Bound to Rise | Page 8

a
woman, and the school committee had therefore engaged Mr. Burbank,
though, by so doing, the school term was shortened, as he asked fifty
per cent. higher wages than a female teacher would have done.
However, it was better to have a short school than an unruly school,
and so the district acquiesced.
Eight weeks had not yet passed since the term commenced, and yet this
was the last day but one. To-morrow would be examination day. To
this Mr. Burbank made reference in a few remarks which he made at
the commencement of the exercises.
He was rather a tall, spare man, and had a habit of brushing his hair
upward, thus making the most of a moderate forehead. Probably he

thought it made him look more intellectual.
"Boys and girls," he said, "to-morrow is our examination day. I've tried
to bring you along as far as possible toward the temple of learning, but
some of you have held back, and have not done as well as I should
like--John Plympton, if you don't stop whispering I'll keep you after
school--I want you all to remember that knowledge is better than land
or gold. What would you think of a man who was worth a great fortune,
and couldn't spell his name?--Mary Jones, can't you sit still till I get
through?--It will be well for you to improve your opportunities while
you are young, for by and by you will grow up, and have families to
support, and will have no chance to learn--Jane Quimby, I wish you
would stop giggling, I see nothing to laugh at--There are some of you
who have studied well this term, and done the best you could. At the
beginning of the term I determined to give a book to the most deserving
scholar at the end of the term. I have picked out the boy, who, in my
opinion, deserves it--Ephraim Higgins, you needn't move round in your
seat. You are not the one."
There was a general laugh here, for Ephraim was distinguished chiefly
for his laziness.
The teacher proceeded:
"I do not mean to tell you to-day who it is. To-morrow I shall call out
his name before the school committee, and present him the prize. I
want you to do as well as you can to-morrow. I want you to do
yourselves credit, and to do me credit, for I do not want to be ashamed
of you. Peter Shelby, put back that knife into your pocket, and keep it
there till I call up the class in whittling."
There was another laugh here at the teacher's joke, and Peter himself
displayed a broad grin on his large, good-humored face.
"We will now proceed to the regular lessons," said Mr. Burbank, in
conclusion. "First class in arithmetic will take their places."
The first class ranked as the highest class, and in it was Harry Walton.

"What was your lesson to-day?" asked the teacher.
"Square root," answered Harry.
"I will give you out a very simple sum to begin with. Now, attention all!
Find the square root of 625. Whoever gets the answer first may hold up
his hand."
The first to hold up his hand was Ephraim Higgins.
"Have you got the answer?" asked Mr. Burbank in some surprise. "Yes,
sir."
"State it."
"Forty-five."
"How did you get it?"
Ephraim scratched his head, and looked confused. The fact was, he was
entirely ignorant of the method of extracting the square root, but had
slyly looked at the slate of his neighbor, Harry Walton, and mistaken
the 25 for 45, and hurriedly announced the answer, in the hope of
obtaining credit for the same.
"How did you get it?" asked the teacher again.
Ephraim looked foolish.
"Bring me your slate."
Ephraim reluctantly left his place, and went up to Mr. Burbank.
"What have we here?" said the teacher. "Why, you have got down the
625, and nothing else, except 45. Where did you get that answer?"
"I guessed at it," answered Ephraim, hard pressed for an answer, and
not liking to confess the truth--namely, that he had copied from Harry
Walton.

"So I supposed. The next time you'd better guess a little nearer right, or
else give up guessing altogether. Harry Walton, I see your hand up.
What is your answer?"
"Twenty-five, sir."
"That is right."
Ephraim looked up suddenly. He now saw the explanation of his
mistake.
"Will you explain how you did it? You may go to the blackboard, and
perform the operation once more, explaining as you go along, for the
benefit of Ephraim Higgins, and any others who guessed at the answer.
Ephraim, I want you to give particular attention, so that you can do
yourself more credit next time. Now Harry, proceed."
Our hero explained the sum in