There was no response.
“Those,” continued the teacher, “who think it is mean and dishonorable to do so, will please to say ‘Aye.’”
There was a prompt and universal shout of “Aye!”
“Now, those who think it is fair and honorable to ridicule a boy, who studies hard and makes good progress, because he happened to make a failure once in his life, may say ‘Aye.’”
All were silent.
“Those who think it base and mean to do so, will please to say ‘Aye.’”
Again there was a prompt and hearty “Aye!”
“Yes, I think there can be but one side to that question,” continued the teacher. “A boy who has had no opportunity to study, ought not to be blamed for his ignorance; and one who studies diligently, should not be laughed at if he does not happen to know everything. These are not dunces. The real dunce is the scholar who has the ability and the opportunity to learn, but who will not exercise the one or improve the other, and so remains ignorant. I can’t blame you much for laughing at such a boy. He deserves it.
“On the other hand, I do not consider that boy the most promising who learns his lessons in the shortest time. Some of you have only to read over a lesson a few times, and you are ready for recitation; while others are obliged to work hard over it for an hour or more before they can master it. Now, if some one should come in here, and ask me to point out the six most promising scholars among you, I do not know that I should select one of those lads who commit their lessons to memory with so little effort; but I do know that the boy who was laughed at because he failed to get into the High School would be among the six, and the others would be boys who, like him, appear to appreciate the value of knowledge, and make a diligent use of their school privileges.
“I will close,” continued the principal, “by reading to you a few facts from a magazine I have in my desk, which go to show that some of the most eminent men of all ages were remarkable only for dulness in their youth. Rev. Dr. Channing, at one period of his youth, says the writer, was considered a dull, plodding character. At nine years of age, one who afterwards became a chief justice in this country, was, during a whole winter, unable to commit to memory the little poem found in one of our school books, commencing,