Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-11-03
n N OLD-TIME
a PUNISHMENT.
ny +. +. e. ROBBINS.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Book in hand, Master Dunton
paused abruptly in his task of pro-
nouncing the words, and for a mo-
ment glared along the row of boys
and girls who were "toeing the line"
on the Ao~- 80 ~.-.--.I-..- r..-l.-.l- -..-~
one afternoon some sixty years ago.
Then he spoke in tone of deep
displeasure: This is a pretty piece
of work! Not half the words put out
yet, and everybody has missed, except
George Dole, and he is the youngest
of all! l won't hear such a lesson!
Go back to your seats and take your
spelling-books! I'm going to give
you fifteen minutes to study. 1t will
be the first time to-day for some Of
you. Then l will call the class again,
and the very first one that makes a
mistake shall be punished"
The exact form of the threatened
punishment was not specified; but
that was not at all necessary. Every
body knew. Punishment at that time
and place did not mean copying
verses, or loss of recess, or being kept
after school, or even marks-except
such as might be left temporarily on
some smarting palm by the heavy
ruler that lay on the masters desk.
Master Dunton was teacher of no
little local fame. 1t was we'll under
stood that he was "a master hand"
at figures, could set copy almost as
pain as print, knew all the rules of
grammar by heart although he was
not unduly hampered by them in con-
versation, and could rarse anything
in Pope's Essay on Man." or in
Paradise Lost"
Perhaps his greatest lack, educa-
tionally speaking, was in spelling.
But as the spelling in schools of that
day was oral, and as he could always
have the book before him when hear
ing the Lessons, his weakness in that
respect was hardly worth considering.
His special claim to distinction,
J owever, came from his govern
ment." There was no school in all
the country round too hard for him
to keep 1t OUT" no boy, however
bad or big, that dared to dispute his
authority.
At the, appointed time the first
class in spelling was again called, and
It's members came struggling forward,
elbowing one another into place. The
long row, as finally arranged, was
graduated according to achievement,
rather than height. At the head was
stationed George Dole, the minister's
ten-year-old son, who seldom missed
AMI never pnisbehaved, while at the
foot lowered Joseph Niles, a bra why
youth who generally missed, and who
by his conduct doubtless deserved the
frequent chastisements that fell to his
lot.
1t was evident that the allotted
fifteen minutes had been we'll spent,
and the first two Journeys of the
fpelling lesson down the line passed
without accident.
All the words that had been put
out before had now Leen taken care
of, but there remained the as yet I'M
tried portion of the lesson.
"Victuals!" shouted the master,
turning to George at the head of the
class
But instead of piping back the
prompt reply expected, Georgia hesi-
tated, blushed, and rolled his big blue
eyes round wildly, as If he had been
taken by surprise.
L.
glancing at the book, and wondering
at the delay.
Then George, after apparently
searching his memory, ventured eau
tiously, "V-i-c-t-u-a-l-s, victuals."
Wrong" cried the master, in a
tone of dsmay. Then, forgetting in
his establishment to pass the word to
the next, he asked sorrowfully, "Why,
George, how came you to make such
a mistaken"
IF you please, SIR" faltcred
George, Il didn't see that word In
the spol.ingbook."
Didn't see it," roarcd Master
Duntor, his mood changing at once.
Wasn't 1t right there before your
eyes-second word, third column?
What do you mean by such a prevari-
cation as that"
Just then a knock at the door di-
verified the strained attention of the
school, and Mr.. Dole, the minister,
who was also school committeeman,
was ushered into the room. He at
once discovered that his son was in
trouble; for George, although he was
a brave little fellow and did not fear
a whipping, had completely broken
down at the sound of that word pre-
varication"
Answering the minister's look of
inquiry, Master Dunton explained the
situation.
"Ah, yes, missed on 'victuals, you
say" said Mr.. Dole, glancing over
the masters shoulder at the book.
How did he spell lt?"
Tell your fathelShow you spelled
it, George" said Mr.. Dunton.
"V-i-c-t-u-a-l-s!" sobbed the boy.
Indeed; and how should it be
spelled, Mr.. Dunton?"
why, v-i-t-a-l-s!" answered the
master, in tone of surprise. There
it is in the speller," he added, offer
ing the book.
Suppose you look up the word in
your dictionary" suggested Mr.. Dole,
quietly, pointing to a small and sell
dom book that lay upon the
desk.
Master Dunton was puzzled. Could
it-be that the minister, learned man
though he was, presumed to cast a
doubt upon the spelling-book?
But he began to turn over the
pages Of the dictionary, and at last
he announced, rather pompously,
Here it is; 'v-i-t-a-l-s, victuals the
parts essential to life Nothing
could be palmer than that"