It's just
as easy to get your lessons with your eyes as with your lips, and for
the sake of my feelings I hope you will try to do so.
"Speaking of lessons," he went on, "I don't believe in giving long ones.
I always liked short, easy lessons myself, and I suppose you do."
In point of fact he gave the longest, hardest lessons of any teacher we
ever had! We had to put in three or four hours of hard study every
evening in order to keep up; and if we failed--
By this time some of the larger boys--Newman Darnley, Ben Murch, Absum
Glinds and Melzar Tibbetts--were smiling broadly and winking at one
another. The new master, they thought, was "dead easy."
Later in the morning, when the bell rang for the boys to come in from
their recess, Newman and many of the others pushed in at the doorway,
pell-mell, as usual. Before they were fairly inside the room the new
master, calm and smiling, stood before them. One of his long arms shot
out; he collared Newman and, with a trip of the foot, flung him on the
floor. Ben Murch, coming next, landed on top of Newman. Alfred
Batchelder, Ephraim Darnley, Absum Glinds, Melzar Tibbetts and my
cousin, Halstead, followed Ben, till with incredible suddenness nine of
the boys, all almost men-grown, were piled in a squirming heap on the
floor!
Filled with awe, we smaller boys stole in to our seats, casting
frightened glances at the teacher, who stood beaming genially at the
heap of boys on the floor.
Pages:
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359