class into
the grammar grades I find on examination of these earlier American
authorities an even greater array of chuckleheads than appear in the
prose divisions. I shall pass over the celebrated instance--as read by
us in class in a loud tone of voice and without halt for inflection or
the taking of breath--of the Turk who at midnight in his guarded tent
was dreaming of the hour when Greece her knees in suppliance bent would
tremble at his power. I remember how vaguely I used to wonder who it was
that was going to grease her knees and why she should feel called upon
to have them greased at all. Also, I shall pass over the instance of
Abou Ben Adhem, whose name led all the rest in the golden book in which
the angel was writing. Why shouldn't it have led all the rest? A man
whose front name begins with Ab, whose middle initial is B, and whose
last name begins with Ad will be found leading all the rest in any city
directory or any telephone list anywhere. Alphabetically organized as he
was, Mr. Adhem just naturally had to lead; and yet for hours on end my
teaches consumed her energies and mine in a more or less unsuccessful
effort to cause me to memorize the details as set forth by Mr. Leigh
Hunt.

In three separate schoolbooks, each the work of a different compilator,
I discover Sir Walter Scott's poetic contribution touching on Young
Lochinvar--Young Lochinvar who came out of the West, the same as the
Plumb plan subsequently came, and the Hiram Johnson presidential boom
and the initiative and the referendum and the I. W. W. Even in those
ancient times the West appears to have been a favorite place for
upsetting things to come from; so I can't take issue with Sir Walter
there. But I do take issue with him where he says:

So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung,
So light to the saddle before her he sprung!

Even in childhood's hour I am sure I must have questioned the ability of
Young Lochinvar to perform this achievement, for I was born and brought
up in a horseback-riding country. Now in the light of yet fuller
experience I wish Sir Walter were alive to-day so I might argue the
question out with him.

Let us consider the statement on its physical merits solely. Here
we have Young Lochinvar swinging the lady to the croupe, and then he
springs to the saddle in front of her. Now to do this he must either
take a long running start and leapfrog clear over the lady's head as
she sits there, and land accuratel