e. One of the families that I became
intimate with was that of Mr. Norton, one of whose sons, J. Banning
Norton, who lately died in Dallas, Texas, was my constant companion.
We studied our lessons together, but frequently had quarrels and
fights. It was a "fad" of his to wear his finger-nails very long.
On one occasion I pummeled him well, but he scratched my face in
the contest. When I went home, marked in this way, I was asked
how I came to be so badly scratched and the best answer I could
make was that I had fallen on a "splintery log," and this got to
be a by-word in the school.

According to the usages of the time I was put early to the study
of Latin, which then seemed to be regarded as the necessary foundation
for an education. I must confess that during my stay in Mt. Vernon
I was rather a troublesome boy, frequently involved in controversies
with the teachers, and sometimes punished in the old-fashioned way
with the ferule and the switch, which habit I then regarded as
tyrannical and now regard as impolitic. I do not believe that the
policy of punishment adopted in the schools of those times would
be expedient to-day. It tended to foster a constant irritation
between the teacher and the pupil.

Among my school adventures at Mt. Vernon was one I heartily regret.
We had a teacher by the name of Lord. He was a small man, and not
able to cope with several of the boys in the school. We called
him "Bunty Lord." One evening after school four boys, of whom I
was one, while playing on the commons, found a dead sheep. It was
suggested that we carry the sheep into the schoolroom and place it
on Lord's seat. This was promptly done and I wrote a Latin couplet,
purporting that this was a very worthy sacrifice to a very poor
Lord, and placed it on the head of the sheep. The next morning
Lord found the sheep and made a great outcry against the indignity.
Efforts were made at once to ascertain the actors in this farce,
and proof was soon obtained. My handwriting disclosed my part in
the case, and the result was a prompt discharge of the culprits
from school; but poor Lord lost his place, because of his manifest
inability to govern his unruly pupils.

Another teacher I remember was of a very different type. This was
Matthew H. Mitchell. He was severe and dogmatic, allowing no
foolishness in his school. He was strict and impartial in his
treatment of the boys, and, though we did not like him, we respected
his