A Father's Error

Mr. Solomon WinthiwJB was aplain oíd -au austc:o, [ireejee man, who did everything by ostablished rules, and could see no reason why peopls should graep at anything beyond what luid beeu reaooed by their groftt-grondfather. lio liad threu ohildi-en, two boys and a girl. There was Jeromiah, soventeen years oíd; 1 fifteon ; and Fanny fourteen. It was ii oold wintcrV day. Samuel wasin the kitchen, reading a book, and so interested was he tlutt he lid uot notico tiio entrance oí" liis father. Jerry was in the oppoSie bonier, engaged in ciphering out a sum which he liad found in bia anthinetio. " Bam," said his fathor, " havo yon worked that sum out yot ? " " No, Father," anawered the boy hositatiniily. "IHiin'tl teil you to stick to your arithmetic till you had done it?" said Mr. Winthrop in a sevore tono. Samuel huug down his headand lookod truubk'd. "Why havèn't you done it'r" continued the father. " I can't do it, father," tremblingly said Samuel. '■ Can't do it ! And why not ? Look at Jerry, thoro, with his slute and penoil. IIo had eiphered farther than you have long beforu he was is oíd as yon iré." " Jcrry was iilways fond of snms and problema, father. ïhey havo no interest et all lor me." " That's bccauso you don't try to foi'l an interest in your studies. What book is that you are readins ? " "It's a work on philosophy, father." '■ A work on ii '.dk-sticks ! Go, jiut it away this instant, and tlion get your alate; and don't you let meseo you away trom your orithmetic until"you can work Bamuel made po imsTror.butsilently he put away his philoaophy; and thon ho got his date and sat down in the eliinmuy corner. His lip troniblod and his eyos Dioistonod, for he was very unhappy. His father had been harah towarda him, and he feit that it was without a cause. "San:," said Jcrry, as soon as their father liad gone out of the room, " I'ü do that suui for you." "No, Jerry," replied the y oungerbrother, with a gratef ul look: "thftt will bo deoeiving father, I'll tiy to do tho sum, but I fear that I shall not succeod." Samuel worked very hard, but to no purpose. His inind was not on the subject before him. The roots and squares, the bases and pcrpcndieulars, though comparatively simple in tlieinsclvcs, were to him a mass of iiuoiiipnlionsiblo things ; and the moro he tiied, tho inoro ho bcoaue perplexed and bothered. The tnith was his fathor did tand him. Samuel was a bright boy, and , mmly intelligent foï one ot' his age. Mr. . Wintliidp was i thorongh mathematician ; ! ie lutrdly ever oame acrosa a pvoblem he couUl 11 't Bolve, and he desired that ais oyshouldbe like him; he eonsidered , hatiheacme of edueatiuiial perfoction ay in the power of conquering EnoHd ; ind Uc oftfin expressed the opinión that were Euolid living tbeo, he oould "give be old goometrioian a bard túsalo." He seemed nut to onderstand that lifferont minds were made witli diü'erent capaoitios, and wimt one mind grasped wi.th oase imother of equal power would faü to oomprehend. Benoc, becausc Jerry progrcEsed rapidly with bis mathoinatioal studios, and could alreody survfly a of laúd of many ongles, heimagmod that as Samuel made no progresa in the game bnineh, bo was idle md careless, and bo treated him accordingly. Honevor candidly conversed with bis younger son, wii'ii :i view to asuertain the truc bent ot his mind ; buthe had his own ütondard power of all minds, and he pertinaoiously adhored to il. Thoi-e w::s qtoothor thing that Mr. Winthropoduld notsoe, and that was that Bamuel was eoatinually pondcring upou such profltable matter as was iutetesMng tu kim, and that lic was scarcoly over idle nordid his father sec, either, that if he ever wished his loy to beconfè a mathematician, he was parsinng the very tó prevent auh a rosBlt. bastead of eiidi-avoring to naake tho study intevesting to the chikl, hc was making it obnoxiuus. Tho dinnor hour came, and Bamuol had not workod out the suiu. Hi8 fathei was angvy, and obligud tho loy to go without his dinnor, ut tLé saina time telling liim that be waa n idle, laay lad. Pooi1 Samuel left tlio kitchon for his own room, and there he sat and criod. At length his mind seenii d to pasa from tho wrong he had inffered tt the hand of his father, una liis fuco Ughtoned up. There was a fire in the room bolow his ohambei so ho was not vory cold ; and gottin up, he went to closet and front under a lot of oíd olotlies ho took forth gome long iUn at wood. Iln was ovidentlv ouing sume ourioua affair trom these liecea of wood. Ho liad bits of wirs, lit:1.