n used to mend the pigsty
since. Birch had a large school-room run up in the Gothic taste, with
statuettes, and a little belfry, and a bust of Archbishop Wigsby in the
middle of the school. He put the six senior boys into caps and gowns,
which had rather a good effect as the lads sauntered down the street of
the town, but which certainly provoked the contempt and hostility of
the bargemen; and so great was his rage for academic costumes and
ordinances, that he would have put me myself into a lay gown, with
red knots and fringes, but that I flatly resisted, and said that a
writing-master had no business with such paraphernalia.

By the way, I have forgotten to mention the Doctor himself. And what
shall I say of him? Well, he has a very crisp gown and bands, a solemn
aspect, a tremendous loud voice, and a grand air with the boys' parents;
whom he receives in a study covered round with the best-bound books,
which imposes upon many--upon the women especially--and makes them fancy
that this is a Doctor indeed. But law bless you! He never reads the
books, or opens one of them; except that in which he keeps his bands--a
Dugdale's "Monasticon," which looks like a book, but is in reality a
cupboard, where he has his port, almond-cakes, and decanter of wine.
He gets up his classics with translations, or what the boys call cribs;
they pass wicked tricks upon him when he hears the forms. The elder wags
go to his study and ask him to help them in hard bits of Herodotus or
Thucydides: he says he will look over the passage, and flies for refuge
to Mr. Prince, or to the crib.

He keeps the flogging department in his own hands; finding that his
son was too savage. He has awful brows and a big voice. But his roar
frightens nobody. It is only a lion's skin; or, so to say, a muff.

Little Mordant made a picture of him with large ears, like a well-known
domestic animal, and had his own justly boxed for the caricature.
The Doctor discovered him in the fact, and was in a flaming rage, and
threatened whipping at first; but in the course of the day an opportune
basket of game arriving from Mordant's father, the Doctor became
mollified, and has burnt the picture with the ears. However, I have one
wafered up in my desk by the hand of the same little rascal.

THE COCK OF THE SCHOOL.

I am growing an old fellow, and have seen many great folks in the course
of my travels and time: Louis Philippe coming out of the Tuileries; his
Majesty the