26 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



the difference between the methods of college or 

 university teaching and those of a school. 



The professor was blind of one eye and very stout, 

 and had many peculiarities of voice and manner which 

 often created diversion among the youths who attended 

 his class, and many were the tricks played upon him ; 

 for, although generally respected, his peculiarities made 

 him something of a butt to those who were too stupid 

 to understand the value of his admirable instruction. 

 On one occasion a number of sparrows were let loose 

 in the lecture-room and flew about, perching on the 

 blackboard, much to the amusement of the audience, 

 who expected every moment that one would alight on 

 the professor's bald head. After some time his atten- 

 tion was drawn to their presence, and he remarked, 

 resting his nose on his pointer, as was his wont, and 

 surveying the class with his only eye, from behind a 

 very large white choker : " I see nothing to laugh at if 

 a sparrow does come into the room, and I daresay 

 there are many here who have not got the brains of a 

 sparrow." After which the lecture proceeded without 

 interruption. 



Francis Newman at this time was professor of Latin, 

 and no doubt I benefited to some extent from contact 

 with this remarkable man ; but I fear I did not con- 

 strue to his satisfaction. I remember he appeared to 

 be of a very chilly nature, and used to sit in a 

 brown poncho with his legs wrapped up in a blanket. 

 Newman's method of teaching was to lay stress 

 rather upon the general features of the text than upon 

 its details, and in this way to interest his class. 

 Unfortunately he had not in those days published his 

 Latin translations of Hiawatha and Robinson Cruwe 

 (Lat., Robilius Cruso), so that our reading was confined 

 to the older classics. 