- Borapa of tiu plato, pieoesof twine and of Binal' wheels that ln had made túmself, and ho scemod to be working tu jol the whole together aftor sonio particular fashion of liis own. Elalf the afternoon had thua passed aw;iy when his sister ontored lúsobamber. Sho "had hor aproo gathored up in her hand, and after olosing the door softly bohind her íhoapproachodthó spot whero lier brother sat. "Hc:c, Bammy, seo, f have brought yon Bosnething to oat. I know yon mast bo hungry. As shc spoko she oponed her apion and took out í'our cakfs, a piece oí' ic and sonio cheese. The boy was hungry, and hesitatod not to ivail faimselx of his sistir's kind (lii'cr-. Ele kissed her as he í x k thi oakoB, and thanked hor. " Oh, what protfcy thüig is that yon ave mrtkxijg; " Kiid Fannie, as shegi.ud upon her brother's labor. " Won't you givu it to me wlion it is dono F " " Xut, this 0110, sister," returned the boy with asadlo; " hut I WÜ1 m;ik; you OIIO equally as protty." Fanuie thttnkod her brother, and soon af lor left Uio rooui, whilo the boy went on with his wuik. Befóre long the various materiala tli:it had leeu subject to Samuel's knifo uil ra wi-ic joined aad grooved together ia :i ourioua manner. The embryo philoaoplier set tlie machino- upon tlio floor, then gazed upen it inttüitly. Uis oy glnamed with i i:ir glow ot' aatisfaotdon ; ho looked proud and happy. Whilo ho stood and gazed upon the child oí his labors, the door oponi d and histjather eatored. " Wliiit ! art you not studying ': " oxclaimod Mr. Winthrep, :is he ftotiondthe boy standing in the middle of the floor. Bainuol trembled whon ho hoard-his fathor's voice, and turned pala with fear " Ila ! wliat is this V " said ]iis iallicr, as ho caught silit of the euriotu construction on the iluor. " This is the secret oi' your idleness. Now 1 seo how it is you can iit master your studies. You gpand your timii in aiaking tbem fly-cages. 111 see wlicthcr you'll luurn to attond to your leasena or not. 'iluu-e!" As the fathei utterod tlicschaisli ejaonlations, hc put his t'oot upon the objeotof liis dupleasure. Xlio boy utteivd a quick crv. and BDransr foift'ard. but too late. Tho cikÍous cnnsinietion was omshed to atoms - tho labor of long weeks. Looking at the mass of ruins and tlicn covcring bis faeo with his hands, he buret into tears. " Ain't you nshamcd ? " said Mi'. AVinthrop ; " ii great boy liko you to spond yourtimo in.makiiig clap-traps, and then ory about it bccausa I clioose you sliuul ! attend to tout etndioft N.w go to the biii'ii andjielp Jorry to shell coni." The boy was too full of grief to make any explanation, and without imy word ho lcit his chambur. But for long, long daya afterwatds bo was weaty and downhearted. "Samuel," aaid Mr. Wintkrop, one d.iy aftor tho spring had oponed. " I have Been 3Ir. Young, aiul heis willing to tako you :ia an apprentico. Jurry and i get along on the farm, and I thiuk tho bost thing you can do is to learn tliu b'.acksinith'.s trado. I havo givo:i up all hopes of ever making a Biirveyor out of you, and if you had a farm you would not know how to moasura it or lay it out. Jerry will soon be able to take my place ;is survryor, and I havo alrcady made arrangGnient8 for having bini swnm and ol)t;tin his oonuaisaioñ. But your trado is a good oiie, liowever, and I have no doubt you will bo ablo to mako a good living at it." Mr. Young was a blaoksniith in a noigliboring town, and ho carriud on quite an extensivo business. Moreover, lic had tho roputation of being afine man. Samuel w;ts cK liglited with liis father's pToposal, and when he learned that 31 r. Young oarried on quite a large machine shop, lic was in ocstacies. lli truiik was paoked - a good supply of olothes having been provided, and, aftor kissing his mother and sister, and shaking hands with hi.s father and brother, mountod the stage and sot off for his new deetination. lía lumia jar. xoung au no coma wisa ri.l wen1 into bu jHíw oui prismi Jila mlMt 1. Ono ovening after Samuel A inthrop ad beon with bis ne w master Lx uiontbs, tbc latter caiiu) into the shop aí'tcr all the ournoymen had quit vork and gone Lome, and found the youlh busily engagod in fitting ii piooo öf iron. Th. 