Year: 1876

"Have You any idea of putting that
by to school, Mr.. Easya" asked DIR.
Middleton of eccentric old Nicodemus
Easy, the father of Jack Easy.


Mr.. Easy crossed his legs, and clasped
his hands together over his knees, as
ho always did when he was about to
commence an argument.


"rhe great objection that have of
sending boy to school, DR.. Middleton,
is, that conceive that the discipline en-
forced is not only contrary to the rights
of man, but also in opposition to all
sound sense and common Judgment.
Not content with punishment, which is
in itself erroneous, and an infringement
of social Justice, they even degrade the
minis of the boys still more by apply.
ing punishment to the most degraded
part, adding contumely to tyranny. OF
course, it is intended that boy who is
sent to school should gain by precept
and example ; but is he to learn benevo-
lencs by The angry look and the flourish
Of the vindictive birch-or .forbearence
by the cruelty of the ushers-or patience,
when the masters over him are out Of
all patience-of modesty, when his
neither parts are exposed to general ex-
animation? is he not daily reading a
lesson at variance with that equality
which we oil possess, but of which We
are unjustly deprived Why should
there be a distinction between the
hogger and fioggee9 Are they not both
fashioned alike after Gods image, en-
dowed with the same reason, having an
eoual right to what the world offers, and
which was intended by Providence to be
equally distributed Is it not that the
sacred inheritance of all, which has
tyrannously and impiously been ravished
from the many for the benefit of the few,
and which ravishment, from long Gus
tom of iniquity and inculcation of false
precepts, has too long been basely sub
nitted to2 Is it not the duty of father
to preserve his only son from imbibing
these dangerous and debasing errors,
which will render him only one of the
vile herd who are content to suffer, pro
vided that they live9 And yet are not
these very errors inculcated at school,
and impressed upon their minds inverse
" by the birch? Do not they receive
their first lesson in slavery with the first
lesson in A B G; and are not their
minds thereby prostrated, so as never to
rise again, but ever to bow to despotism,
to cringe to rank, to think and act by
the precepts of others, and to tacitly
disavow that sacred equality which is
our birthright2 No, sir, without they
can teach without resorting to such a
fundamental error as fogging, my boy
shall never go to school"


And Mr.. Easy threw himself back in
his chair, imagining, like all philoso-
piers, that he had said something very
clever.


DIR. Middleton knew his man, and
therefore patiently waited until he had
exhausted his oratory.


81 will grant," said the doctor, at last,
"that all yon say may have great truth
in it but, Mr.. Easy, do you not think
that by not permitting boy to be edu-
Gated, yCu allow him to remain open to
that very error of which you speak 1t
is only education which will conquer
prejudice, and enable man to break
through the trammels of custom. Now,
allowing that the birch is used, yet it is
a period when the young mind is SO
elastic as TO soon become Indifferent ;
and after he has attained the usual rudi-
ments of education, you will then find
him prepared to receive those lessons
which you can yourself instill."


"I will teach him everything myself,
replied Mr.. Easy, folding his arms con-
sequentially and determinedly.


Il do not doubt your capability, Mr..
E,sy; bat unfortunately you will always
have a diff ,u.ty which you never can gel
over. Excuse me, know what you are
capable of, and the boy would, indeed