The Russellville Democrat., 1877-04-26

so unacademically hOnored. We mildly 1 pleaded that the novel was "dry," and wonder of wonders when we re.
 turned to the school-room after the hall ] hour spent in the playground habitually conceded to the boys in the course of g
 day, which lasted from about half-past nine till one, our plea was thought to be feasible, ard the triumphant doctor
 placed before our eyes the more anus l ing Hermann, of Uuna," work trans lated from the German, and of which an English version was eagerly read at the time when Mrs. Anne Radcliffe was at the heighth of her popularity. I am able to affirm that we did find this book
 more entertaining than it's predecessor. On what ground, with our very imper- feet mastery over the French tongue, we found one book more amusing than another, I can't conjecture.
 Even our studies of the vernacular were sometimes pursued after daissez-0ller fashion, which scarcely accorded with the importance attached to them. Dr.. Saunders had an aged father-in.l law, who had cut of whatever communication was left between himself and the other world by taking strong and frequent pinches of coarse rappee, and this re- srectable but somewhat dingy gentle. man was occasionally trusted with the superintendence of body of readers One day, I observed from a distance that the boys, who were ostensibly read ing by turn Goldsmith's Abridged His tory of Rome," were all shaking with laughter, which they scarcely attempted to suppress, but which was utterly un- noticed by their auditor. What could it mean? To my delight I was sum moned to take place in the class. and the boy whom found next to me im- mediately solved the mystery by whis- pering into my ear--
 "Such fun! Whenever word ends with ing say ink instead. We are all doing It, and he don't find it out"
 Ientered at once into the scheme, which was, indeed, productive of much amuse. ment. When we had to utter such words as ''approachink," or consider ink" the mirth was mild; but when it ell to the lot of one fortunate youth to state that Tarquin was "Kink" of Rome, there was almost roar. Still our ex- cellent old gentleman never discovered that anything abnormal had occurred; and, when we were dismissed, no doubt that he confessed, in his inward heart, like England in the old sea song, "that every man that day had done hls duty"
 As might be supposed, corporal pun ishment was not much in vogue at school so extraordinarily lax in discip- line. What would have been the fate of the kinkmaker" under the rule of Mrs. Jackson, I dread to conjecture. But the learned doctor did not wholly ignore the use of the cane, though it might be observed that this was regu- lated rather by the state of the deetors own temper than by the state of boys delinquency. One peculiarity showed at least that he had studied his Roman his. tory to some advantage, and had taken the elder Brutus for his model. Among the pupils were his two sons; and if ever the cane was in requisition with ex- ceptional vigor, what clouds of dust rose rom the jackets of those devoted lads! If we--chosen few--who stood at the head of the classical scholars had been passed into the first part of the Eneid, we should have been reminded of the H. lustrious Trojan concealed in cloud by his divine mother. But we knew of no book but the second.
 All things considered, am of opinion that, if any of the pupils at the academy which I have tried to describe, and of which saw the end, are alive now, they still look back with kindly feeling upon the figure of pr. Saunders himself. His notions of instruction were detestable :; but, in spite of occasional outbursts of anger, he was essentially good-natured, kindly man, endowed with much native humor; and, in his most cheerful moods, he loved to tell droll stories that would make the benches rock with laughter. And as for his gloomier msments, it must be remembered that he had very large family, and that he was very poor. All The Year Round.