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

in the English language. John Ruskin
says that his literary ambition
and his excellence as a writer, were
due in a large measure to the fact that
when a child he was made to memoir
ize accurately twenty-five or thirty
of the most beautiful chapters in the
New Testament, the Psalms. the Pro-
verbs and the Prophets. .(2) Each pu-
pill was taught absolute accuracy and
thoroughness, even in SO small a mat
ter as reciting one or two English SEN
fences. CD Each days work began
with a lesson in reverence; lack OF
which is possibly the chief defect in
modern life.
As a teacher of literature, Mr.
Horner knew nothing of modern
methods, but his own fondness for
good literature ana his instinct for
accuracy, simplicity and brev-
ity, made him an excellent Eng
lish teacher. He was a man of few
books, but these he mastered. His
favorites were Homer, Virgil, Shake
speare, Milton, Walter Scott, and the
Bible; all heroic books, immortal
books, books which one might almost
think a part of nature, like noun
tains, forests, streams and flowers. 1t
was a proof of Horner's greatness that
he loved these books and sought to
IIldhe Ills pupllS lONe lHeIII uISlSdu VI
the trashy, mushroom things that
spring up in a day and in a day are
forgotten.
Mr.. Horner was an excellent reader
and a fine declaimer, with deep, rich,
strong voice and full, clear distinct
utterance His powers of elocution,
Of orato1y end of debate were SO con-
spicuous that he occupied the fore
most position as a debater and an
lNnY h. % tD
University. On one occasion, during his
student life there. he was challenged to
a contest of eXtemporaneous Oratory
by a fellow student scarcely less gifted
than himself in intellect in literary
attainment in powerof invention and
in oratory Attended by the whole
University the two rivals sought the
lSalI of the Philanthropic Society where
for two hours they faced one another
in a contest of eXtemporaneous ora
tory. Rarely has the University fur
nished a finer spectacle. The audience
were the judges and they voted the
victory to Horner 1t is interesting to
note that u grandson OF these two
scholars and orators, James Homer
Winston, is the first Rhodes scholar
from North Carolina at the University
of oxford, England.
Mr.. Horner loved and admired in
tellect. MedlOcrlty was barely toler-
ated by him. while dizziness was ap-
horred, Gespised and spat upon. While
yeet a school boy, h himself had been
pronounced a genius by no less au-
thority than William J. Bingham. itls
intellect was so clear, active and
powerful that he seemed Incapable OF
approaching or even understanding
the difficulties experienced by dull
brains. His chief defect as teacher
was that he could not tolerate a fool
The dullest boys in each class Were
placed at the foot of the bench, a mis-
lcellaneous aggregation, sometimes
pitiful sometimes ludicrouS, uSuall9
invincible, impenetrable and impreg-
Inable in their dizziness and stupidity
Neither ridicule nor abuse was spared
when it came the turn of these un-
fortunates If there happened to be
among them a boy of large size anc
mature years, woe unto him. BY rid
icule. by abuse, by teasing, by taunt-
| ing, by mock compliments, the poor
victim was stirred up to frenzy o.
anger, or compress into an impene
trable lump of logged and sullen OBJ
stinacy, or crushed into pitiful hu
mility and despair. The smallest child
| in school was then called forward t
answer the question that the big dull