New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-16
WHIPPLNG IN TIE OLD-TIME SCHOOL
Prom The Boston TrnnecrfuL

from me Boston Transcript
public school fifty years ago was a very differ
ent affair from what 1t is nowadays.
, Upon my word, when think of the whipping
lhat went on day after day in the old Navhew
school, am astonished at il. Yet. with the variety
OF corporal punishment freely bestowed there
was mingled a sort of ghastly sportIve element, a
grim hunor which did not alway rs commend itself
to the perception of him who received the tagela-
Master Clough. -
That ingenious person would direct a culprit TO
stand upon the platform, near the desk. ana With
out bending the knees, touch the floor with
ms hlnSers Then smart flourish of the rattan and
a sudden blow would cause the unhappv vouth IA
mVoluntarly resume an upright position with III
yertlng rapidty. IL was really very amusing TO
asked by one OF the masters which instrument of
torture he wOul! choose the Tdins-whip, the ruler
or the rattan VIII chever he seemed TO prefer was
not the one used but one OF the Others would make
him smart. his little change would have a
healthin moral influence upon the scholar, teach
pleasant Illustration 30 the tea, herr OF the irony
Of fate was shown IN another way. When the stock
vi, im IN disgrace would be dispatched for a fresh
supply, knowing that on his return he would feel
The lrSt stroke of the rod With what ingenious re-
nnement OF torture the victim was thus made 10
find the weapon that should wound him
there was another clever diversion # our kind
hearted masters which IN summer. when the days
We're long, occasionally broke the monotOny OF
schoolboy life. Sometimes, of a sultry July after
noon, a tired scholar, overcome by the heat would
nnd the sound of voices in the room grow fainter
upon hls desk, and he would quickly be in the pleas
ant land OF dreams Then It was that the p,as-
Ter, SeZlng nlS rattan ana stcalthlly ioyfaliV
strldlng across the rows of desks would give The
sleeping wretch such rousing whack as To aston
lsh and confound rs well suddenly awake him
confess that these diversions OF the pedegogue
were not without Their attraction for us no looked
on and saw the comical coutortions of the boys
whose fortune IL at the moment be under dis
clplne. The fact that our turn might come next
DID not prevent us from nndlng what entertainments
we might III what master evidently enjoyed.
None of us had yet read the ma1ims OF the cynical
La Rochefoucauld, but we realized that under GER
tain circumstances there Is something IN the misfor
tunes OF our friends that gives us certain sort of
satisfaction.
Those were indeed DAYS when hogging was adj
ministeredi in homeopathic doses, but with a most
heroic fullnessof practice. | once made a careful
estimate of my own experience in that way and
came to the conclusion that had averaged about a
whipping and half day during my connection
with the Mayhem School. OF course we became
somewhat nured To this rough treatment In Was
considered the proper thing TO suffer with Spartan
trmness and he who while laid across the masters
knee could calmly make comIcl and deriS: Va faces
from his gnominous position, for the tainment
OF bis associates, without having his attention d.
yertod TO other parts of his body was accounted a
brave fellow. Then there was superstitions helief
that by laying ones eyelash In the hand thai was
about TO be eruled, the accused wood was sure to
qe shattered on coming in contract with the Sasss
hair But never saw ono shattered