Year: 1861

Legislature. Of course that could moi


be my Luke--it could not be the one


upon whom | had put the FOOLS cap


Not must be another of the same


name.


Time passed on, and by and by l read


in the papers that Luke Weston had been


elected President of the Senate Of my


native State, and that he was now a pow.
erful leader of powerful party. OF
course this was not the same Luke Of


whom / had before read but it could not


be the same Luke who bad worn my
FOOLS cap. OF course not.


And still time passed on, and finally |
read that Luke Weston had been elected
TO the Senate of the United States and
that he was honored by all who knew
him.


in another year visited the home Of
my youth; and one of my first inquiries
was Of Luke Weston. He was a United
States Senator. So it was my Luke af-
ter all.


And where was James Shute? He
was book-keeper in bank, and was
accounted very correct and faithful
clerk. He had been there twelve years,
and would proba bly, remain there, as he
liked the place, and had no particular am
bition or qualifications above it.


And now, with the silver touch of many
years on my brow, l sit alone in my study
and reflect on the past. see many, many
children who have been under my charge,
now grown up to be men and women;
and see many Of those | had thought
excessively stupid, occupying places Of
honor and trust, while many | had tho't
wonderful in learning, are plodding along
in the Ordidary pursuits of life, the lessons
of the old school books all forgotten, and
the one idea of FOOD and clothing occupy
ing their whole attention.


And think, if l could teach school
again, how different would be my course ;.
for from my review of the years gone by,
| have learned some things of which
was ignorant when l first assumed the
rod and staff of the pedagogue.


Different children have different ca
pacities, Many a quick witted, sharp
minded boy has borne away the prize of
scholarship who has not studied half SO
hard as the poor fellow who goes weep
ing to his home because he gained no
medal. All minds do not grow alike.
Some intellects are precocous, and ger
inmate and 60 to seed very early. Such
ones are apt to be the delight Of the ped
agogue. And yet, as | call to mind those
Of like character that have come under
my care, find that they have not been
very prolific hearers of mental fruit.


Other intellects are slower in growth. /.
They generally belong to bodies that are
growing fast and strong. They compre-
hend slowly at first, but surely; and are
firm and uncompromising, and are apt to
be rather skeptical upon subjects which
oppose their intuitions. Such are sure to
meet with little charity at the hands of a
pedagogue and yet as ! call to mind
those Of this latter character which have
come within my care, find them to have
grown stronger as they have grown older,
and to have been prolific bearers of no.
BILE fruit From this source we derive
our minds, and, also, most Of our intel
lectual giants.


Teachers, seek to understand the ca
pacttieS of your scholars before you be-
gin to force the mental food upon them.
If you seek to fill them with learning as
you would fill barrels with water, you
may make some great mistakes. Ten
chances to one that you may put the fools
cap on the broad brow of Daniel Web
ster-that you may give the position of
a Ounce to a Christopher Columbus
while you may set another Bill Shake
spear over among the girls because he
looked that way when he ought to have
been studying.


SHORT SoLDIERs.-Mr,W Willis writes |
T. --- UlI.--..ll - IL H.. T,..-..J