Difficult Lessons
The
first lesson which Master Pormont gave to those
of us children who could read and write fairly well, was
from the Latin grammar, and he required that we have
at our tongue's end within the first day, the different
forms of no less than six verbs; and this regardless of
the fact that we had never so much as put our eyes to
the language before!
Do not let it be understood that I am in any way
complaining of whatsoever Master Pormont did, for
although I could not understand the reason for many
of the lessons at that time, there can be no question but
that so wise a man as he knew what was best suited
for us children.
But surely, to Susan and me, who knew no more of
arithmetic than was to be found in the multiplying,
dividing, and adding of small sums, it was most grievous
work to stumble over such terms as "fret," "tare," and
"net," when we had no idea of their meaning.
Nor would Master Pormont give us such information,
claiming that we should seek it from our parents, or
from other people in the town, to the end that if it
was gained by much labor we would the longer remember it.
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