The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-02
whippins In tho old.Ttme school.


A public school fifty years go was a
very different affair from what IL Is nova
days. Upon my word, when / think OF
the whipping that went on, day after day,
in the old Mayhem school, / am astonished
at IL Yet, with the variety OF corporal
punishment SO freely bestowed, there was
mingled sort Of CHASTITY sportiye element,
grim humor which did not always com
mend itself to the perception Of him who
received the fiagelation. A merry con-
cei', for instance, was that Of Master
Clough.
That ingenious person would direct n
culprit to stand upon the platform near the
desk, and, without bending the knees,
touch the floor with his fingers. Then q
smart flourish with the rattan and a sudden
blow caused the unhappy youth TO inyolun-
tarily resume an upright position with di-
Vcrting rapidity. 1t was really very anus
ing to Master Clough). Sometimes IN Of
fender would be asked by one Of the mas
tiers which instrument Of torture he would
choose--thc riding-whip, the ruler, or the
rattan. Whichever he seemed to pre-
fer was not the ono used, but one OF
the others would make him smart. This
little change would have q heelthful, moral
influence upon the scholar, teaching pa
tience and resignation under disappOint-
ment. A pleasant illustration TO the teach
err Of the irony OF tate was shown in an
other way. When the stock o. rattans ran
low-and that was not seldom-some vic
tim in disgrace would be dispatched for
fresh supply, knowing that on his return
he would feel the first stroke Of the rod.
With what ingenious refinement OF torture
The victim was thus made 10 find the Wca-
pom that should wound him!
There was another clever diversion Of
our kind-hcarted masters which in summer,
when the days were long, occasionally
broke the monotony Of schoOl-bOy lie.
Sometimes, OF n sultry July afternoon, a
tired scholar, overcome by the heat, would
find the sound OF voices i'm the room grow
lainter aid fainter, his head would droop
and finally sink upon his desk, and he
would quickly be in the pleasant land Of
dreams. Then il was that the master,
.czing his rattan and stealthily yet joy
fully striding across the rows Of desks,
would give the sleeping wretch such q
rousing whGck ~ to astonish and conf0Wd
ss well as suddenly awake him.
confess that these diversions Of the
pedaGogue were not without their attrGc-
lion Tor ia who looked on and saw the
c0mical coptOrticns Ct the boys whose for
tune il was at the moment TO be under dis
cipiinc. The fact that Ourturn might come
next did not prevent ne from finding what
entertainment we might i'm what orr mas
ter evidently enjoyed None Of MS had yet
read the maxims Of the cynical Ia Roche
foucauld. but we realized that under Ger
tain circumstances there is something in
the mislortmcs Of our friends that gives Us
o certain sort Of satisfaction.
Those were indeed days when iloeging
was administered in nohomWopathic doses,
but with most heroic iullncss Of practice.
| once made o careful estimate q my own
experience in that way, and came TO the
conclusion that | had averaged about a
whipping and hall a day during my con-
necti0n with the Mayhem school. or course
we became somewhat Cnurcd to this rough
treatment. Il was considered the proper
thing 10 suffer with Spartan flmne>S, and
he who while laid across The masters knee
could calmly make comicsl and dcrisiye
faces from his isn0miniolis position FOR the
entertainment Of his associates without
having his attention diverted TO other parts
OF bis bOdy was accounted q brave fellow.
Then there was q supcrstitious belief that
bv laving ones cyelaSh in the hand that
was about to be ferrulcd the accursed wood
was sure to be- shattered by coming in con-
tact with the magic hair. But never saw
one shattered.