Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-19

The day I began my studies Mt the
academy I saw him put two dents IN
the wall with the heels OF q young man
who had failed in his algebra. To a
bashful and sensitive youth just ont Of
n country home the sight Of such vlo-
lence was appalling. My first talk with
him, however, renewed my courage. He
had heard I was a good scholar and
talked with me In a friendly way about
my plans. Both Hope and I were under
him in algebra and Latin. I well re-.
member my first error in his class. I
had misconstrued n Latin sentence. He
looked Mt me, a smile md a sheer
crowding each other for possession Of
his face. In n loud, jecring tone ha
cried, "Mirabile dictu"
I looked ut him, in doubt Of his mean
ing.
"Mirabile dictu!" he shouted, his
tongue trilling the r.
I corrected my error.
Perfect" he cried again. "Puer pull
chre! Next"
He never went further than that with
me In the way of correction. My size
and my skill as a wrestler, that shortly
insured for me the respect of the boys,
helped me to win the esteem Of the
master. I learned my lessons and kept
out Of mischief. But others of eQua.
proficiency were not 80 fortunate. Ho
was apt to be hard OF a light man who
could be handled without overexertion.-
Uncle Eb came in to see me one day
and sat awhile with me in my seat,
While lie was there the master took q
boy by the collar and almost literally
wiped the blackboard with him. There
wns a great ~clatter Of heels for n mo-
ment. Uncle Eb went away shortly and
was Mt Sol Rollins when I came to din.
ner.
Powerful man. amt he?" said Uncle
Eb.
Rather" I said.
Turned that boy into n regular horse
fiddle" he remarked. Must ave unsot
his reason."
"Unnecessary". I said.
Reminded me o. the time at Tip
Taylor got his tooth pulled" said he.
"Shook i'm up so at he thought he'd
had his neck put out o tint"
Sol Rollin was one of my studies that
winter. He was n carpenter by trade.
and his oddities were new and delight
full. He whistled as he worked. he
whistled as he read, he whistled right
mcrrily as he walked up and down the
streets. a short, slight figure with 4
round boyish face and a fringe Of iron
gray hair under his chin. The little
man had n big passion-that for get
ting and saving. The ancient thrift Of
his race had plnched him small and
narrow as a foot Is stunted by a tight
shoe. His mind was a bit out of reg
lister, ms we say in the printing bust
ness. His vocabulary was rich and
vivid and stimulating.
Somebody broke into the arsenic TO-
day" he announced one evening at the
supper table.
THE arsenic.." said somebody. what
~arsenic?"
why the place where they keep the
powder" he answered.
"Oh. the arsenal"
Yes, the arsenal" he said, cacklin2
with laughter at his error. Then lie
grew serious.
stole all the ambition out Of it," he
added.
you mean ammunition. don't you,
Solomon his wife inquired.
Certainly" said he. Wasn't that
what I said?"
When he had said n thing that met
his own approval Sol ltollin would
cackle most cheerfully and then crack
n knuckle by twisting Il finger. His
laugh was mostly out of register also.
1t had a sad lack of relevancy, He
laughed on principle rather than provo
cation. Some sort of secret comedy of
which the world knew nothing was
passing in his mind. 1t seemed to
have its exits and its entrances. its vii.
lain. its clown and its miser who got
all the applause.
While working his JOY was uncon-
fined. Many a time I have sat and
watched him in his little shop, Its win