50 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



miscalling those in authority over us. He was a good master, 

 inasmuch as he kept order in the school, and carried on the 

 work of teaching about eighty boys by four masters, all in 

 one room, with great regularity and with no marked incon- 

 venience. Whatever might be the noise and games going on 

 when he was absent, the moment his step was heard in the 

 porch silence and order at once reigned. 



Flogging with a cane was not uncommon for more serious 

 offences, while for slighter ones he would box the ears pretty 

 severely. If a boy did not obey his orders instantly, or 

 repeated his offence soon afterwards, however trifling it might 

 be, such as speaking to another boy or pinching him sur- 

 reptitiously, he often, without another word, came down from 

 his desk and gave the offender a resounding box on the ear. 

 On one occasion I well remember his coming down to a 

 rather small boy, giving him a slap on one side of his head 

 which knocked him down flat on the seat, and when he slowly 

 rose up, giving him another, which knocked him down on the 

 other side. Caning was performed in the usual old-fashioned 

 way by laying the boy across the desk, his hands being held 

 on one side and his feet on the other, while the master, pulling 

 the boy's trousers tight with one hand, laid on the cane with 

 great vigour with the other. Mr. Crutwell always caned the 

 boys himself, but the other masters administered minor punish- 

 ments, such as slight ear-boxes, slapping the palm with a flat 

 ruler, or rapping the knuckles with a round one. These 

 punishments were usually deserved, though not always. A 

 stupid boy, or one who had a bad verbal memory, was often 

 punished for what was called invincible idleness when it was 

 really congenital incapacity to learn what he took no interest 

 in, or what often had no meaning for him. When the usual 

 extra tasks or impositions failed with such a boy he was 

 flogged, but I cannot remember whether in such cases his 

 conduct was improved or whether he was given up as "a 

 thoroughly lazy, bad boy, who was a disgrace to the school," 

 and thereafter left to go his own way. Such boys were often 

 very good playfellows, and the magisterial denunciations had 

 little effect upon us. 



