back home-第4部分

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bstract。〃　　I　guess　I　know　they'd　get　the　answer　somehow；　it　didn't　matter　much　how。

In　the　country　they　ciphered　through　this　part；　and　handed　in　their　sums　to　Teacher；　who　said　she'd　take　'em　home　and　look　'em　over；　she　didn't　have　time　just　then。　　As　if　that　fooled　anybody！　She　had　a　key！　　And　when　you　had　done　the　very　last　one　on　the　very　last　page；　and　there　wasn't　anything　more　except　the　blank　pages；　where　you　had　written；　〃Joe　Geiger　loves　Molly　Meyers；　〃and；〃　If　my　name　you　wish　to　see；　look　on　page　103；〃　and　all　such　stuff；　then　you　turned　over　to　the　beginning；　where　it　says；　〃Arithmetic　is　the　science　of　numbers；　and　the　art　of　computing　by　them；〃　and　once　more　considered；　〃Ann　had　four　apples　and　her　brother　gave　her　two　more。　　How　many　did　she　then　have？〃　　There　were　the　four　apples　in　a　row；　and　the　two　apples；　and　you　that　had　worried　over　meadows　so　long　and　so　wide；　and　men　mowing　them　in　so　many　days　and　a　half；　had　to　think　how　many　apples　Ann　really　did　have。　　Some　of　the　fellows　with　forked　hairs　on　their　chins　and　uncertain　voices　…　the　big　fellows　in　the　back　seats；　where　the　apple…cores　and　the　spit…balls　come　from　knew　every　example　in　the　book　by　heart。

And　there　is　yet　another　reason　why　the　country　school　has　brought　forth　men　of　whom　we　do　well　to　be　proud。　　At　the　county…seat；　every　so　often；　the　school　commissioners　held　an　examination。　Thither　resorted　many；　for　the　most　part　anxious　to　determine　if　they　really　knew　as　much　as　they　thought　they　did。　　If　you　took　that　examination　and　got　a　〃stiff　kit〃　for　eighteen　months；　you　had　good　cause　to　hold　your　head　up　and　step　as　high　as　a　blind　horse。　　A　〃stiff　kit〃　for　eighteen　months　is　no　small　thing；　let　me　tell　you。　　I　don't　know　if　there　is　anything　corresponding　to　a　doctor's　hood　for　such　as　win　a　certificate　to　teach　school　for　two　years　hand…running；　but　there　ought　to　be。　　A　fellow　ought　not　to　be　obliged　to　resort　to　such　tactics　as　taking　out　a　folded　paper　and　perusing　it　in　the　hope　that　some　one　will　ask　him：　〃What　you　got　there；　Calvin？〃　so　as　to　give　you　a　chance　to　say；　carelessly；　〃Oh；　jist　a　'stiff…kit'　for　two　years。〃

（When　you　get　as　far　along　as　that；　you　simply　have　to　take　a　term　in　the　junior　Prep。　Department　at　college；　not　because　there　is　anything　left　for　you　to　learn；　but　for　the　sake　of　putting　a　gloss　on　your　education；　finishing　it　off　neatly。）

And　then　if　you　were　going　to　read　law　with　Mr。　Parker；　or　study　medicine　with　old　Doc。　Harbaugh；　and　you　kind　of　run　out　of　clothes；　you　took　that　certificate　and　hunted　up　a　school　and　taught　it。　Sometimes　they　paid　you　as　high　as　20　a　month　and　board；　lots　of　board；　real　buckwheat　cakes　（〃riz〃　buckwheat；　not　the　prepared　kind）；　and　real　maple　syrup；　and　real　sausage；　the　kind　that　has　sage　in　it；　the　kind　that　you　can't　coax　your　butcher　to　sell　you。　　The　pale；　tasteless　stuff　he　gives　you　for　sausage　I　wouldn't　throw　out　to　the　chickens。　　Twenty　dollars　a　month　and　board！　　That's　4　a　month　more　than　a　hired　man　gets。

