Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1877 — JOHNNY FLAXMAN. [ARTICLE]

JOHNNY FLAXMAN.

Everybody said that Johnny Flaxman would never be anybody, by which they meant he never would lie a bright and shining light in the world, or distinguished for his intellect; yet, when I saidT everybody, I ought to have left out Johnny’s mother, the teacher and the preacher. Johnny’s mother was naturally partial, but then she knew him better than any one else could, and she was ready to maintain, against the town, that her Johnny had as good a mind as any other boy or girl. I will tell you one reason of her faith in Johnny. Mrs. Flaxman bought a paper of verbena seeds, aDd they looked so much like very tiny sticks that she said she would not “ putter” with them, and, giving them to Johnny, along with a piece of ground for a bed, tola him to see what he could make of them. Time went on, from May till August; then Johnny’s bed ot verbenas was the admiration of the village, and strangers passing often stopped to look at it with surprise and pleasure. Johnny’s duties and little tasks were al ways done in time. The cows were in the milking-yard precisely at half-past six; the chip-basket was always full and in its place, so that Mrs. Flaxman never had to call, "Johnny—chips—chips.” The minister said he liked Johnny because he had such a good and honest heart, and, beside this, he said that Johnny Flaxman learned his Biblo verses perfectly, never jumbling up the small but necessary words—to, <f, with, by— as many careless children do; bo that it was a pleasure to hear Johnny’s Sabbath-School lessons.

His teacher declared that, although it took a long time to get anything through Johnny’s head, when it was learned be knew ft forever. I suppose if you could have seen the struggle he had with the multiplication-table, you would have smiled. Nobody knew how long he had studied it; but little Betty Tattle used to plague poor Johnny, and say that he began to study it as soon as he could talk, and hadn’t got it yet. But the multiplication-table wss nothing to long division; he had a discouraging fight with that All summer the teacher went over it, again and again; but Johnny could not comprehend how to get the dividend. One afternoon, toward the close of the term, s wonderful light came into Johnny Flaxman’s facelie had conquered long division at last. Until he was twelve years old he was always at the foot of the class in spelling; after that, anyone who got Johnny’s place at the head of the class had to work very hard for it. The fact is, Johnny was a plant of slow growth. The morning-gloiy creep to the gable and roof at the homestead in one short summer, hanging all the way along its delicate blossoms. It is very easy to coax a willow-sprout to take root; a little sun and a little rain fulfill the conditions of its growth; in two or three yean it gives in return for a little care yards of silvery, spray-like boughs. But it takes an acorn many summers and many winters to become an oak. When Johnny was about eighteen years old, a Trustee from a district on the hill came down to the valley school to hire a teacher. “•Our district is a rough and tough place,” said Mr. Eyre, “as to wind and weather I mean. The snow-drifts cover the tops of oar fences ; the winds seem never to tire of blowing up our way; but we have wood enough and food enough and good horses and sleighs ; and we want a young man that can really give us a lift Our big boys can’t be spared to go to school in the summer; but they are very anxious to learn all they can in the winter. If,* continued Mr. Evre, “we could get a young man who knows all abont algebra and arithmetic, and who can give" us a lift in our Debating Bociety and prayer meetings, wu shall esteem it a favor and will pay liberal wages. But

our teacher must board around, as it Is the desire of the boys on the hill to haw . him for company; and,aa our living costs iu nothing, are can't pay money rot his board.” Unanimously the verdict of tlto teacher and school .wag: “Johnny Flux wan is pie one to go." * When some one asked Mr- Eym. in th * spring, how they liked Johnny up in his district, he replied; "A more mithful young mwt never drew the breath of life. The learning that the big boys of the Hill School acquired under the teaching of Johnny Flaxuian was something like a Giracle. You ought to see the neat writg, to hear the correct spelling, the parsing, and especially to see the way the boys did those puzzling problems in Partial Payments.”. “ ' ' *' Johnny, how did you like teaching?” Inquired his mother. “ I think it did 1 me more good than to go to school a yean" “Johnny Flaxman is off to college,” said the minister to pretty, young Miss Betty Tattle. “ Why, Johnny was always the dullest boy in school.' How did it happen?” “He prepared hia Greek and Latin: with me; he does seem rather slow, but when bis mind grasps any science it is with the precision of a master.” The career of Johnny Flaxman in college whs similar to that in the district school. The brilliant young men laughed at his slowness. They spent the time in boatiug aud boxing that Johnny spent over the classics; when examination'came they found many things learned so easily haa slipped out of memory, but Johnny Flaxman stood like a rock. He passed through hjs studies with honor, and took the highest prize in mathematics. On the, day that he graduated, the President had a letter from the Trustees of a young college out West. They wrote: “We want a young man. that you can recommend to us, for Professor of" Mathematics. Our school is in its infancy, has its reputation to make, and we want the 'very best Instructors.” Mr. Flaxman, as we now must call him, went to them, and did—as all his life he had done—admirably. This narrative is given particularly for the encouragement of boys who think they are dull ana slow. Patient determination will remove every obstacle from the path at last. One Sunday, not long since, I was in the city where the Rev. Mr. Flaxman preaches, and went to hear him. The sermon reminded me of a green oasis in the Desert of Sahara. He was as much in earnest when he told the story of Christ the Divine Master as he had been all his life in his various undertakings. There were no heresies in his heart; he was orthodox as the Bible itself. The gray of Time was gathering in , little flakes on his hair; there was a small bald spot on the top of his bead; be looked like a strong oak tree, and my mental comment on hi hi was: “I wish that through the length and breadth of this land scores of boys would grow up to be such men as Mr. Flaxman.—Flora Martian , in /». I”. Observer.