Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2641, 4 August 1871, Page 3

WHAT THEY TEACH IN A 1 COUNTRY SCHOOL. Thackery, in one of his entertaining works, tells how, when he visited Dublin, lie was greatly struck with the educational state of that city, as evinced hy the thousand a d one advertisements that appeared in the papers of the day calling attention to the various academics and places of Darning there. The prominent feature of each of those advert Dements was, that a largo number (incredibly great in the eyes of Thackery) of the pupil.-, attending each school t.,ok prizes. Not believing that it was possible for every boy "\yho was said to have taken a prize to have deserved it, the author of “ Vanity Fair” never inspected these schools ; and it was for the same reason that a recent visit't to Naseby visited the local schools. I fere is his account of what he saw and lu-ard I asked one of the boys the fo'lowing questions I*What is grammar?” “I do not know, sir.” “ How many parts of speech are there?” “Eight, sir.” “Can you name them ? ” After a long time he reckoned seven in a very disorderly manner, leaving out, as I thought, one of the principal parts, and that is the noun. “Do you know any part of speech called a noun?” “Oh, by-thc-bye, yes sir.” “ What is a noun ?” A noun is the name of a person or place, as John. I .on don.” “How many classes of nouns are there?” “Idonotknow, sir.” “Doyou knowa proper noun from a common noun ?” “ No, sir ; but nouns have g nder, number, and case.” “What D number?” “L do not know, sir.” “What is case?” “I do not know, sir.” But here the young fellow bethought of himself—“ 1 can tell yon now, air, what gender is—it is the distinction of gex.” “ What is the meaning of the word sex?” “I can’t think of it now, sir.” “ What is an adjective ?” “1 do not ki.ow, air.” “ What is a verb ?” “1 knew that some time ago —I forget it now ?” Here the young lad broke away from this subject, by calling my attention to a prize for geography took in geography ?” “No ; where is it?” “ Here it is.” Well, I thought, surely lie is a little better versed in this subject than in the latter, for it, is usual with most scholars to have a favorite subject, and I thought, perhaps, this was geography with my young friend. So I asked him what branch in geography he was examined in. Here he lo ked at me rather serious: “Branch ! branch! branch! I never heard a question like that.” “Do you not know that geography may be divided into three branches-—namely, mathematical, physical, and political ? ” “No ; I never heard teat before.” “ What is geography?” “A ('esc iption of the earth.” “What shape or form has the earth?” “I don’t know, sir,” “What is a continent ? ” Here he shook his head— X know tint, and I can’t think of it.” How many oceans are there?” “Three, sir.” “What ocean surrounds the North Pole?” “ The Pacific, sir.” “What ocean lies between Europe and America?” “I don’t know, sir; but I can tell you the name of the largest river in Europe.” “What is the name of the largest river in Europe ? ” “The Mediterranean, sir.” Here 1 could not help thinking that my young friend deserved the latter prize as badly as the former; and I believe be understood so too, because he turned at me rather sharp by saying—“ You have a very curious way of examining, sir. That is not the way I was examined at all. ” “Well, shallfyou toll me how you were examined ?” “ 1 read a sentence from my grammar and one from my geography, and the men said 1 did it very well.” “Then they ought to have given you a prize for reading.” “Oh ! that would never do. I was very glad to get what I pot.” I thought so tOOi “Pid you hear,