But　it　wasn't　alone　the　demonstration　that；　strange　as　it　might　seem；　it　was　possible　for　a　man　to　get　his　living　by　his　wits　（though　that　has　done　much　to　produce　great　men）　as　it　was　the　actual　exercise　of　teaching。　　Remember　the　big　boys　on　the　back　seats；　where　the　apple…cores　and　the　spit…balls　come　from。　　The　school…director　that　hired　you　gave　you　a　searching　look…over　and　said：　〃M…well…l…l；　I'm　afraid　you　haint　hardly　qualified　for　our　school　…　oh；　that's　all　right；　sir；　that's　all　right。　　Your　'stiff…kit'　is　first…rate；　and　you　got　good　recommends；　good　recommends；　but　I　was　thinkin'　…　well；　I　tell　you。　　Might's　well　out　with　it　first　as　last。　　I　d'　know's　I　ort　to　say　so；　but　this　here　district　No。　34　is　a　poot'　tol'able　hard　school　to　teach。　Ya…uss。　　A　poot…ty　tol'able　hard　school　to　teach。　　Now；　that's　jist　the　plumb　facts　in　the　matter。　　We've　had　four　try　it　this　winter　a'ready。　　One　of　'em　stuck　it　out　four　weeks　…　I　jimminy！　he　had　grit；　that　feller　had。　　The　balance　of　'em　didn't　take　so　long　to　make　up　their　minds。　　Well；　now；　if　you're　a　mind　to　try　it　…　I　was　goin'　to　say　you　didn't　look　to　me　like　you　had　the　heft。

Like　to　have　you　the　worst　way。　　Now；　if　you　want　to　back　out　。　。　。　。　Well；　all　right。　　Monday　mornin'；　eh？　　Well；　you　got　my　sympathies。〃

I　believe　that　some　have　tried　to　figure　out　that　St。　Martin　of　Tours；　ought　to　be　the　patron　saint　of　the　United　States。　　One　of　his　feast…days　falls　on　July　4；　and　his　colors　are　red；　white　and　blue。　　But　I　rather　prefer；　myself；　the　Boanerges；　the　two　sons　of　Zebedee。　　When　asked：　〃Are　ye　able　to　drink　of　this　cup？〃　they　answered：　〃We　are　able。〃　　They　didn't　in　the　least　know　what　it　was；　but　they　knew　they　were　able　for　anything　that　anybody　else　was；　and；　perhaps；　able　for　a　little　more。　　At　any　rate；　they　were　willing　to　chance　it。　　That's　the　United　States　of　America；　clear　to　the　bone　and　back　again　to　the　skin。

You　ask　any　really　great　man：　〃Have　you　ever　taught　a　winter　term　in　a　country　school？〃　　If　he　says　he　hasn't；　then　depend　upon　it　he　isn't　a　really　great　man。　　People　only　think　he　is。　　The　winter　term　breeds　Boanerges　…　sons　of　thunder。　　Yes；　and　of　lightning；　too。　Something　struck　the　big　boys　in　the　back　seats；　as　sure　as　you're　a　foot　high；　and　if　it　wasn't　lightning；　what　was　it？　　　Brute　strength　for　brute　strength；　they　were　more　than　a　match　for　Teacher。　　It　was　up　to　him。　　It　was　either　prove　himself　the　superior　power；　or　slink　off　home　and　crawl　under　the　porch。

The　curriculum　of　the　Old　Red　School…house；　which　was；　until　lately；　the　universal　curriculum；　consisted　in　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic　or　ciphering。　　I　like　the　word　〃ciphering；〃　because　it　makes　me　think　of　slates　…　slates　that　were　always　falling　on　the　floor　with　a　rousing　clatter；　so　that　almost　always　at　least　one　corner　was　cracked。　　Some　mitigation　of　the　noise　was　gained　by　binding　the　frame　with　strips　of　red　flannel；　thus　adding　warmth　and　brightness　to　the　color　scheme。　　Just　as　some　fertile　brain　conceived　the　notion　of　applying　a　knob　of　rubber　to　each　corner；　slates　went　out；　and　I　suppose　only　doctors　buy　them　nowadays　to　hang　on　the　doors　of　their　offices。　　Maybe　the　teacher's　nerves　were　too　highly　strung　to　endure　the　squeaking　of　gritty　pencils；　but　I　think　the　real　reason　for　their　banishment　is；　that　slates　invited　too　strongly　the　game　of　noughts　and　crosses；　or　tit…tat…toe；　three　in　a　row；　the　champion　of　indoor　sports；　and　one　entirely　inimical　to　the　study　of　the　joggerfy　lesson。　　But　if　slates　favored　tit…tat…toe；　they　also　favored　ciphering；　and　nothing　but　good　can　come　from　that。　　Paper　is　now　so　cheap　that　you　need　not　rub　out　mistakes；　but　paper　and　pencil　can　never　surely　ground　one　in　〃the　science　of　numbers　and　the　art　of　computing　by　them。〃　　What　is　written　is　written；　and　returns　to　plague　the　memory；　but　if　you　made　a　mistake　on　the　slate；　you　could　spit　on　it　and　rub　it　out　with　your　sleeve　and　leave　no　trace　of　the　error；　either　on　the　writing　surface　or　the　tables　of　the　memory。　　What　does　the　hymn　say？

