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 afterwards 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 loud.  “I thought,” said he, “if I hollered pretty well, he would think he’d licked me enough and stop; but I don’t see what great harm I did any way.  He asked why I stayed out; and I said, cos I did’nt go in, and I am sure I could’nt give a better reason than that.”  Time passed on, and by degrees Ned dropped many of his odd ways; and began to make tolerable progress in study; but still, much patience and forbearance was necessary on the part of the teacher.  He had the same habit of frequently giving absurd answers in his class, as well as upon other occasions; but after a time his stupid answers were much less frequent, and Mr. S. began to indulge the hope that he would soon overcome the habit entirely.  When he had attended school for about six months, as was the custom two or three times a year, we passed under what to the school boys was an “awful review” in presence of those awe-inspiring personages, termed in those days the school-trustees, and any other friends of the school who might chance to be present.  We all, even to the teacher, had our fears lest Ned (who had not yet entirely discontinued the practice) should give some of his comical answers when questioned by our visitors; but the day came, and with it the school-trustees and a number of other friends.  The classes were first examined in reading and spelling; and Ned acquitted himself much better than we had dared to hope; and we began to think he might pass the afternoon without making any serious blunder.  After the reading and spelling lessons, the class was summoned for examination in Geography.  Elated by his success in reading and spelling, Ned took his