My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

CHAPTER IIIMY SCHOOL LIFE AT HERTFORDMy recollections of life at our first house in St.Andrew's Street are very scanty. My father hadabout half a dozen small boys to teach, and we usedto play together ; but I think that when we had beenthere about a year or two, I went to the GrammarSchool with my brother John, and was at once setupon that most wearisome of tasks, the Latingrammar. It was soon after this that I had the firstof the three serious illnesses which at different periodsbrought me within a few hours of death in the opinionof those around me.It was a severe attack of scarlet fever, and Iremember little but heat and horrid dreams till oneevening when all the family came to look at me, andI had something given me to drink all night. I wastold afterwards that the doctor said this was the crisis,that I was to have port wine in tea-spoonfuls at shortintervals, and that if I was not dead before morningI might recover. For some weeks after this I liveda very enjoyable life in bed, having tea and toast,puddings, grapes, and other luxuries till I was wellagain.It may be well here to give a brief outline of myschool life at Hertford and of the schoolmaster whotaught me. The school itself was built in the year