　　　　　　〃Forget　the　steps　already　trod；　　　　　　　And　onward　urge　thy　way。〃

The　girls　used　to　keep　a　little　sponge　and　some　water　in　a　discarded　patchouli　bottle　with　a　glass　stopper；　to　wash　their　slates　with；　but　it　always　seemed　to　me　that　the　human　and　whole…hearted　way　was　otherwise。

Reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　…　these　three；　and　the　greatest　of　these　three　is　arithmetic。　　Over　against　it　stands　grammar；　which　may　be　said　to　be　derived　from　reading　and　writing。　　Show　me　a　man　that；　as　a　boy　at　school；　excelled　in　arithmetic　and　I　will　show　you　a　useful　citizen；　a　boss　in　his　own　business；　a　leader　of　men；　show　me　the　boy　that　preferred　grammar；　that　read　expressively；　that　wrote　a　beautiful　hand　and　curled　his　capital　S's　till　their　tails　looked　like　mainsprings；　and　I　will　show　you　a　dreamer　and　a　sentimentalist　…　a　man　that　works　for　other　people。　　While　I　have　breath　in　me；　I　will　maintain　the　supereminence　of　arithmetic。　There　is　no　room　for　disputation　in　arithmetic；　no　exceptions　to　the　rule。　　Twice　two　is　four；　and　that's　all　there　is　about　it：　but　whether　there　be　pronunciations；　they　shall　cease；　whether　there　be　rules　of　grammar；　they　shall　vanish　away。　　Why；　look　here。　　It's　a　rule　of　grammar；　isn't　it；　that　the　subject　of　a　sentence　must　be　put　in　the　nominative　case？　　Let　it　kick　and　bite；　and　hang　on　to　the　desks　all　it　wants　to；　in　it　goes　and　the　door　is　slammed　on　it。　You　think　so？　　　What　is　the　word　〃you？〃　　Second　person；　plural　number；　objective　case。　　Oh；　no；　the　nominative　form　is　〃ye。〃

Don't　you　remember　it　says：　〃Woe　unto　you；　ye　lawyers〃？　　　Those　who　fight　against：　〃Him　and　me　went　down　town；〃　fight　against　the　stars　in　their　courses；　for　the　objective　case　in　every　language　is　bound　and　determined　to　be　The　Whole　Thing。　　Arithmetic　alone　is　founded　on　a　rock。　　All　else　is　fleeting；　all　else　is　futile；　chaotic　…　a　waste　of　time。　　What　is　reading　but　a　rival　of　morphine？　　There　are　probably　as　many　men　in　prison；　sent　there　by　Reading；　as　by　Rum。

〃Oh；　not　good　Reading！〃　says　the　publisher。

〃Not　good　Rum；　either；〃　says　the　publican。

Fight　it　out。　　It's　an　even　thing　between　the　two　of　you；　Literature　and　Liquor；　Books　and　Booze；　which　can　take　a　man's　mind　off　his　business　most　effectually。

Still；　merely　as　a　matter　of　taste；　I　will　defend　the　quality　of　McGuffey's　School　Readers　against　all　comers。　　I　don't　know　who　McGuffey　was；　but　certainly　he　formed　the　greatest　intellects　of　our　age；　present　company　not　excepted。　　The　true　test　of　literature　is　its　eternal　modernity。　　A　thing　of　beauty　is　a　joy　forever。　　It　always　seems　of　the　age　in　which　it　is　read。　　Now；　almost　the　earliest　lection　in　McGuffey's　First　Reader　goes　directly　to　the　heart　of　one　of　the　greatest　of　modern　problems。　　It　does　not　palter　or　beat　about　the　bush。　　It　asks　right　out；　plump　and　plain：　〃Ann；　how　old　are　you？〃

Year　by　year；　until　we　reached　the　dizzy　height　of　the　Sixth　Reader；　were　presented　to　us　samples　of　the　best　English　ever　written。　　If　you　can　find；　up　in　the　garret；　a　worn　and　frayed　old　Reader；　take　it　down　and　turn　its　pages　over。　　See　if　anything　in　these　degenerate　days　compares　in　vital　strength　and　beauty