article is entitled Our School. The
names of course are feigned; but, allowing for slight coloring, the
persons and incidents described are all true to life, and easily
recognizable by any one who attended the school at the time. The Latin
master was Mr. Manville, or Mandeville, who for many years was well
known at the library of the British Museum. The academy, after the
railroad overthrew it, was removed to another house in the neighborhood,
but Mr. Jones and two at least of his assistant masters have long ago
departed this life."

One of the latter was the usher believed to know everything, who was
writing-master, mathematical master, English master, divided the little
boys with the Latin master, made out the bills, mended the pens, and
always called at parents' houses to inquire after sick boys, because he
had gentlemanly manners. This picture my correspondent recognized; as
well as those of the fat little dancing-master who taught them
hornpipes, of the Latin master who stuffed his ears with onions for his
deafness, of the gruff serving-man who nursed the boys in scarlet fever,
and of the principal himself, who was always ruling ciphering-books with
a bloated mahogany ruler, smiting the palms of offenders with the same
diabolical instrument, or viciously drawing a pair of pantaloons tight
with one of his large hands and caning the wearer with the other.

"My recollection of Dickens whilst at school," Mr. Thomas continues, "is
that of a healthy-looking boy, small but well built, with a more than
usual flow of spirits, inducing to harmless fun, seldom or never I
think to mischief, to which so many lads at that age are prone. I cannot
recall anything that then indicated he would hereafter become a literary
celebrity; but perhaps he was too young then. He usually held his head
more erect than lads ordinarily do, and there was a general smartness
about him. His weekday dress of jacket and trowsers, I can clearly
remember, was what is called pepper-and-salt; and, instead of the frill
that most boys of his age wore then, he had a turn-down collar, so that
he looked less youthful in consequence. He invented what we termed a
'lingo,' produced by the addition of a few letters of the same sound to
every word; and it was our ambition, walking and talking thus along the
street, to be considered foreigners. As an alternate amusement the
present writer well remembers extemporizing tales of some sort, and
reciting them offhand,