'i-e were quito a nu in bor of piceos on the bench at his side, and Borne wi-ro curiously rivoled together and fixod with apringa and slidtis, while others appearod not yct ready tbr their destined use. Mr. Young uscortainud what tho young workman was up to, and ho not only encouraged him in his undertakuig, but lio stood for half un hour and watched him at his work. Xcxt day Samuel Wintbrop wae rem o vod from tho blacksmith shop to the machine shop. Samuel ofton visited his parents. At the end of two years his father was not a little surprisod when Mr. Young infovmcd him that Samuel was the most useful hand in hia employ. Time flew fast. Samuel was twentyone. Jeremiah had bce.n free almost two yeai s, and was onc of the most aoeurate and trustworthy surveyors in tho counMr. Wiuthrop looked upon his elilost sou with pride andoftnn expressed a wish that his other son gtfould have been like him. Samuel had oomu liomu to visit his parents, and Mr. Young had como with him. " Mr. Young," said Mr. Winthrop, after tho tea things' had been oloared away, ' that is a fine iactory they luiv-: just erocted in your town.' ' Yes," retumed Mr. Young, " thcro are threo of them, and they are doing a very heavy business." " I understand they have an extengive machino shop conneoted with the faetones Now, if iny boy Bam is a good woikman, :is you say he is, perhapa he might get a flwt rato situaiion 1 hora. Mr. YounL lüoltcu ut oamuei a;iu buuuod. ' By the wuy," continuod th olil farmer, v.liat is all. the noise i Bee aml bear in tlic papen about those patent Winthrop looinsr They lell ino they go ahead of any thing that was oyor got up befare." "Tóu mast aak yóur son about t)iat," said Mr. Young. Xhat is soinc of tíainucl's bueine8s." "EUi' What! soinc of Saín ." The oíd maa stopped shoct and gazed it bia son. He waa bewildered. lt oould not be tliat hia son- hi8idle son - wa the inventor of the great power loom that hail taken all the manufacturera by surprise. " What do yon mean ? " he at lcngth mqaired. " It is simply tliis, father, that the loom is mine," rctuniad Samuel with coosoioos pride. " I have invented it and taken a patent ngut, uuu x unru mun.uj uv." offered ten. thoüsand dollars for the patent right in two adjoining States. Don't you rcnieinber tliat clap-trapyou orushed with yóur toot six vean ago 'i " " Yes," replied thu old man, whoee oyos weré bent to tho floor, mui over whose inind a new Ugbt Beemod beaming. " NV til," oontinued Samuel) that was al - most a pattern, though of courso I havo made filterations and ünprovemeDte, and tbereii room for more." " And thut was what you were studying when you used to stand and me woave, and then fumble about my loom bo tnuoh !" s:iid Mre. Wiathrop. " You are ï-iglit, mothcr. EvOD then I had couceived the idea which 1 have sinoo uanied out." " And thatis whv JTOB COttld not unde;-stand my mathematicalproblom," attered A curious incident occured in connoctiun with tho recent severo snow storm on the Kansas Paciflo ruad. Wliile tho traina was atoppod a largo nuinbei of buflttloes oougregated arouud the train and stood on the Lee de of it forproteo1 tiuii agaiuat tho storm. The Marquis of Lome writea poetry, l bit is to miidcst to publish any. (Ju! that i mduy iaaeiicao poel weru a marquis. Mr. Winthrop, a lio started froin liis chair and took the youth by tlie hand. " Samuel, my son, forgive me for thc hanhoM I nave used towarda you. I have buen blinded, and nowscelmwl huvo misundërstood yöu. Wliilo I llave thonght you he -di isa ;md carelese, you wi'ic solving a philosophical probl ronM nfeveí liuvo comptehended. Forgive me, iSamuol - I moant wcll enough, but luckcd judgment und disoriminatiou." Of 00UTS6 Iho oíd man had boon long béfore forgiven turkis harshness, and hi-, mhni wis oponed to a new Ipsson In hutuannatuTO. It wassimply thi : l)i.i minds Uavc different capaoities, and no mind uanbe driven to lovo tliat forwhioh it has no Uind-. Pirst, Beek f" understand the natural obilities uil disposition of childjen, and tlien in yoxir management of thoir education for after Ufe, go yoarself accordingly. George Comí):', reatest moral püilosophcr oí' liis day, Sould hardly reckoa in simple additijn, and Cülbuin, thü luutlioiuatiuiíin, could not wiitu out a oommdn place address.