This seems to have been a trait of
boy nature for generations. You know Sidney Smith's account
of the habit of boys at his school to rob a neighboring orchard,
until the farmer bought a large, savage bulldog for his protection.
Some of the big boys told Sidney that if a boy would get down
on his hands and knees and go backward toward the dog the
dog would be frightened, and he could get the apples. He
tried the experiment unsuccessfully, and with the result that
concluded, as he says, that "it makes no difference to a bulldog
which end of a boy he gets hold of, if he only gets a good
hold."
The discipline of the schoolmaster in those days was pretty
severe. For slight offences the boys were deprived of their
recess or compelled to study for an hour after the school
was dismissed. The chief weapon of torture was the ferule,
to the efficacy of which I can testify from much personal
knowledge. The master had in his desk, however, a cowhide
for gross cases. I do not remember knowing how that felt
from personal experience, but I remember very well seeing
it applied occasionally to the big boys.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104