Schools of the Three ''R's'' 207 



miniature. About the stove the heat would be 

 intense, but the unfortunates whose benches were 

 near the walls, often shivered. A kind-hearted 

 teacher — and most of them were so — used to send 

 us in detachments to benches, by the stove, on very 

 cold days. Eubbers and overshoes were not then 

 worn and our cowhide red-topped boots were 

 usually either damp or frozen stiff. 



The contents of our ink bottles — small stone 

 ones in those days — would be frozen solid at night, 

 and, before the hour for writing, there would be a 

 procession to the stove to thaw out the writing 

 fluid. The ceiling above that stove had as many 

 spots on it as a whole web of polka dot fabric. 

 It was a common occurrence — sometimes by acci- 

 dent but mostly by design — ^that a youngster 

 would leave his ink bottle to warm up, with the 

 cork tightly driven in. When the steam pressure 

 got high enough a cork would hit the ceiling and a 

 fountain of ink usually followed it. 



It was Lord Byron who wrote : 



"A small drop of ink 

 Falling like dew upon a thought, produces 

 That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think." 



This ink that I am writing about fell like rain- 

 drops and made us youngsters wink, instead of 

 think, when we got the shower upon our upturned 

 faces. 



