and i'm good
training a sufficient supply of infant
geniuses. The smallest one present was
called up, placed beside the dullard to
emphasze by contraSt4of' size and sense
the superiority of mind over mat
ter. Horner now repeated the ques-
ton to the infant genius, wording il
so skillfully as to carryits own an
swer Thus the pebble was fitted, the
sling was whirled and dull. Goliath fell
with a thud. ''Now, sir said Horner
aren't you ashamed sir: this little
fellow, sir! no higher than your knees.
sir! could swallow you whole, sir:
without greaSing your head, sir. or
even pinning back your ears, sir! Du-
ring the three and one-half years Of
my school days at Horner's my little
playmate. Skinner Lassiter, weak
and puny in body, but bright and
quick in mind, swallowed enough ddl-
lards to have satisfied the king of the
Cannibal Isles. AS a climax to this
humiliation the dull boy was usually
told that hereafter he might put a
block of wood or make a chalk mark
where he sat on the bench and that
his absence would not be noted. LOOK
ing back at such scenes L am amazed
that they were endured even posi-
sympathy was felt for such victims
even by their school mates The deglu-
tinated billiards were usually large
boys that made no progress in study
fingered in school from year to
year a nuisance and hindrance to
themselves, a laughing stock for the
school. But sometimes these affairs
involved boys of spirit who did not
tamely submit to be turnover rough
chr al
telIect. On one or two occasions l re-
member rough -and-tum fights over
the platform or floor, in which HOrner
and the boy Wrestled around IN
regular Donnybrooll Fair style, tum-
bling over and over each other on the
platform or floor They went at it
catch-as-catch-ca and nobody was
ever hurt Such physical encounters
were highly amusing to the boys of the
school. During their continuance,
which was only for few seconds, Mr..
HOrner lost entire control of himself
struggling violently, much like blind
man, and usually unable to overcome
his smaller antagonist. In few sec
onds, quick as IL flash, came, a sudden
revulsion, and the big giant fell into
a chair almost fainting, pale, trem-
bling and weak Returning reason had
paralyzed him with shame. These
outbursts of passion We're more ludi-
crous than dang erous,~. proceeding
from a quick ana inflammable temper
without one particle Of viciousness or
cruelty Mr.. HOTner treasured no
malice, nursed no grudges and lived
high above everything mean, picayune
and contemptibles. He was an intel
lectual race horse sweeping along at
full speed and carrying with him as
he ran the younger racers, full of the
same zeal as himself, all passing by
with contempt or even running over
the slower and less capable draught
horses, oxen and donkeys.
Horner was no teacher for dull boys,
but with bright boys, eager to learn
and striving for excellence, it may be
doubted if his superior ever lived. He
was the only teacher | have known
who could bring into the class room
and keep going day after day the
same spirit of rivalry, the same JOY
Of conflict that you see on the bail
ground or the race course. Boys of
talent and ambition, as they faced
him on the platform with their Gaze
sar or Anabasis, their geography or
! history. their arithmetic or geometry,
their English, Latin or Greek gram
mar were no less interested, intent,
alert anxious even excited, than they
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