The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-01-19
w zhzoEsfzag Em the Old 'TIzae
School.

n pAt4ic >ciipui HiLy years ago was 4
very different affair from what it is now
a-lays.
Upon my word, when think Of The
whipping that went on day after day in the
old MaheW school, [ am astonisncd at it.
Yet, with tie variety Of corporal punish
mont so freely bestowed there was min
gled sort Of ghastly sportiye clement, a
grim humor which did not always COM
mend itself to the perception Of him who
received the tlageIlation. 4 merry con-
ceit, for instance, was that of Master.
CIough.
That ingenious person would direct q
culprit TO stand npon the platform, near
the desk, and without bending the knees
touch the floor with his fingers. Then 4
smart flourish Of the rattan and sudden
blow Wonld cause the unhappy youth to
inyoIuntariiy resume an upright position
with diyetring rapdity. It was really
amusing to Master Clongll. Sometimes
an Offender would he asked iv one Of the
masters which Instrument of torture E1a
would choose, the riding whip, tie ruler,
or the rattan. Whichever he seemed to
prefer was not the one used, but one Of
the others would make him smart. This
little change would have Il llealtI1ful moral
influence upon the scholar, teaching pa-
tience aud resignation uuIGz. disappoint-
monr. A pleasant illustration Go the
teacher} Of the irony Of fate was shown in
another way. When the stock Of rattans
ran low (aud that WAS not seldom) some
victim in disgrace would be dispatched for
4 fresh supply, knowing that on his return
he would feel The stroke OF the rod. With
what ingenious refinement Of torture the
victim S.as thus made to find the weapon
chat should wound him.
There was another clever diversion Of
our kind hearted masters which IN sum
mer, when the lays were long, OCCASION
ally broke the monotony Of schoolbor
life. Sometimes Of sultry July after
noon, a tired scholar, overcome by the
heat, would find the sound Of voices In the
room grow fainter and fainter, his head
would droop, and finally drop upon his
desk, and he would quickly be in the
pleasant land Of Dreams Then it was
that the master, seizing his rattan and
yet joyfnlly striding across the
rows Of desks, would give the sleeping
wretch such q rousing Whaok as to aston
ish and confound as we'll as suddenly
awake him.
I confess that these diversions Of the |
pedagogue were not without their attrac-
tions for us who looked ON and saw the
comical eontortions of the boys whose for
tune it was at the moment TO be under
discipline. The fact that our turn might I
come next did not prevent lis from find
ing what entertainment we might, in what
our master evidently enjoyed. None of
Us bad yet read the maxilms of the cynical
La Rochef0ucald, but we realized that un-
der certain circumstances there is some
thing III the misfortunes Of our friends
that gives l's n certain sort Of satisfac-
5ion.
These We're indeed days when logging
was administered in 10 homeopathic doses
but with q most heroic fullness Of practice.
Lonce made q careful estimate Of my own
in that way, and came TO the
conclusion that | had averaged about q
and Il half day during my con-
aection with the MaYheW school. Of
course we became s0il3fSyla laf iftIref9 RI this