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

28 MY LIFEThis was appropriate, as the grounds were surroundedby trees, and at the north end of the main playgroundthere were two very fine elms, shown in the oldengraving of the school here reproduced.The headmaster in my time was a rather irasciblelittle man named Clement Henry Crutwell. He wasusually called by the boys Old Cruttle or OldClemmy, and when he overheard these names used,which was not often, he would give us a short lectureon the impropriety and impoliteness of miscallingthose in authority over us. He was a good master,inasmuch as he kept order in the school, and carriedon the work of teaching about eighty boys by fourmasters, all in one room, with great regularity andwith no marked inconvenience. Whatever might bethe noise and games going on when he was absent,the moment his step was heard in the porch silenceand order at once reigned.Flogging with a cane was not uncommon for moreserious offences, while for slighter ones he would boxthe ears severely. Caning was performed in theusual old-fashioned way by laying the boy across thedesk, his hands being held on one side and his feeton the other, while the master, pulling the boy'strousers tight with one hand, laid on the cane withgreat vigour with the other. Mr. Crutwell alwayscaned the boys himself, but the other mastersadministered minor punishments, such as slight earboxes,slapping the palm with a flat ruler, or rappingthe knuckles with a round one. These punishmentswere usually deserved, though not always. A stupidboy, or one who had a bad verbal memory, was oftenpunished for what was called invincible idleness whenit was really congenital incapacity to learn what he tookno interest in, or what often had no meaning for him.