A LESSON IN ARITHMETIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2134, 25 May 1889, Page 2

A LESSON IN ARITHMETIC.

Parents, ai a general thing, do not an* „. pteolate the troable teaohers bare m „ making ohildren learn and comprehend,, their lessons. Some boys are phenomenally, dull, and it requlrea muoh perseverance and skill to make them oomprehend avail' „ the simplest lessons. Colonel Verger, of Austin, Texas, has • son named Tommy, who is a little obtuse ln arithmetic, as will ba seen by the ioW lowing conversation j Tekoher : " Suppose, Tommy, yaa ham a atooklng on one foot and you pat another '. stooklng on the other foot, now many stooklngs will yon have V Tommy t "Pa don't let me wear no stooklngs m summer." "Supposp, theß, it was winter, and yon did wear stooklngs, how many would yon have? How maay did you wear last • winter?' 11 1 forgot. It's so long ago." " Well, how many feat hava yon got! 7 ' " Same as always." ' • I'll try something else, Suppose yonr father has one pig m a pen, and ha bnytf another pig and pots it ln the pan, too. how many pigs will he have 1" •' Dad don't keep no pigs," ' * Bat suppose ha did, how many would you have then V " I danno, but I'll aik him If yon as* so." * Tha teacher blew a heavy sigh from hta tired lips, wiped tho presplratlon from hla heavy brow, and then went at It again* ••Suppose, Tommy, you hava on a Jacket, and at Christmas yonr pa glvaa you another one, how many jaoketa will - yon have then ?" " I'll have to wait till next Christmas before I answer that. I didn't get no jtoket last Christmas." " Suppoes your mother gives yon one peaoh, and yon have one already, how many will yon have then ?" " I won't have none, 'oos I'll a*t '«m up." . The teacher was not a man to be dll • oouraged by trifles. He began to suiptet tbat Tommy waa beginning to losagroand la mathematlos, bnt he resolved to givi Tommy one more chance. " Tommy, If a poor little beggar boy hsi a oake, and you give him one mow. how many will he have 1" 11 1 don't nasd no beggar boy to eat my oake. I oan do that myself." "lommy, yon oan mn oat and play." — American paper.