LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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HOME EDUCATION. 17 was especially devoted to a god of penmanship and learning, and went to his temple and prayed to him that his son might become skillful in penmanship. I knew most too well how desirous he was that I should become his successor and helper in teaching. I really disliked to devote myself to that tedious business, but I was compelled by him to spend half a day through­out years of my younger days in writing those perpen­dicular characters over and over after the copies care­fully written by him. "With regard to the home education I received in my younger days, I might here narrate one instance. One day I was naughty aud refused to make an errand for my mother, and when she gave me a scolding I returned her an improper word. My grandfather heard it, came directly after me and caught me with­out saying a word, rolled me up in a night coverlet, and shut me up in a closet. After an hour's confinement I was released from the punishment, which was, I be­lieve, the first one I ever received from my grand­father. I thought then he was too severe for a trifling offense, and went to a corner of the parlor to weep. After a while he came to me and urged me gently that I must no longer weep. Then he told me a story of the bamboo-shoot, in a most tender and affection­ate manner I ever heard before. It was told in ana­tive poem which means as follows : ' If I do not care for it, I would never use my rod for shaking the snow off from the down-bent branch of a young bamboo­shoot.' Then he asked,' Do you understand its mean­ing, my dear?' and explained its meaning himself. ' Yon are young yet, and just as tender as a bamboo­shoot. If your ev-il inclinations spoil you, as a slight pressure of snow might easily break down the tendet>

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