DISCOURAGING WILLIAM HENRY.
A teacher in a country school was very much annoyed the first day by the would be smart performances of an over-grown boy of about 15. Wild expostulations proving of no avail, the indignant teacner amazed the obstreperous pupil greatly by treating him to a most thorough and deserved thrashing, after which he was sent home to reflect on the error of his ways. A half-hour later he reappeared in company with his mother, an angular, wiry female, evidently pertubed in spirit. •« William Henry says you licked him," she said abruptly " Yes," repliod the teacher coolly. He annoyed me beyond endurance and 1 punished him for it." " Well, you hadn't ort o' done it," said the woman. "Why notP" " Cause it's apt to have a discouragin' effect on 'im." " How so ?" " Well, ain't you found out thai he's the smartest boy in this here school ? He's clever to compound fractions in his 'rithmetic and there am t another boy ferder along than division. '
'•What of that P" « U »u kin f °, ut - 8 P ell a'T boy in this school." " What if he cub p" "He kin beat any 8 f 'em readin' and he kin My the multiplication table bask'ards as easy a* for ards. And he kin bound airy State in the American Union an' tell its capital an' rivers. " Indeed!" " Yes sir; an' I'd like to know if that don't give him some privileges the others ain't no right to expect P It's discouragin' to William Henry to b.j mauled round same as if he was au A B O scholar or ore o* the First Reader class. It tuk him down awfully to git licked like a common mental 'rithmetic or first part o joggerfey boy. Ain't his larnin'goin'to give him no privileges here ?" "He cannot be impudent and disobey the rules of the school under any circumstances. ' An he's got to be as common as anybody, eh P" " He must behave as other boys do." " Well, it don't seem fair, an' it's mighty discouragin' for 'im. He might as well not go in for an edgucati'm if that's all the good it'll do 'im. It is an awful set-back for 'im smart as he is. I'm feared he won't have no heart to tackle partial payments an* grammar if he's gut to be licked as common as anybody." '
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Bibliographic details
Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1587, 29 April 1887, Page 4
Word Count
396DISCOURAGING WILLIAM HENRY. Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1587, 29 April 1887, Page 4
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