I am not sure the plan I am going to describe is a wise one; but I am sure that the teacher, while trying it, must _have been interested in his intellectual experiment._ His business, while pursued in such a way, could not have been a mere dull and uninteresting routine.
He purchased, for three cents apiece, two long lead pencils--an article of great value in the opinion of the boys of country schools--and he offered them, as prizes, to the boy who would write most carefully; not to the one who should write _best_, but to the one whose book should exhibit most appearance of _effort_ and _care_ for a week.

After announcing his plan, he watched with strong interest its operation.

He walked round the room while the writing was in progress, to observe the effect of his measure.

He did not reprove those who were writing carelessly; he simply noticed who and how many they were.

He did not commend those who were evidently making effort; he noticed who and how many they were, that he might understand how far, and upon what sort of minds, his experiment was successful, and where it failed.