"Well! at any
rate," said the boy, "straight is straight, and crooked is crooked, and
that is all I know about it." It was evident from the teacher's manner
that he was half inclined to think the boy was endeavoring to impose
upon him by feigning ignorance; and he dismissed him to his seat for
the time being, thinking, no doubt, that he had met with a case out of
the common order of school experience. It seems that the boy had never
before attended school with punctuality, and it required a long time, to
teach him to observe anything like system, either in his conduct or
studies. Our teacher, though very firm, was mild and judicious in his
government; and, thinking that possibly Ned's disposition had been
injured by former harshness at school, resolved to avoid inflicting
corporal punishment as long as possible; and try upon him the effect of
kindness and mild persuasion. He had one very annoying habit, and that
was he would very seldom give a satisfactory answer if suddenly asked a
direct question, and often his reply would be very absurd, sometimes
bordering on downright impudence. The master noticed one afternoon,
after calling the boys from their play at recess, that Ned had not
entered the school-room with the others. Stepping to the door, he found
him seated very composedly in the yard, working busily upon a toy he was
fashioning with a knife from a piece of wood. "Why do you remain
outside, Edward, after the other boys are called in?" said the master.
"Cos I did'nt come in, sir," replied Ned, without looking up, or even
pausing in his employment This was too much for the patience of any one;
and seizing him by the arm the master drew him into a small room which
adjoined the school-room; and bestowed upon him, what Ned afterward
confidentially informed us, was "a regular old-fashioned thrashing." I
was not aware till then that the style of using the rod was liable to
change, but it would seem that Ned thought otherwise; and if his screams
upon this occasion were taken as proof in the matter, I should be
inclined to think the old-fashioned method very effective. The whipping
which Ned received created quite a sensation among us boys, for it was
not often that Mr. S. used the rod; We began to have our fears that as
he had got his "hand in," more of us might share the fate of poor Ned.
In a very serious conversation which we held upon the matter, on our way
home that evening, some of us asked Ned why he screamed so lou